John Myers
Beets, with their strong earthy flavor, are an easy root vegetable to grow and can be cooked and frozen for up to 8 months.
Can you freeze beets raw?
Just like carrots, they keep well raw. Cut the raw peeled beets into small pieces, transfer them into a freezer bag, label and freeze. Any beet variety can be frozen like that.
Is it better to freeze beets raw or cooked?
You need to fully cook the beets for freezing – raw beets don’t freeze well (they turn rather grainy when frozen). Prepare and cook whole beets unpeeled.
What is the best way to freeze beets?
Slice or chop the beets up; then, spread them out on a cookie sheet, and flash freeze them. This will prevent the beets from freezing together in clumps. Once your beets are fully frozen, package them in freezer bags; and return them to the freezer. They’ll keep indefinitely, but are best when used within a year.
How do you prepare fresh beets for freezing?
Cook in boiling water until tender-for small beets 25 to 30 minutes; for medium beets 45 to 50 minutes. Cool promptly in cold water. Peel, remove stem and tap root, and cut into slices or cubes. Package, leaving ½-inch headspace.
Are frozen beets as good as fresh?
Beets contain vitamin C, magnesium, folate, betalains, and nitrates. They make an excellent food choice because of all the fantastic things they can do for your body. Frozen beets are just as healthy as fresh beets.
How do you store fresh beets long term?
Store beets in the refrigerator placed in a perforated plastic bag in the vegetable crisper drawer. Beets will keep in the refrigerator for 1 to 3 months. If there is no room in the refrigerator, beets can also be packed in a container—a bucket or plastic storage box or cooler–in moist sand, peat moss, or sawdust.
How long do beets last in the fridge?
Once you’ve chopped off the leaves from the roots, all you have to do to store beets properly is pop them in a plastic bag, seal it up, and put it in your fridge’s crisper drawer. According to our friends at Real Simple, those beets should last between two to three weeks.
How long are cooked beets good for in the freezer?
Properly stored, they will maintain best quality for 10 to 12 months, but will remain safe beyond that time. The freezer time shown is for best quality only – cooked beets that have been kept constantly frozen at 0°F will keep safe indefinitely.
Should you wash beets before storing?
Transfer the beets into the plastic bags with the soil on. This is an important step! Do not wash your beets before storage. Many vegetables have a waxy layer that protects them, and if you scrub this off by with washing you’ll compromise their storage life.
Do you peel beets before you boil them?
No, you don’t have to peel beets before cooking them. The skin actually comes off easily when the beets are cooked. The only time I peel beets before cooking is if I roast them cut up into pieces, usually quarters.
What is the healthiest way to eat beets?
The best way to cook beets to retain nutrients is to steam them. Steaming beets for no longer than 15 minutes is recommended. If you have a steamer, steam them until you can easily insert the tip of a fork into the beets. If you want them to be more tender, slice the beets before steaming them.
