Is it possible to freeze boiled beets in the freezer: whole or grated at home?

Is it possible to freeze beets for the winter?

Although beets can be stored fresh for a long time in the cellar, on the balcony, or simply in the refrigerator, freezing beets at home is not only possible, but also necessary . And at the same time, you don’t have to worry that it will lose all its beneficial substances.

The main thing is to properly prepare the vegetable. Proper cleaning of the beds is no less important. Read about this in separate articles, but in this one we will tell you what rules exist for freezing beets.

Terms and rules for storing frozen beets

According to the rules, the shelf life of frozen beets is 8 months. This means that if the freezer is of sufficient size, the family will be supplied with vitamins until next year, for the entire cold period. It is important that the product is packaged in portions and does not have to be defrosted. Then 90% of all nutrients will be preserved. Freezing beets in the freezer will help preserve all their nutritional value and extend their shelf life. The best option would be to store it in a quick freezer. In this case, the camera should be turned on a couple of hours before placing the packages with the workpiece there. Then the effect will be much more noticeable.

How to freeze beets for the winter: rules!

Freezing beets for the winter can be done either raw or boiled.

Key points to know:

It is better to freeze beets in small portions, which are usually required for preparing borscht, vinaigrette and other dishes.

Containers can be used for portioning

When re-frozen, beets lose all their beneficial properties.
When freezing whole food, use the Quick Freeze function, if available.
The “quick freeze” function freezes food at -18 degrees Celsius. If there is no such function, then the beets should be frozen at a temperature of -10 to -14 degrees Celsius. This range is considered the most optimal.
Frozen vegetables can be stored for 8 months.
You need to boil whole, unpeeled beets to preserve color and taste.
If you want to store whole raw root vegetables, you need to rinse them well under the tap and completely peel them.
For freezing, it is better to use table varieties. In this case, the vegetable must be young and fresh.

Small and juicy root vegetables are ideal for freezing

Freezing is a great way to store not only beets, but also many other vegetables. Read detailed materials on how to freeze pumpkin, broccoli, cauliflower, hot peppers, bell peppers, zucchini, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, onions, and garlic.

Subtleties of freezing

There are some nuances to freezing root vegetables. If you freeze prepared vegetable slices in a bag or container, it will look like a frozen lump. When preparing dishes, it must be completely processed.

It is not recommended to defrost in parts, as there is a loss of nutritional value.

So is it possible to freeze beets for the winter so that its pieces do not freeze into one lump? Freezing in 2 steps will help to accomplish this. Immediately you need to freeze the slices in one layer, which are placed on a tray, covered with cling film, in the freezer. Freezing time 1 hour. We put the frozen beets into bags, preferably with clamps, and put them in the freezer. The cutting turns out crumbly and is pleasant to use for cooking.

It’s good to straighten the bags ready for freezing and make them flat. In this form, they can be stacked one on one in the freezer. This will help save space and accommodate more product.

Knowing how to freeze beets for the winter, each housewife will choose her own option.

Peculiarities

Beetroot for borscht.
The beets for borscht need to be boiled and grated on a coarse grater. Place in one serving the amount needed to prepare the pan itself. There is no need to defrost it before cooking, but you can immediately throw it into hot water.

Grate beets for borscht on a coarse grater

Beets for vinaigrette.
To prepare the vinaigrette, you will need already cooked frozen beets, cut into cubes. It must be defrosted before adding. at room temperature so that it does not lose its color and taste.
Do not use quick defrost! The dish will turn out tasteless and bland, because... beets lose all their beneficial and taste properties.

Beets for vinaigrette cut into cubes

Freezing whole beets.
Both freezing methods are suitable for whole beets.. Each peeled beet should be placed in a separate bag and placed in the refrigerator. Before use, such beets should be thawed, because... If frozen, it will be impossible to cut or grate.
Ice will inevitably form inside frozen whole beets, so you won’t be able to use such beets for beautiful serving and slicing .

Both boiled and raw beets need to be peeled before freezing.

Freezing beet tops
It is known that beet tops contain many useful elements, so it is advisable to freeze them for the winter.
Sequence when freezing tops:
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- Rinse well with running water and select good juicy leaves.
Cut into small pieces.

Cut the tops into small pieces

Place portions into bags.

Place in bags and place in the freezer

Place in the freezer.
Combined freezing of beets and carrots
The processes for freezing beets and carrots are absolutely identical., which allows you to freeze these two vegetables together. This portion can be used in preparing borscht.
Vegetables also need to be washed, peeled and chopped. Then mix and place in plastic containers or bags.

Beets with carrots for freezing

In the video you can also see recommendations for freezing beets and carrots together:

Rules for defrosting beets

In many hot dishes, the preparation is added directly from the chamber. Therefore, we recommend not to be lazy, package and freeze in portions. Cold appetizers and salads require a completely melted ingredient.

Defrosting instructions:

Place the beet stock on the refrigerator shelf.
After 8-12 hours we get the finished product.
If necessary, drain all the moisture through a strainer or colander.

Easier, lighter, faster, you can defrost it in the microwave. It is important to use a special mode. In rare cases, the workpiece is left at room temperature. In hot conditions, thawing occurs faster, but the product loses its taste and juiciness.

You cannot put thawed beets back in the freezer. The end result is a tasteless product. It is only suitable for tinting dishes.

Recipes

In addition to the standard freezing of beets, there are other recipes: freezing fried beets and carrots, frozen borscht preparation, vegetable cocktail, frozen vegetable frying, etc.

You can safely combine beets with other vegetables and come up with your own recipes for preparations.

Recipes for fresh beets and carrots:

Wash and peel fresh carrots and beets well.

Wash and peel vegetables

Grate on a coarse grater and mix both vegetables.

Grate on a coarse grater

Divide the resulting mixture into portions.
Place in prepared containers or bags.
Place in the freezer.

Roasted vegetable recipe:

Peel a small onion and chop finely.
Wash the carrots and beets, peel and cut or grate.
Fry the onion in sunflower oil.
Add beets and carrots, reduce heat and simmer until fully cooked.

Roasted vegetables

Place the resulting mixture in a bowl on a paper towel to absorb excess oil and allow to cool.
Place the roast in containers and put it in the freezer.

Place in portions in the freezer

Vegetable cocktail recipe:

You will need: beets, carrots, red and green peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms.

Preparation:

Wash beets and carrots, peel and cut into cubes.
Wash and cut peppers, mushrooms and tomatoes.
Dry all vegetables.
Freeze each ingredient separately.
Mix in the required proportions and store in the freezer in portions.

Vegetable mixture for freezing can be anything

How to use frozen apricots

A simple way is to eat it fresh. Apricots frozen for the winter are often added to cottage cheese and morning porridge. They are used to dilute fruit salads. The product will enrich the diet, lift your spirits, and add variety.

Other uses:

into the dough. Apricot charlottes, manna, any cottage cheese casseroles, cheesecakes. Halves, whole fruits, pieces are suitable. An option is to freeze in syrup, then strain; into the filling

It is important to defrost completely. Suitable pieces, halves, preparations with sugar, syrups, purees

Excess liquid is drained. Sometimes starch is added to the filling. Can be mixed with fresh apples and other winter fruits;

smoothies, cocktails. Blended raw drinks provide enormous health benefits. You can cook from puree, whole, chopped fruits;
compotes, jelly, other hot drinks. All types of preparations are suitable, except for purees. Fruit and berry mixtures are especially popular.

Frozen and fresh apricots are used in similar ways. The only thing is that thawed semi-finished products become more sour, and you need to add sugar. The exception is blanks containing it.

You can freeze apricots in different ways. The main thing is to follow the basic rules: the lowest possible temperatures, sealed containers, thawing in the refrigerator. Do not attempt to refreeze unclaimed product. It’s better to immediately prepare a drink or dessert from it, or add it to baked goods.

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Freezing raw grated beets

Raw vegetables are also stored in the freezer, but the peel is first cut off. Peeled beets need to be grated and chopped in a blender or food processor . Can be finely chopped with a knife. The small pieces are then packed into your existing containers or bags, sealed tightly and placed in the freezer.

If you freeze it whole, you will need to defrost it correctly:

Place the whole vegetable in water with a small amount of acid (acetic acid will do).
Cook until tender and then gradually cool.
The next step is peeling the shell.
The cleaned product is sliced and cut into the shape needed to prepare the chosen dish. At the same time, the original color of the beets remains just as bright, since we treated them with acid in advance.

After defrosting, the mass of the beets will become slightly different and lose its elasticity. During freezing, water penetrates deep into the mass between the fibers of the vegetable and thereby damages its original integrity.

If you use a refrigerator to store fresh product, you should not deprive the vegetable of its natural shell, since it is this shell that allows you to preserve its beneficial properties and prevent germs from getting inside. The same applies to tops. It retains nutritional properties that will help keep the product fresh.

How to properly store apricots in the freezer

The main secret of preservation is maintaining the lowest possible temperature on a constant basis. You cannot switch modes, remove workpieces, defrost them, and then return them. They will lose all benefit. Instead of appetizing, bright apricots, we get a shapeless, sour mass.

Containers for apricots

Containers for freezing

When using open containers, within a week the product will lose some of its moisture, the aroma will disappear, and foreign odors will appear. Therefore, apricots should be stored in an airtight container.

Suitable container:

packages. We do not use disposable thin polyethylene. We choose thick bags. Ideal option - for freezing with a zip lock;
used container. We are talking about packages of juice, milk, cups of yoghurt, cottage cheese, sour cream.

Regardless of the utensils used, we recommend additionally wrapping the workpieces in cling film and packing them in regular bags.

Shelf life

The maximum shelf life is 1 year. In this case, the temperature in the chamber should not rise above -18 degrees. The lowest setting in household freezers is 24 degrees. On an industrial scale, fruits are frozen at -40-50. Therefore, they last longer and do not darken. When thawed, the pulp remains elastic and less juice flows out.