Beets are rustic root vegetables and are the most special of all vegetables available. It is the most convenient vegetable for autumn and summer. Beets’ health benefits are amazing as they are very nutritious vegetables.
Beets are rich in folate, which helps the cell grow and mutate faster. It shields our body from any evident damage to blood vessels. Consumption of beets reduces the risk of heart attacks and stroke.
Beets have the chance to go sour or lose their taste when stored improperly for a long time. They can last for a week if preserved in an airtight container without any air intrusion.
Although beets can be stored for a week, the right way is to check their validity before proceeding with consumption.
The signs of spoiled beets are quite evident as any other vegetable. However, eating spoiled beets can have its own set of complications, including food poisoning. Preservation is definitely the key, and here we will describe more about the evident signs of spoilage and how long it lasts.
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How Long Do Beets Last?
When you talk about the durability of the beets, we can approach this in two ways. One is at room temperature, and the other is fridge storage.
Fresh beets last about 3 to 5 days at room temperature. It could stay for 2 weeks without any problems if preserved in the fridge. Cooked beets can stay for 3 to 5 days in the fridge.
The beets’ green can be removed before storing them in the fridge. The greens would get spoiled sooner than the beets, which will also have an impact on the beets. Keeping it at room temperature has its own risk. It will start losing its quality sooner than later.
The above timelines are the approximate duration at which beets retain their quality. They may lose their validity when it stays beyond that interval.
You have to make sure you buy fresh beets when you are in the market. If it has been staying there on the counter for a long time, buying it will not serve the purpose. The value will deteriorate sooner, and they will not be used further.
How To Store Beets?
Storage of beets is very similar to storing any other root vegetable and does not differ much. There are two ways in which you can store the beets. One is in the fridge, and the other is at room temperature.
1. Fridge
The optimal place for storing beets is the vegetable drawer in the fridge. It must be stored in a well-ventilated plastic bag and properly sealed. Evading it from any possible air intrusion could be the right way to store beets.
2. Room Temperature
It can also be placed on the kitchen counter or in a special cabinet. However, you have to ensure that the beets will be cooked sooner in a couple of days. Prolonging its stay in the kitchen for days together is going to harm its freshness sooner than later.
3. Cooked Or Boiled Beets
Cooked beets need to be kept in the fridge by wrapping them in an airtight container without any air intrusion. Cooked beats ought to be refrigerated for a longer life as they can turn sour immediately.
Tips For Storage
Beets must be stripped off from the top surface to retain their freshness for a long time. The green will offer moisture which might turn the beets sour and sucky. The best way is to store the greens separately if you are going to use them.
How To Tell If Beets Are Bad?
The fresh beets are always too visibly discernible as they have a sturdy texture with redness intact and perfect. However, spoiled beets could radiate different kinds of signs indicating that it has gone bad.
Look
By looking at the beets, you will know whether it is mold or rot. Any of the above indications are good enough reasons for the beets to be discarded immediately.
Smell
The smell of the beetroot is unique and quite earthy in a very attractive way. However, if it has turned bad, a thrown-off smell and some repulsive aroma will keep you away. Throw the vegetable immediately in that case.
Texture
The texture of the beets is quite sturdy, but when it gets spoiled, it gets softer and lighter to the touch. They get mushy and wet with a dull layering that indicates that it is no longer fresh.
How Do You Know Cooked Beats Have Turned Bad?
The signs of spoilage on cooked beats are quite similar to that of fresh beets. They emanate 3 different signals to indicate that the beets have gone bad.
Look
If the beets have mold on the surface or layers, it is definitely done. It has to be immediately discarded.
Smell
If there is an off smell coming from the beets, then they should be thrown out immediately.
Storage Time
The cooked beets are not worthy of prolonged storage. If the cooked beets are stored for more than 3 or 5 days, it is not worth preserving them any longer.
Storage Method For Cooked Beets
Cooked beets need to be kept at room temperature for some time, allowing them to cool down. It has to be kept in the fridge after it has been cooled off a little bit. Cooked beets are kept in the fridge for about 3 to 5 days and not more than that.
If you need to store it for more than 3 or 4 days, then freezing them will be the right way to go about it. Pack it in an air-proof plastic bag and keep it in the freezer.
Root Cellar Storage
If you want to store the beets more naturally, the best way is to fill a bucket with sand or sawdust and immerse all the beets inside the bucket.
You have to make sure you have eliminated the green before doing this. This will keep the beets fresh and without any eventual damage for a considerable amount of time.
Don’t pack the beets too tight; allow for some loose spots in the bucket. Cover the bucket lid tight enough so there is no moisture intrusion. This way, the airflow gets restricted, and humidity is controlled, leaving the rotting process to come down.
Can You Freeze Fresh Beets?
Frozen beets are not a bad idea, but freezing and thawing them will make them vegetable soggy and dull. Hence cooked beets will be better off to be frozen.
You can also boil the beets and preserve them in the fridge. Peeling its skin and boiling it with lots of salt will be the best way to retain its freshness and flavor.
Do it until they become soft, and then allow the vegetable to cool down. Freeze the boiled beets in the freezer bag for as long as you want.
Conclusion
The above article will be a guideline to explain how you preserve beets and how long does it last. There are other minor aspects about the evident signs of spoilage of beets and associated factors.
Beets are a healthy and attractive vegetable that has its own course of benefits to offer people. Preserving it right and having it fresh deems to be necessary.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How long do beets last?
Fresh beets last about 3 to 5 days at room temperature. It could stay for 2 weeks without any problems if preserved in the fridge. Cooked beets can stay for 3 to 5 days in the fridge.
How to store beets?
It can be stored in fridge or in a cabinet in the kitchen. root cellar is another method.
What will happen if you store the beets with greens?
Beets must be stripped off from the top surface to retain their freshness for a long time. The green will offer moisture which might turn the beets sour and sucky. The best way is to store the greens separately if you are going to use them.
How to tell if beets are bad?
You can tell that beets have become bad by their look, smell and texture. By looking at the beets, you will know whether it is mold or rot. Any of the above indications are good enough reasons for the beets to be discarded immediately.
What is root cellar storage?
If you want to store the beets more naturally, the best way is to fill a bucket with sand or sawdust and immerse all the beets inside the bucket. You have to make sure you have eliminated the green before doing this. This will keep the beets fresh and without any eventual damage for a considerable amount of time.
