How and how long you can store boiled beets in the refrigerator without losing their taste and maintaining their structure

It is recommended to eat any cooked vegetable immediately or after a short amount of time. The same goes for beets. After cooking, it is necessary to ensure proper storage conditions. There are several ways to store vegetables. You can store boiled beets in the refrigerator, freezer and at room temperature. The container in which it is stored also matters. Depending on where the cooked vegetable is stored, its overall shelf life depends.

Storage conditions

Cooked vegetables should not be placed in a cold place immediately. The root vegetable must cool completely. The best place for storage is the refrigerator. For boiled vegetables, the optimal temperature is 2-4 ⁰C. Root vegetables can be stored even longer in a freezer. There at a temperature of -12 ⁰It can lie there for more than one month.

It is important not to peel or cut cooked beets before storing them. The vegetable can be divided into pieces as long as it is stored in the freezer. It is better to put whole and unpeeled root vegetables in the refrigerator. If you peel and cut it, the shelf life will be significantly reduced.

It is best to keep cooked beets in a container with a tight lid. This way it better preserves the properties and quality of the product. A good storage condition would be a zip bag with evacuated air. It is recommended to place a whole and unpeeled vegetable in it, close the bag tightly and place it in the refrigerator on the top or middle shelf.

Storage methods

Boiled root vegetables can be stored not only in the refrigerator, freezer, but also at room temperature. But the shelf life in the latter case will be noticeably shorter.

In a refrigerator

This is the best option for storing boiled vegetables. The optimal temperature at which to store root vegetables in the refrigerator is 2-4 ⁰C. The best place for this is the middle or top compartment of the device.

A whole root vegetable with peel will last the longest in the refrigerator. Vacuum packaging will extend the shelf life. But you can use other containers. Peeling and slicing the root vegetable reduces the length of its storage in the refrigerator, but you can either peel it, but not cut it, or completely peel it and cut it into halves, quarters, cubes, bars, or grate it.

The following 4 methods for storing boiled beets in the refrigerator are recommended:

1. Glass, enamel or ceramic bowl. Only peeled and chopped vegetables can be stored in it. The container must be covered, since if there is an air gap, the cooked root vegetable will begin to dry out and deteriorate.
2. Polyethylene bag or cling film. Only cooked beets that have cooled and dried with a paper towel are stored in this way. It can be stored both in unrefined and purified form. It is important to keep it in a tightly closed bag, but with holes for air.The same applies to cling film. If air does not penetrate inside the bag or film, the cooked root vegetable will produce juice in which bacteria will begin to multiply.
3. Vacuum package. This method allows you to preserve boiled vegetables the longest, but a special device is required to pump air out of the bag. There is no other way to remove it from the package.
4. Glass container. You can store cooked beets in any form in it. There should be an air hole in the lid of the container. Instead, you can use cling film with holes made. It is recommended to place a mesh at the bottom of the container through which the beet juice will flow to the bottom.

Of these options, the best for storage are glass containers (not plastic) and glass, enamel or ceramic bowls.

In the freezer

Boiled vegetables can be stored the longest in the freezer. But it is important to properly prepare it for such storage. Do not put hot or still warm root vegetables in the freezer. It is also better to put fresh boiled vegetables in the freezer. Leftover boiled beets will not taste good after defrosting.

Before putting the root vegetable in the freezer, you must first peel it. Then it is important to wipe it dry with paper towels. It is recommended to put only finely chopped or grated root vegetables in the freezer. It must be placed in sealed zip bags with the air evacuated.

Advice. It is recommended to store cooked beets in the freezer at a temperature within -12 ⁰C and -18 ⁰C. Do not defrost and then refreeze the product. Freezing should be a one-time process.

At room temperature

The cooler the apartment, the longer the boiled beets will be stored in it. At a temperature of 18-21 ⁰It is best to store it whole and unpurified. It is recommended to put it in a dark place where sunlight does not penetrate. It is also necessary to place the boiled beets in a bowl and cover the top with a lid so that there is air access.

If your home has a basement, it is recommended to place the cooked root vegetable there. Basements are typically much cooler than the rest of the house. There the vegetable can lie for quite a long time.

What is the best way to store it?

The place where further storage of the boiled root vegetable is supposed to play a role. If it will be at room temperature, it is better to put it in a glass bowl and cover it loosely with a lid. You can also put it in a glass, ceramic or enamel container. It must be loosely closed with a lid with a valve through which air must pass.

If the vegetable will be in the basement, then it is better to put it in dry wooden boxes, the bottom of which is lined with cling film. The top of the beets should be covered with a film with holes made.

It is better to store boiled beets in the refrigerator in a glass container under a lid with a valve or in a bowl with a loose lid. You can also wrap the vegetable in cling film and place it on a plate.

Cooked root vegetables are best preserved in the freezer if they have been previously diced or grated. It is recommended to store boiled beets in the freezer, placed in a vacuum bag with a zip fastener. You can also use a regular plastic bag instead of such a bag.

Terms within which boiled beets are stored

Depending on the location and conditions, boiled beets can be stored within the following periods:

• cut into pieces or grated at a temperature of 18-25 ⁰C – 12 hours;
• whole and unrefined at room temperature – 24 hours;
• unpeeled and not cut into pieces in the refrigerator – 4 days;
• peeled but whole in the refrigerator – 3 days;
• peeled and halved or quartered in the refrigerator – up to 2 days;
• peeled, diced or grated in the refrigerator – 24 hours;
• in the freezer at -12-18 ⁰C – 3 months.

In a refrigerator, a boiled vegetable in a bowl can last for 3 days, just like in a plastic bag. It can be stored in a vacuum bag and on a refrigerator shelf for 10 days. The maximum period is six months. This applies to those cases when the boiled root vegetable is placed in a vacuum bag without air and placed in a freezer at a temperature of -18 ⁰C.

Recommendations for storage at home

It is better to store the cooked root vegetable in portions, placing it in parts in different bags or containers. Re-freezing is not recommended. This will affect not only the beneficial properties, but also the taste. The beets will become watery when defrosted.

If the root crop has dried out after storage, it should be briefly placed in boiled water. Thanks to it, it will absorb moisture and return to its previous shape and juiciness. If boiled beets are frozen for a long time, then it is recommended to indicate the date of freezing on the package with them. It will be possible to track the expiration date and consume the product on time.

It is better to put grated boiled beets in the freezer. In this form, it will be able to retain all its beneficial properties as much as possible.The whole root vegetable should not be placed in the freezer as it will become watery and too soft after defrosting.

The boiled vegetable is defrosted in stages. First, it is laid out from the freezer into the main refrigerator compartment. It should be kept there for 4 hours. Only after this can it be taken out of the refrigerator and wait until it is completely thawed at room temperature.