It would seem that, among all the culinary tricks and secrets, cooking vegetables does not require any special knowledge and can be done even by completely ignorant, novice housewives. However, not everything is so simple, for example, how to cook beets for vinaigrette or bright, rich, impeccable color, borscht or characteristic beetroot soup? So that the proper crunch is present, elasticity, and vitamins are preserved.
If beets should be boiled for cooking on its basis or as an additional ingredient in a salad: traditional vinaigrette, with apples, with garlic and sauce, with herbs and aromatic olive oil, for everyone’s favorite herring under a fur coat, etc., you need to get a bright vegetable , a certain rigidity. Quite hard (vinaigrette) or, on the contrary, soft (fur coat). The most common typical mistakes when cooking beets are hardness, uneven structure, and pallor. Then how to cook beets correctly in order to avoid them? You should:
The water should barely cover the vegetables, at the same time you need to monitor the water level and periodically add cold water, since the vegetables must always be completely in the water.
When cooking several root vegetables, they should be approximately equal in shape and weight.
Beet tails cannot be trimmed.
It is preferable to select undamaged root vegetables, clean them well before cooking to remove dirt, and rinse them.
The most optimal shape of beets for cooking whole (not for soups) is cylindrical, elongated, rich red, sweet.
Cook over low heat, avoid boiling, and cover.
You can check the softness and readiness traditionally - with a knife or a toothpick (pierce it). As a rule, the beets are definitely ready; if the root vegetable slides off the knife on its own, there is no need to shake it. Just don’t do this every four minutes. It’s ideal to check readiness once. Otherwise, the root crop will be all worn out, the juice will leak out, and the brightness and integrity will be lost. You should cook the beets calmly, without disturbing them, for about 40 minutes, after which you can check for readiness if the fruits are small or a slightly harsh, crunchy structure is required.
There is no point in adding salt to the water for cooking beets; firstly, it is practically useless, and secondly, it may somewhat affect the taste of the vegetable.
Often there is a need to preserve color, how to cook beets bright and beautiful? To preserve the color, boiled water can be acidified or sweetened. Add a couple of tablespoons of table vinegar or lemon juice, or sugar per 3 liters of one liquid (excluding the volume of vegetables). Citric acid or sour kvass will also work.
There are no strict requirements for the material of the dishes, but it should be understood that the broth is colorful and rich. However, it is not recommended to cook in metal containers. There are requirements for size; the smaller the useless volume of the container, the better. Ideally, there should be a couple of cm between the surface of the liquid and the lid.
When cooking beets, there is a somewhat specific smell; you can simply get rid of it by putting a bread crust in the pan.
In order for the finished beets to be easily and quickly cleaned, after cooking you should rinse them or immerse them in cold water for 8-10 minutes. The vegetable is boiled separately from the rest, and the prepared slices/cubes of beets are greased with any vegetable oil in order to preserve the color and not stain the rest of the salad ingredients.
If you need to cook beets very quickly, you can also boil chopped peeled root vegetables. fast? The main thing is a minimum of water, a small container, a closed lid. 15 minutes is enough. After boiling, be sure to add a spoonful of vinegar and stir - the color will be restored. For salads, beets can also be boiled/baked, stewed, or baked in a regular oven.
How to turn carrots from limp to firm (crispy)? 23 Jul 2010 18:45 Dear hostesses! I have a lot of limp carrots, how can I make them hard (even on a grater it doesn’t grate, I just tore off the tops and put them all in a bowl of cold water (I do this with cucumbers), I don’t know if it will help or not, maybe there is another way. On The juice won't work, it's no longer juicy.P.S. my mother-in-law always gives carrots along with the tops, but the fact that the tops from the root (carrots) take all the juices (she stood in her house like this for days) can’t convince her (for my mother-in-law, “eggs don’t teach a chicken”), but you refuse from “gifts” - he is offended.
The cow does not get up after calving, what to do, very sluggish help
In addition to nervous paralysis of the gluteal and lumbosacral endings, the fact that a cow lies down after a difficult birth is explained by the following diseases:
- With milk fever, when sick specimens lie down, they are characterized by apathy and lethargy. Pulse and temperature drop. Signs appear within two days after calving.
- Metritis, which occurs as a complication after a difficult birth or with remaining afterbirth. Symptoms do not become noticeable immediately. Then the temperature rises or falls, the heartbeat quickens, and the breathing rhythm accelerates. Accompanied by indigestion, loss of appetite and refusal of water.
- Mastitis is an infectious infection of the mammary gland due to violations of care and feeding conditions. If the disease spreads through the udder, fever, lethargy, and refusal to eat begin.
- Postpartum paresis: the cause of its appearance is unbalanced nutrition and improper care, changes in blood composition. The cornea of the eye becomes cloudy and dries out. The neck bends. It is also possible with rapid calving.
- Hypophosphatemia, which is caused by a lack of phosphorus in the body. Milk productivity decreases, the livestock has difficulty moving, weakens and lies down.
Actions
Beginning livestock breeders are wondering: what to do in such a situation? It is important to get the animal to stand up quickly. This is what healing depends on. Leaving the mother lying down after calving will lead to progressive paralysis. The prognosis is also unfavorable if the animal has been in an incorrect position for a long time.
Beets are stored for long winter months and do not lose their beneficial properties. As spring approaches, the importance of fresh vegetables in the diet increases many times over, so it is important to know how and under what conditions to store beets in the cellar, basement or apartment in winter.
Beets are harvested before carrots. The reason is that its root protrudes above the surface of the earth and is less protected from frost.
The safety of the crop and its quality depend on the time of harvesting. In root vegetables, the largest amount of sugars and dry matter accumulates towards the end of the growing season, and the nitrate content, on the contrary, decreases.
Harvesting time depends on the ripening period:
- from September 20, early-ripening and mid-early varieties begin to be harvested;
- October 10 – start of harvesting mid-season and late varieties.
The autumn holiday of Pokrov, which since ancient times coincides with the end of work in the field, indicates that by October 14, the entire harvest should be removed from the garden for storage.
- Beets that are harvested early and do not have time to ripen are susceptible to diseases.
- If you are late in harvesting, you can freeze the root crops.
- It is also important to avoid wilting of the beets. If September is dry and hot, root vegetables slightly lose turgor.
Do you know that…
Vegetables collected in dry, hot weather do not rot during storage, but remain in a wilted state until spring.
Varieties for winter storage
The success of storing beets at home depends not only on weather conditions during the pre-harvest period and the degree of maturity of the root crops, but also on varietal characteristics.
Beets have good shelf life when stored for the winter if they contain:
- dry matter – 12-19%;
- sugars – more than 11%;
- nitrates – from 95 to 260 mg/kg.
Modern varieties of beets for winter storage, recommended for cultivation in most regions of the Russian Federation, are presented in the table:
Beet varieties for long-term storage (according to the State Register of the Russian Federation). Click on the image to enlarge (opens in a new window)
Storage conditions and periods
How to properly store beets so that the harvest is enough until new juicy roots appear? After all, the vital processes in beets continue throughout the entire period of their existence in fresh form. At the same time, the substances contained in it change, which affects the nutritional value and taste.
In table beets, the state of dormancy, in contrast to, is shallow. Therefore, germination can begin very quickly. Demanding on the temperature regime, having thawed after a slight freezing (freezes at -3 ° C), the root crop loses juice and becomes vulnerable to diseases. These factors are taken into account when storing vegetables.
If the beets must lie for a long time, they are provided with the best conditions:
- constant temperature from 0 to +1 °C;
- relative air humidity 90-95%;
- good ventilation.
Do you know that…
If the storage is too humid, table charcoal and charcoal will help. Placed in the corners, they perfectly absorb moisture from the air.
Factors affecting crop safety
Keeping quality largely depends on agricultural technology, which includes a complex of factors: timing of sowing and harvesting, soil preparation and tillage, watering and fertilizers.
Agricultural technology:
- for beets, prepare the soil with a neutral reaction;
- on heavy soils, deep autumn digging, the introduction of humus and the complete removal of all plant residues are recommended;
- carry out sowing at the optimal time;
- loosen and break through the seedlings to create a suitable microclimate for development.
Do you know that…
During storage, the greatest damage to beets is caused by diseases: downy mildew, fomoz or black rot. To prevent their spread, it is necessary to constantly remove infected copies.
Preparation for storage
- Carry out cleaning in dry weather, trying not to injure the roots.
- Do not wash the vegetables, but only carefully remove the soil.
- Do not dry beets in the sun along with the tops: moisture quickly evaporates from the foliage, which leads to the withering of the root crops.
- Do not leave beets in heaps on beds for a long time. It is best to dry root vegetables in the shade in a draft.
- For long-term storage, store only healthy and intact specimens.
The tops should be cut flush with the head to prevent buds from sprouting in the future.
Before planting, root vegetables can be treated with onion infusion - 200 g of onion peel, pour 10 liters of water and leave for 24 hours. After spraying, dry the beets well.
Also, before laying, you can treat the root crops with a saline solution and then dry them.
Do you know that…
Before storing beets in storage, it is advisable to distribute beets by variety, since different varieties have different shelf life.
Preparing the premises
Preparing the premises after it has been cleared from the previous harvest involves:
- removal of garbage and plant debris;
- drying and ventilation;
- disinfection of the premises 1.5-2 months before planting a new crop.
Dry the detected areas of mold using hot coals on a brazier. Good results are obtained by whitewashing with freshly slaked lime (2.5 kg per 10 liters of water) with the addition of copper (100 g) or iron sulfate (30 g). Lime prevents the development of pathogenic fungi.
If there is good ventilation, fumigate the basement with sulfur, the smoke of which is absorbed into the wooden structures of the room. As a result, overwintering pathogenic spores and pests die. 1 m3 will require 40-50 g.
Tip of the day
Wear a respirator when smoking, as sulfur fumes are toxic.
Storage in unheated areas
For the winter, root crops are stored in the basement, cellar or underground. The most popular ways to store beets in the cellar for the winter:
- Place the beets in the chest in stacks up to 0.75 m high and up to 1 m wide.
- Or put it in boxes or baskets. The container volume should not exceed 20 kg. Place the boxes on stands. Leave a gap between the wall and the drawers.
- Alternate the layer of root vegetables with a layer (1-1.5 cm) of sand, perlite or vermiculite (see). The moisture content of the sand will be sufficient if a handful squeezed in your hand turns into a stable lump.
Do you know that…
Beets are best preserved if they are laid in sand in one row. Pour sand near the basement wall in a pyramid and bury the roots up to the neck.
Beets can be stored in storage together with potatoes, carrots and cabbage
Pit storage
- The size of the hole depends on how deep the soil freezes in winter. The milder the climate, the smaller the hole needs to be dug - 0.5-1 m.
- Before planting, the crop must be kept in the cold for a long time. Place in a prepared trench only with the onset of frost.
- Cover the root crops with poles or boards, cover with dry leaves or straw. Cover the top with soil. First, add a layer of 10-15 cm. After two weeks, bring the thickness of the soil to 15-20 cm. Before the onset of stable cold weather, bring the embankment above the bookmark to 1 m. Lay the soil in stages so that the root crops have time to evenly release excess moisture.
- In the center of the hole from the bottom to the crest of the pile, build an exhaust pipe from available material. During thaws, leave the hole open; in severe frosts, close it tightly.
- In spring, remove the snow from the hole. Carry out the excavation in early spring to avoid flooding with melt water.
We answer the question: Why do beets become soft during storage?
The main reason is insufficient humidity. This causes the vegetable to quickly wither. A container of water installed in the storage will help correct the situation. Don't forget to add liquid as it evaporates.
Storage in heated rooms
- Hardware stores sell plastic bags for food purposes. At room temperature in an apartment, vegetables can be stored for up to 14 days. You can store beets in polyethylene bags for a long time in the refrigerator or on the loggia. Small-volume bags create a favorable gas environment and almost eliminate the loss of moisture from root crops.
- Install a large box or box on the balcony or loggia. Place an old blanket on the bottom. In the box, place a smaller box into which pour the beets. Arrange root vegetables with shavings, sawdust or dry sand, perlite, vermiculite. Insulate the walls between the box and the box. Cover the top well with a rag.
Periodically inspect supplies and remove spoiled vegetables.
Tip of the day
Store cut, chopped or grated beets in the refrigerator, wrapped in cling film or placed in plastic bags or plastic containers. Vegetables packaged in this way will last 7-10 days.
Homemade preparations
If there is no basement or cellar and nowhere to store beets in winter, they can be canned, frozen or dried.
Beets are used to make beet caviar, a dressing for beets, and prepare juice. The pickled root vegetable is served as a side dish or used to prepare first courses.
Try making beet salad according to the recipe from this video - you will lick your fingers in winter:
Freezing beets for the winter at home allows you to preserve the beneficial and taste qualities as much as possible. In the freezer, keep the root vegetable raw, cut into pieces or grated - in the form of shavings.
For drying:
- Select small, dark-colored roots without rings.
- Wash, trim the roots and blanch whole for 20-30 minutes.
- Then cool with water, remove the skin and chop into rings up to 3 mm thick.
- Dry in a dehydrator or oven at 40-50 °C for 4-6 hours with the door ajar.
Storing beets at home will not cause difficulties if you follow the recommendations given in the article. As you can see, there are many ways - choose the one that suits you, and all winter you will have vitamin-rich, healthy vegetable dishes on your table.
Store correctly and be healthy!
" Beetroot is one of the components of salads, such as vinaigrette or “shuba”; beetroot soup and many other dishes are prepared from it. However, its preparation requires more time than cooking other vegetables. What to do if you don’t have the required amount of time? We present to your attention the secrets: how to quickly cook whole beets and more.
How much time is needed
The time to cook beets until they are fully cooked varies from 10 minutes to 2 hours and depends on the size of the vegetable, its variety, the presence of salt in the water and the chosen cooking method. So, for example, flattened beets with thin skin of a small size Bordeaux variety will cook much faster than large root vegetables of other varieties.
How to reduce cooking time for whole beets to a minimum
How to quickly cook large beets? If you don’t have enough time and need to boil the beets, use the following recommendations.
Cook beets in a saucepan quickly
Way 1
- Place the washed root vegetable in a saucepan, add cold water, put on medium heat and cook for about 20 minutes. DO NOT SALTY! Firstly, it is practically useless, and secondly, salt will make the vegetable harder, thereby increasing the cooking time.
- Then drain the water and place the root vegetables under cold water (preferably running) for a few minutes. After such manipulation, thanks to a sharp change in temperature, the beets will “reach” complete readiness.
Way 2
- Adding cold water during cooking speeds up the process significantly. Place the beets in cold water and place over low heat. When the water boils, add a small amount of cold water to stop it boiling for a while. Then bring to a boil again and repeat the procedure. So cook until fully cooked.
Method 3. Cooking in the microwave or oven
- Pierce the washed beets with a knife (fork, toothpick) in several places.
- We pack it in a plastic bag or special container and set it for 10 minutes at a power of 800 watts.
- In the oven, medium-sized beets are baked at a temperature of 200 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
Determine readiness
In order to determine the readiness of a vegetable, simply pierce the root vegetable with a sharp object. If the knife (fork, toothpick) fits into it easily and the beets inside are soft, then the mission was a success.
Save color
How to cook red beets quickly?
- Cook the beets together with the stems and peel, without violating the integrity of the “shell”.
- In order to preserve the color of the root vegetable during long-term cooking, add 2 teaspoons of table vinegar, lemon or sugar to 3 liters of water.
- If the beets were being prepared for a vinaigrette and you don't want them to turn the rest of the vegetables red, simply drizzle the diced beets with any vegetable oil.
Other ways to cook beets quickly
Method 1. Steaming
- Cut the washed and peeled root vegetable into cubes or strips.
- Place the chopped vegetable in a steamer. Ready time: 20 minutes.
How to quickly and correctly cook beets is a question that is asked not only by culinary experts. There are a lot of subtleties and tricks in cooking beets. Knowing them will make it easier to achieve results, make them tasty and healthy. So, how to cook beets quickly and easily?
How long does it take to cook beets?
Beets are cooked from 20 minutes to 3 hours depending on the method, size and age.
What's here:
Cook for 2-3 hours
If you place it in a saucepan of cold water and just place it on the stove, the cooking time will be 2-3 hours (depending on size). Cook beets quickly It won’t work, but, nutritionists say, some vitamins will be preserved.
Cook in 1 hour
If in boiling water, then an hour. But the process can be accelerated.
A professional approach to cooking beets
Professional chefs cook beets like this: after they have boiled for about 30 minutes, drain the water and place under running cold water (the colder the better) for about 15 minutes. The temperature difference brings the beets to readiness. So, the whole process takes 40-50 minutes.
Cook beets in 15-25 minutes!
If you want to cook the beets even faster, put them on high heat without turning down or covering the pan with a lid. (True, in this case there will be nothing left of vitamin C). But then there must be a lot of water, it must cover the root vegetables 8 centimeters above, otherwise it will boil away before the vegetables are cooked. After 15 minutes - under ice water for 5-10 minutes. That's it, the beets are ready.
Boil 40 minutes +
“Long-lasting” method: high heat (if thrown into cold water) until boiling - medium heat (40 minutes) - low heat (until cooked). At the same time, pour water 5 centimeters above the level of the beets.
Always finish the process with cold water. Then the beets, in addition to being “ready”, are easy to clean.
Not fast, but tasty - in the microwave
Not the fastest, but very tasty way to cook beets - do not boil them, but bake them in the microwave or oven at 200 degrees, placing them in a baking bag. This will take 25-30 minutes; if the temperature is not so high or the beets are large and old, then it will take longer.
- Important! Vitamin C is destroyed at 190 degrees C.
By the way, baked beets are sweeter than boiled beets. And it is recommended to use it in recipes for salads and vinaigrettes.
More about the nuances of quick cooking of beets:
Choose small, flattened, thin-skinned Bordeaux varieties; they are tastier, prettier and cook faster.
Pour a spoonful of vegetable oil into boiling water along with the beets (I found a recommendation on the Internet, I haven’t tried it myself).
A barbaric method: peel the beets, cut them into pieces, in a word, do as you would with potatoes. Cook it in a pressure cooker for 20 minutes, after cutting it into strips.
10 secrets on how to cook beets correctly, and more
1. Clean not clean. Wash firmly, using a brush. We don’t remove the peel, we cook it with it. We do not cut off the tail. If you break the integrity of the beets, juice will leak out of them and they will turn out watery and whitish. Beets are peeled if they are intended for stewing.
2. Salt, don’t salt. We do not salt the beets at the beginning of cooking, since the salt will evaporate anyway, and there is no point. In addition, salt will make the vegetable hard, which means it will increase the already long cooking time. Salt the beetroot dish directly. But not all housewives will agree with this. Some people believe that it is necessary to add salt at the beginning of cooking, otherwise it will turn out tasteless.
4. How to neutralize the smell. Not everyone loves the smell of beets. To neutralize it, throw a crust of bread into the pan.
5. How to check readiness. Check the readiness of the beets with a fork: they should enter the vegetable softly and easily.
6. If you have peeled fresh beets, It should not be exposed to air so as not to destroy vitamin C.
7. If the beets are dry. If your beetroot has dried out, do not rush to throw it away: scald it with boiling water, fill it with water at room temperature and let it swell. Then put it on the fire without changing the water.
8. How not to “color” vegetables in vinaigrette. WITH Are you planning to make a vinaigrette? Cut the boiled or baked beets into pieces and immediately sprinkle with vegetable oil, then other vegetables (potatoes, for example) will not be colored.
9. About the benefits of beetroot broth. Do not throw out the beet broth that remains after cooking the beets! It’s better to add lemon juice, cinnamon and ginger in equal quantities (adjust how much yourself, depending on the amount of broth). The result is a tasty and medicinal refreshing drink, no worse than one, the preparation of which is more troublesome. With diuretic, laxative, antihypertensive and action.
10. About beet tops. Be sure to learn how to prepare dishes from beet tops, pkhali, for example, add it to borscht and beetroot soup, because beets are healthy, and beet tops are even healthier - they contain a powerful dose of vitamins. Only young tops will be used for food; old ones are not suitable.