Can You Freeze Cooked Beetroot: soups, juices, salads, smoothies, stews, you name it and can eat beetroot in that way. This versatile vegetable is known for its earthy aroma and taste. Not just they add a pop of color to one’s plate, but these veggies are packed with essential minerals, vitamins, and plant compounds.
These nutrients also have medicinal properties. Besides being high in nutrients, beetroots are low in calories, making them the perfect vegetable for weight watchers. In this article, you will learn ways to freeze cooked beetroots and how to defrost and use them. Read on!
- Does Cooked Beetroot Freeze Well?
- Can You Freeze Beetroot Without Cooking?
- How To Freeze Cooked Beetroots?
- How Long Can Cooked Beetroot Be Frozen?
- How To Thaw Cooked Beetroots?
- Can Cooked Beetroots Be Refrozen?
- Tips On Freezing Beetroots
- How long can the beetroots be frozen if they are cooked?
- Is flash freezing necessary before freezing cooked beetroots?
- Can you freeze whole beetroots?
Does Cooked Beetroot Freeze Well?
Yes, Cooked beetroots freeze but they do not freeze as well as raw beetroots. In the case of cooked beetroots, the texture and flavor deteriorate more quickly than raw or blanched beetroot.
Can You Freeze Beetroot Without Cooking?
Yes, You can freeze uncooked but blanched beetroot. Blanched beetroot remains unchanged for a longer period of time in the freezer. Follow the given procedure to freeze uncooked but blanched beetroots.
- Prepare: Peel the beetroots and cut them into wedges, slices, or cubes. Any shape is frozen well therefore choose a shape that you will need the beetroots to be after they are thawed and follow that.
- Blanch: after you have prepared your beetroots, blanch them by playing them into boiling water for 3-5 minutes. Check if the edges have softened. Drain and plunge into ice-cold water immediately to stop the process of cooking and cool them down.
- Drain and Dry: Drain the beetroots and then allow them to dry out in the air. You can pat excess water with kitchen towels.
- Flash Freeze: Place the beetroot on a baking tray lined with parchment paper or tin foil. Place the pieces at a distance from one another. Cover the tray with cling film or foil and keep them in the freezer. Freeze for a few hours or until the pieces are frozen hard.
- Store: keep the frozen beetroots in freezer safe bag and squeeze out all the air. Seal the bags and label them with the use-by date. The beetroots will stay usable for at least 12 months. Place the bags into the freezer.
How To Freeze Cooked Beetroots?
You can freeze cooked beetroots following the given procedure.
- Cool: Let your cooked beetroot freeze at room temperature for 60 minutes or so until they are completely cooled. Warm beets tend to get mushy in the freezer.
- Slice: While whole beets can be frozen, it is recommended to slice the beets up before freezing. Slicing provides more control when it comes to thawing the number of beets you need.
- Flash Freeze: Line a baking tray with tin foil or parchment paper. Keep the slices of beetroots on the baking tray keeping a little distance from one another. Avoid touching or overlapping. Put the tray in the freezer and freeze till the beets are hard.
- Store: Remove the tray from the freezer when the beetroots are hard and then put the beets in freezer-safe bags.
- Freeze: label the bags with the use-by date and place them in the freezer. Remember cooked beetroot stays usable for up to three months in the freezer.
If you are interested in the freezing process of beetroot refer to our article Can You Freeze Beetroot and resolve your concerns.
How Long Can Cooked Beetroot Be Frozen?
Frozen beetroot remains usable for up to three months in the freezer. The cooked beetroots must be flash-frozen before freezing so that they do not stick together when frozen.
Contrary to cooked beetroots, raw blanched beetroots stay good in the freezer for a longer amount of time.
How To Thaw Cooked Beetroots?
Cooked beetroots can be thawed by transferring them into the refrigerator and keeping them overnight or until they are thawed. They can also be defrosted by leaving them out on the counter at room temperature.
Can Cooked Beetroots Be Refrozen?
No, Cooked beetroots can be frozen only once. If you refreeze them the texture and taste are considerably degraded. It is the same for raw blanched beetroot. You must freeze them once as well.
The best way to prevent refreezing is to pack the beetroots in smaller freezer-safe bags so that you take out only the portion you need to use at a time.
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Tips On Freezing Beetroots
Following are a few tips to freeze beetroots well.
- Though you can freeze cooked beetroot, freezing uncooked blanched beetroots will stay good for a longer period of time.
- Blanch the beetroots instead of cooking as blanching allows you to lock in the flavors and retain the texture.
- Blanched beetroots stay well for up to a year if frozen this way. Beetroot, cooked or not must be frozen only once. Refreezing will not only degrade the taste the beetroots will become mushy.
FAQs On Freezing Cooked Beetroots
1. How long can the beetroots be frozen if they are cooked?
The cooked beetroots remain good for about three months in the freezer.
2. Is flash freezing necessary before freezing cooked beetroots?
Yes, flash-freezing the cooked beetroots will ensure that the pieces don’t stick together and you can take out only the number of pieces you want to use.
3. Can you freeze whole beetroots?
Yes, you can freeze whole beetroots yet slicing is advisable as it makes it easier to be used later after defrosting.
Nutshell
We have shared complete information about how you can freeze cooked beetroots. We have also shed light on how to defrost frozen cooked beetroots. If you still need more information about freezing cooked beetroots you can share your question in the comment section and we will get back to you.
Also, check out our site for many more articles on freezing vegetables and articles like Can Carrots Go Bad, etc. You can also bookmark the site for new updates.