The beets have become soft, can I eat them?

This year we harvested beets early - we put them in the barn, but then we had to leave urgently. Yesterday we arrived and were horrified - all the beets were shriveled! What should I do now? Is the entire harvest lost or can the beets be somehow restored?

It's sad, but this is not the end at all. Scatter the wilted beets over the surface of the potatoes (in the cellar). I don’t know what their relationship is, but believe me, the beets will soon regain their elasticity. It's even better if you have celery root vegetables nearby.

I tried putting it in cold water, it helped a little, but not much. I just cooked a lot and ate it gradually. So you can still get out.

It looked like it was hot and dry in the barn. Of course, there are no guarantees, but I would lower the beets into the cellar and put them in boxes or a bag of sand - sand retains moisture well - at least it will not allow the beets to wither further, and maybe even partially restore elasticity. Now I have a new harvest of beets, and in the cellar there are the remains of last year’s in the sand, in appearance they still look like they came from the garden (it is clear that there are fewer vitamins there, but the beets themselves are preserved very well). As you were advised, I also tried it on potatoes - they wither faster, but this may largely depend on the humidity and temperature in different cellars. I also liked it less in sawdust than in sand. But there are no guarantees, because harvesting root crops early threatens that they may not have time to form a dense skin, which usually ensures long-term storage.

Best answer

mark.vudu (34) 7 (49967) 7 15 130 5 years

You can eat something, but there will be very little pleasure and benefit.

Mis Viik (27) 6 (6270) 1 9 35 5 years

better not to eat it

Valkyrie 7 (41363) 2 5 14 5 years

You can, of course, just like carrots and beets and apples in this condition. withered - not spoiled. As for solanine, any potato tastes better when steamed. Solanine is always available. If it's just sluggish, it doesn't spoil it, it's just difficult to clean. The main thing is that it is not rotten and not green. We eat this every spring for a long time))

KMurane 2 (310) 1 7 5 years

It won’t be tasty, but there’s no harm, you can safely eat it.

brilliantview 1 (34) 1 20 69 5 years

It is possible, the main thing is that it is not green, since it is melanin, poison

Birds (30) 6 (19732) 2 21 49 5 years

Kohaged (30) 7 (63240) 2 13 47 5 years

I ate soft potatoes, everything was ok. I fried it, it was just as tasty as in other cases.

It won’t be tasty, but there’s no harm, you can safely eat it.

Preparing for winter storage of beets

After digging up the beets, they must be prepared for long-term storage. To do this, we perform the following manipulations:

Gently but thoroughly clean the root crops from any remaining soil. At the same time, we try not to damage the skin of the vegetable. Under no circumstances should we crush lumps of earth by hitting the root vegetable against anything, as this can easily damage the integrity of the vegetable. We clean the remaining soil with our hands. To do this, it is better to wear special gloves designed for household work.
We cut off the beet tops with a sharp knife or scissors, leaving “stumps” of only a few millimeters to 1 cm. At the same time, we try not to damage the head of the root crop. It is unacceptable to tear off the tops with your hands, since this could damage the integrity of the root crop.
We cut off small roots with scissors. If the tap root is very long, remove it, leaving a tip 5-7 cm long.
After processing the beets, leave them in the open air or in a dry room to dry. It is best to spread the vegetables on burlap or tarpaulin in one layer. In dry weather this will only take a few hours. If the humidity is high, it may take several days for vegetables to dry. When drying beets, you should avoid exposing them to direct sunlight so as not to burn the root crop.
Solid root crops without any mechanical damage or visible signs of disease are stored for long-term storage. It is also unacceptable to store frozen beets. It is best to select medium-sized root vegetables, since small vegetables quickly lose moisture (turgor) and wrinkle, while large ones quickly lose their taste. And one more important taboo when preparing root vegetables: vegetables intended for long-term storage cannot be washed.

About 10 years ago we tried the following method of storing beets, which involved trimming the top of the vegetable to the point where the leaves and tail grow, of course (see photo). Thus, even with high humidity, the beginning of tops growth is excluded. The method turned out to be successful, since then we have been practicing it, along with others.

If the Beets Become Soft What to Do

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Harvesting beets

The time for collecting beets depends on the onset of cold weather. So in regions with a colder climate, it is most often removed before the beginning of October. In more southern regions, root crops are dug up until the end of October. The main thing is to follow one rule: this autumn work of digging up beets must be done before the onset of frost, after which we usually plant carrots before winter. At the same time, root crops are harvested exclusively on dry and warm days. To maximize the integrity of vegetables, it is necessary to dig up this crop not with a shovel, but with a pitchfork. If root crops are removed without first digging, damage to the taproot is often observed. As a result, pathogenic microorganisms can enter the root crop, which often causes it to rot.

If the beets wilt, is this the end?

I tried putting it in cold water, it helped a little, but not much. I just cooked a lot and ate it gradually. So you can still get out.

Choosing a beet variety for storage and rules for its cultivation

Some summer residents do not understand why storing beets becomes problematic for them even if ideal conditions are provided for them. Very often this happens due to the fact that root crops of those varieties that are not intended for long-term storage are left for the winter. Only mid-late and late varieties are suitable for this purpose. The most suitable of them are the following: Odnorostkovaya, Bordeaux 237, Bravo, Late Winter A-474, Red Ball, Egyptian flat, Nosovskaya flat, Mulatto, Cylinder, Podzimnyaya, Libero. Beets are characterized by a high degree of shelf life, vegetables perfectly preserve their presentation for several months.

The quality of root crops even depends on the type of soil in the country where the crop was grown. Root crops that grow on fertile sandy loam or loamy soil are best stored. Vegetables grown on acidic soil manured with fresh manure do not retain their marketable appearance for so long. This is due to the appearance of a disease such as scab, as a result of which the surface of the beets becomes rough, cracks and hardened areas form on it. Such root vegetables spoil much faster.

You also need to take into account that beets, which are watered abundantly and often, are prone to cracking, which leads to their rapid rotting. If during the growing season this crop lacks moisture, then the vegetables grow soft, flabby and dry out quickly.

How to properly prepare and trim beets for storage?

It is necessary to crush the tops or cut them off, leaving only a few millimeters. After this, place the beets to dry.

Instructions:

Take a sharp knife and cut off the tops at a level of 1 cm
You cannot break it and tear it off. So, you risk damaging the root crop
The root also needs pruning. The side roots must be cut off
One large root does not need to be cut unless it is very long. If long, then leave 6-8 cm
But remember, a whole root reduces the risk of infection and rotting
The market almost always sells vegetables with uncut roots.

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.

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.

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.

Pit storage

How to store beets if there is no well-equipped cellar or basement? In this case, lay it in a hole, which you will arrange on an elevated place with dry soil. If the soil is clay, drain it.

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.

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. For 1 m3 you will need 40-50 g.

Tip of the day
Wear a respirator when smoking, as sulfur fumes are toxic.

Beets can be stored in winter in the following ways:

In small batches in boxes, baskets with holes. Containers with vegetables are placed in the basement or cellar.
In slides (“pyramids”) or in one layer on racks or shelves. The size of the “pyramids” should not exceed 75 cm. Only fairly spacious rooms are suitable for such storage of beets.
Bulk in piles, bins. When storing vegetable harvests in bins, they must be arranged in such a way that they are located 15 - 20 cm above floor level. they achieve the necessary natural air circulation in the room. Thanks to this, uniform cooling of root crops occurs. The height of the bin should be no more than 1 m. They are located 10 cm from the walls of the basement or cellar. The gaps between the boards should be no more than 5 cm. The piles should have approximately the following dimensions: height - 75 cm, width - 1 m. In larger piles of beets, air exchange deteriorates, which negatively affects the preservation of vegetables.
In damp sand in boxes without holes, installed in the basement or cellar. This method allows you to save root crops for up to 10 - 12 months. To determine the required degree of moisture in the sand, squeeze it with your hand. As a result, a lump should form. Storage conditions can be improved by mixing sand with crushed chalk. Thanks to this procedure, an environment with an alkaline reaction is obtained, which maximally prevents the activity of pathogenic microorganisms. When mixing the components, we maintain the following proportion: add 200 grams of chalk to 10 kg of sand. To store beets in sand, we select boxes with a lid with a capacity of up to 20 kg. They can be placed in several tiers on stands. When laying vegetables at the bottom of the box, we form a layer of sand in a couple - three cm. Then we lay out a row of vegetables and fill it with sand again. We do this until the box is completely filled. The stacking height is 0.5 m. If the root crops are properly sprinkled with sand, they should not come into contact with each other. We do not reuse sand in order to prevent the occurrence of fungal and bacterial diseases.
In peat, sawdust. This storage method is identical to storing vegetables in sand.
In boxes after treatment with brine (strong salt solution) or sprinkling with salt. Beets treated with brine must be well dried. To reduce salt consumption, some mix it with sand.
On top of the potatoes. This method of storing beets is popular among those who do not have a large cellar or basement. With this method, root vegetables are poured directly onto the potatoes. With this we solve 2 problems at once: potatoes are protected from excess moisture, and beets absorb excess moisture, while preserving their elasticity. To increase the preservation of vegetables, they are sprinkled with sand or powdered with crushed wood ash.
In clay “glaze”. To do this, you need to dilute the clay with water to the consistency of sour cream. Dip the root vegetables into the clay mixture and then dry them until a crust forms. With this storage method, beets retain their presentation and nutritional value for a very long time.
In plastic bags. We put up to 40 kg of root vegetables in one bag. The main thing with this storage method is not to close or tie the bag to ensure constant air access to the vegetables.
In indoor conditions, we place beets in boxes or baskets. Unfortunately, with this method, vegetables retain their freshness for only 2 - 3 months. If the apartment has an insulated balcony, then root vegetables can be stored there. For this you need a wooden box with insulated walls.

Folk tricks

Experienced vegetable growers often use traditional methods of preserving beets. So a very popular method is in which leaves and grass of plants containing a large amount of phytoncides are placed in a room with root vegetables. These biologically active substances inhibit the growth and development of protozoa, bacteria and fungi. Such plants (fern, tansy, basil, peppermint, horseradish, wormwood, wormwood) are placed under and on top of the beets. Radish also has phytoncidal properties, so they are often stored together.

Source: www.liveinternet.ru

Is it possible and how to store beets in the refrigerator in winter?

Storage options:

In regular packages. To do this, root vegetables are washed and dried in bags. Holes are made in them. The shelf life this way is approximately 1 month.
In vacuum bags. Root vegetables need to be washed. Dissolve salt (25 g) in 1 liter of water and soak the vegetables for 2 hours. Dry and only then put into bags and remove the air.
In paper bags. Dry root vegetables are placed in bags and stored in the vegetable compartment. Shelf life is approximately 14 days.
Freezing. To do this, root vegetables are washed and cleaned. Can be grated or cut into cubes. Place in containers and freeze. With this method of storage, vegetables lose some of their vitamins when defrosted.

Storing beets in the refrigerator