How to Dry Beets at Home

Regular addition of beets to the diet contributes to vitamin enrichment of the body. The root vegetable in dried form retains up to 98% of the natural vitamins and minerals. The taste qualities of dried vegetables remain the same. The flavonoids they contain help to eliminate toxins naturally and help normalize blood pressure.

How to choose beets for drying

Only some types of vegetable are suitable for drying.

1. When choosing a root vegetable, first of all you need to pay attention to the color. You should choose a bright red or deep purple color.
2. The absence of rings in the cut is desirable.
3. As for the shape, round or similar to a flat circle is preferable. These forms are characterized by a sweet flavor and the absence of solids.
4. Vegetables with darkening, holes and visual damage should not be used for drying.
5. The popular varieties, Incomparable and Bordeaux, are excellent for preserves.

It is recommended to clarify the variety with the seller, as Egyptian and Vira are visually very similar, but in the process of drying lose their original medicinal properties.

How to prepare the vegetable for drying

The vegetable is dried in three states: raw, undercooked and fully cooked. Grate the root vegetable is not recommended, because with the juice leaks a significant part of the vitamins.

It is preferable to cut the beets into cubes, slices or bars. The thickness should not exceed half a centimeter.

In order to properly prepare the vegetable, it is recommended to perform the following steps:

1. In cold water, using a sponge or soft rag, wash off the clinging soil.
2. Fill a container with cool water, keep the root vegetable in it for up to 2 hours.
3. Before drying the raw vegetable, rinse it again in cold water. Remove the skin, cut in the preferred way.

To make a billet of uncooked beets, after soaking it is necessary:

1. Place the root vegetable in a pot of clean, cold water.
2. Boil for 20 minutes after boiling, take out and cool. From the cooled vegetable, remove the skin and chop randomly.

For a well-cooked product you need:

1. After boiling water, boil the beets for 20 minutes.
2. Drain the hot water and pour cold water into the pot again, this promotes fast cooking.
3. Check the readiness after 1.5 hours with a toothpick or matchstick (the finished product is easily pierced).
4. Cool the cooked beet.
5. Cut off the root and peel the skin.
6. Cut the root vegetable in a convenient way.

How to dry beets correctly

There are 4 effective methods for drying beets. You can use an electric dryer, oven, microwave, or dry in natural conditions. The main advantage of the first 3 methods is freedom from weather conditions in the process. Choosing the more appropriate method is individual.

In the oven

This is one of the most popular methods of drying vegetables among people living in an apartment building. A significant plus is considered to be the economy of electricity, compared to the electric dryer and microwave oven. However, it is worth noting a significant disadvantage is the limited amount of products for simultaneous drying.

It is important to consider that for drying beets the temperature should be 20-30 ° C higher than for other vegetables. Raw and undercooked root vegetables are acceptable.

1. Peeled and sliced slices evenly stacked on a baking tray.
2. At the same time put no more than 2 trays in a preheated oven to a temperature of 85 ° C for 5-6 hours.
3. Open the oven door, which allows you to stabilize the temperature inside, and the heated walls will evenly dry the root crop.
4. Adjust the temperature depending on the properties of the oven - from 60 to 85 ° C, but no more. High temperature will speed up the process, but the vitamins and useful properties of the product will escape.

In an electric dryer.

This is the most modern method, which allows you to dry vegetables, not only the owners of vegetable gardens, but also those who live in an apartment building. It is considered the second most popular among city dwellers in apartments.

Electric dryer allows you to get an environmentally friendly product without additives and carcinogens. The positive aspects of this method: the ability to load a large number of products in one go, the complete autonomy of the device - after turning on there is no need to check, stir and monitor the process.

In preparing the ingredients for the electric dryer will need:

1. Select 5 kg of suitable root vegetables. On average, after cutting off the skin and the root, you get 4.5 kg.
2. Cut the root vegetable into pieces and grind it with a meat grinder.
3. The resulting vegetable in the form of noodles spread evenly on separate trays of the electric dryer.
4. Maintain a room temperature of about 22 ° C, if necessary, ventilate. The temperature in the electric dryer should reach a maximum of 55 ° C.

Drying will take about 9 hours for the set volume, and from 5 kg of beets comes out about 600-650 grams of dry product. The finished product is placed in a glass container with a tightly closing lid.

To check the quality of the obtained vegetables, you need to pour water on a few dry pieces. The coloring of the water in red shades indicates the readiness of the root vegetable.

In the microwave

Using a microwave oven is possible with the availability of specialized utensils. Spread the pre-cooked vegetable evenly on a plastic or glass tray that is the right size for the microwave. The use of metal utensils in the microwave oven is prohibited.

The drying process is divided into 2 stages:

1. Microwave at maximum power to 95 ° C and send the tray with vegetables for 5 minutes. If there is no temperature indicator, you can check the readiness of the product by periodically taking it out.
2. In the second stage of drying, set the medium power on the microwave and send there pre-mixed vegetables for about 20 minutes.

To avoid vain spoilage of vegetables, it is necessary in advance to read the instructions carefully and conduct a little experiment that will help to understand the principle of operation of one or another mode of the microwave oven. You should also pay attention to the presence of a fan in the microwave, its operation will significantly speed up the drying time.

It is believed that microwave dried vegetables, better preserve the useful components and additionally undergo the process of sterilization by microwaves.

In the sun

This type of drying is suitable only for owners of a private house or dacha. To use natural conditions, you need attics, sheds or covered sheds. You can also additionally use central heating or a heating boiler. Two conditions must be met - good ventilation and no direct sunlight. The area must be in the shade.

Pre-prepared root vegetables spread in one layer in a sieve or mosquito net for windows in the frame. The use of trays, cutting boards and other horizontal surfaces is not allowed. The method of natural drying involves blowing the vegetables both above and below.

Also for drying it is possible to string the product at intervals of 3-4 cm and hang it. Keeping the distance between the slices is necessary so that moisture is not transferred from one slice to the next. If you dry the food outdoors in the open air, you need to bring everything inside in the evenings.

The time to fully cook the product is about 45-60 days. The simplicity of the method is obvious, a bonus is the elimination of artificial heat treatment, which destroys the useful properties of the product.

Along with the advantages, it is necessary to emphasize the disadvantages of the method in the form of insects, the duration of the process and dependence on weather conditions.

How to determine the readiness of the product

After the deadline for cooking in the chosen method, it is necessary to check the readiness of the vegetable. The characteristic color of the dried product is dark maroon. Beet slices should be both brittle and elastic.

Can beet leaves be dried?

Beet leaves are rich in vitamins and nutrients no less than the vegetable itself. To dry the haulm, any of the previously described methods will do. Before drying, the herbs should be thoroughly washed under running water and finely chopped with a knife. The resulting greens should be placed in an even layer on a wooden surface (a thick cardboard will do), and periodically turned over.

In natural conditions, the drying time takes 3-5 days, depending on weather conditions. Botva in an electric dryer dries in 8 hours. In an oven, the process is reduced to about 4 hours. The microwave oven dries very quickly - it takes up to 3 minutes, but you should dry the haulm for another hour in natural conditions.

The finished leaves become brittle. It is more convenient to store them, having previously crushed into powder and poured into a glass airtight jar. The container is recommended to place in a cool, dark place.

Useful properties of dried leaves

1. Dried leaves are useful for stabilizing diabetics, normalizing metabolism and restoring gastrointestinal functions.
2. Introduced into the daily diet, dried haulm helps to restore strength.
3. Due to the rich set of trace elements, dried haulm and root can replace fresh fruit in the winter.

Greens are added to soups, used as a condiment and added to medicinal decoctions.

How to properly store dried beets

Proper storage allows you to keep dried vegetables for a long time. The main task is to not allow mold and insects to appear.

Hermetically sealed glass and plastic containers will preserve the product for a year, but they must necessarily stand in the dark. Bags of paper or cloth store up to six months. Products made of wood with a tightly closed lid keep vegetables for 3 to 5 months. To avoid dampness, keep the containers in a dry and well-ventilated place.

What are the benefits of dried beets?

In its dried form, beets retain their beneficial properties.

1. The daily presence in the diet contributes to the natural purification of the body from toxins and accumulated toxins.
2. Micronutrients of beets have a positive effect on appetite and improve mood.
3. Components that transmit color help relieve vascular spasms, strengthen capillaries, reduce blood pressure and improve blood counts.
4. Also the vegetable contributes to the proper functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, contains elements that lower cholesterol, which has a beneficial effect on the liver.
5. The use of dried beets is recommended for people with cardiovascular diseases.

What can be made from dried beets

Dried product is used in businesses that specialize in the production of tomato paste, ketchup, kvass, several categories of canned goods. Beets in powder form are also a substitute for dye.

In the home, dried product can be used instead of fresh. Most often it is used in soups and borscht, but after soaking it can be used in any familiar dishes and make drinks.

Beet Caviar

Ingredients for 8 servings:

• 200 g dried beets.
• 200 gr carrots.
• 2 pcs. onions.
• 3 garlic cloves.
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil.
• Spices to taste.

Step-by-step preparation:

1. First, soak dried beets in cold water. It is not recommended to use hot water for soaking, because it washes out some of the useful properties of the vegetable.
2. Peel the carrots and grate them on a coarse grater.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and fry the prepared carrots for 3 minutes over medium heat.
4. Slice soaked beets into thin slices. Braise with carrots on medium heat for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Peel and run the garlic through a press.
6. Peel and chop the onion.
7. Heat the remaining oil in another frying pan and fry the onions over medium heat.
8. Mix the prepared ingredients with the addition of garlic in the same bowl. Salt and pepper to taste.

Buckwheat with beet

Ingredients for 3 servings:

• 125 g buckwheat grits.
• 50g dried beet.
• 1 onion.
• 1 large garlic clove.
• 2.5 tablespoons sunflower oil.
• 0.5 tbsp. lemon juice.
• 250 ml of water for cooking.
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Method of preparation:

1. Soak dried beets in advance for an hour. Dry buckwheat groats, stirring, in a pan for 5 minutes.
2. Boil buckwheat in the usual way until tender, the ratio of water to grits 2:1.
3. Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic.
4. Heat the sunflower oil in a pan and fry the onion and garlic.
5. Pass the beets through a meat grinder. The resulting beet pulp sprinkle with lemon juice.
6. In a pot with buckwheat, mix all the ingredients until red buckwheat.

Ready dish can be served as an unusual side dish or as a separate dish.

Cream soup with dried beets

This is a vitamin-rich and tasty cream soup from available products. Beet cream soup has a bright color, delicate consistency and amazing taste.

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 150 g of dried beets.
• A large apple.
• Medium sized potatoes.
• 1 medium sized red onion.
• 250 ml of chicken broth.
• Medium garlic clove.
• 100g soft cream cheese.
• 1 tbsp. butter.
• Spices to taste.
• A pinch of ground coriander.
• 2 sprigs of herbs.

Method of preparation:

1. Boil chicken broth with dried beets. When ready, cool the beets. Peel and dice potatoes. Add them to the chicken broth and cook until soft over medium heat. Peel and finely chop onion and garlic.
2. In a pan, melt the butter and fry the onion and garlic until transparent.
3. Peel and seed the apple. Cut into small cubes along with the cooked beets. Place apple and beet cubes in skillet along with onion and garlic. Add the spices and cook under a closed lid over medium heat until the apples are softened.
4. Add the stew to the chicken broth. Cook all together for 3 minutes after boiling. Add spices as needed.
5. Using an immersion blender, blend all ingredients. Add finely chopped or grated cream cheese to the thick consistency. Mix with blender until homogeneous. Heat the cream soup on medium heat, without bringing it to a boil.

Serve the cream soup with sour cream and greens.

Swedish cutlets with dried beets

The main difference from the usual cutlets is the addition of beets in the stuffing. It can be cooked yourself or use ready-made, also finely chopped meat will do. According to the recipe, onions are added already fried in the mince. Therefore, stewing is excluded.

Ingredients:

• 500 g of minced meat or minced meat.
• 130 g of dried beets.
• 1 chicken egg.
• A large onion.
• 1/3 cup breadcrumbs for breading.
• Salt and spices to taste.
• Oil for frying.

Method of preparation:

1. Boil dried beets until tender. Prepare minced or chopped meat. In a pan, diced onion fry in oil until golden brown. Chop the cooked beet with a knife or mincer.
2. In the ready mincemeat break an egg, add the beets, half of the breadcrumbs, fried onions and spices to taste. Thoroughly mix the products until homogeneous. Pour the breadcrumbs for crumbling into a bowl or on a cutting board.
3. Form the minced meat into cutlets and roll them in breadcrumbs. Fry cutlets on medium heat for up to 5 minutes on each side.

If desired, the cutlets can be fried without breading. This will not affect the appearance and taste.

Latvian Beetroot Soup

This is a traditional soup with meatballs in an unusual serving. It is recommended to use ground pork for the meatballs. You can also use minced poultry or beef.

Ingredients for 5 servings:

• 400 g of minced meat.
• 200 grams of dried beets.
• A large onion.
• 3 cloves of garlic.
• 1 tbsp tomato paste.
• Chicken egg.
• 1 tbsp. vinegar essence.
• 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil.
• 2 bay leaves.
• 5 peppercorns of black pepper.
• 2 sprigs of fresh dill.
• 2 liters of water.
• Spices to taste.
• Greens and sour cream to serve.

Method of preparation:

1. Boil dried beets or boil them until tender (cooking time depends on the method of drying). In a pot pour 2 liters of water and bring to a boil.
2. Transfer the stuffing to a deep bowl and beat a chicken egg. Grate peeled onions and add them to a bowl with minced meat together with spices. Mix all ingredients well until a homogeneous mass. Wet hands roll meatballs from the minced meat and release them into a pan of boiling water.
3. Throw black pepper and bay leaf in the boiling water. If there is foam, gently remove it.
4. Peel carrots and grate them on a coarse grater. Peel the second onion and finely chop it. In heated vegetable oil, fry the carrots and onions. Add fried vegetables to a pan with meatballs.
5. Grate soft beets on a coarse grater or finely chop them. Grate the garlic or pass it through a press. The mixture of garlic, tomato paste and beet in a pan with the soup. Add spices to taste.
6. Cook all the ingredients for 20 minutes over low heat with the lid on. When the stove is off, add the vinegar essence to the soup to preserve its color.

Before serving, it is recommended to add sour cream and herbs.

Appetizer of beans with dried beets

A cold appetizer is prepared with a blender or food processor.

Ingredients:

• 330 g white canned beans.
• 2 tbsp. sesame paste.
• 1 tbsp. table horseradish.
• 2 tbsp lemon juice.
• 2 medium garlic cloves
• 1/2 tsp. salt.
• 2 tablespoons olive oil.

Method of preparation:

1. Rinse and dry white canned beans. Peel garlic cloves and pass through a press. Boil dried beets until tender, drain and cool.
2. In a special bowl from a blender or food processor (you can replace any deep container) put the beans, cooled beets, minced garlic, sesame paste, lemon juice, table horseradish and spices.
3. Chop and mix all the ingredients well with a blender or food processor. Without turning off the device, pour the olive oil into the resulting mixture and mix until homogeneous.
4. The resulting mixture should be put in a bowl with an airtight lid and left in the refrigerator for 24 hours or at least overnight.

Serve the snack with boiled eggs, cucumbers or lettuce.

Stewed borscht

This is a forgotten delicious borscht recipe from our great-grandmothers. The main secret of the dish is stewing. Previously, borscht was stewed in the oven, but due to its absence, you can use an oven and a ceramic pot.

For a rich broth you should use about 400 grams of meat. The peculiarity of stewed borsch in the preservation of the consistency of the products: not boiled potatoes, crispy cabbage, but at the same time thick and rich in flavor broth.

Ingredients:

• 2.5 liters of meat broth.
• 3 medium potatoes.
• Carrot.
• A large onion.
• 100g dried beets.
• 4 Tbsp tomato paste.
• 1 jar (500 ml) of pickled mushrooms.
• 0.5 cans of canned red beans.
• Half a forkful of white cabbage.
• 100g of smoked lard.
• 1 bundle of dill.
• 1 bundle of parsley.
• 2 bay leaves.
• 3 garlic cloves.
• 6 pieces black pepper in peas.

Method of preparation:

1. Boil the meat broth in the usual way. Rinse and peel the vegetables. Cut the potatoes into slices and the rest of the vegetables into fine julienne. Cut bacon into small pieces. Take pickled mushrooms out of the brine, and strain the brine.
2. In a large skillet, melt the fat and fry the onion and carrots in it. Add the beets and fry all together for no more than 5 minutes. Pour in mushroom brine and stew the vegetables for a third of an hour on medium heat under a closed lid. Then add tomato paste and stew for another 5 minutes.
3. Put the mushrooms into the meat broth and simmer for 5 minutes. Cook the potatoes in the broth for 10 minutes, add the cabbage and cook for another 3 minutes.
4. Pour the ready broth into a ceramic pot, add the vegetables stewed in brine. Close the lid and let the borscht stew in the oven at 120 C for an hour.
5. While the borsch is simmering, finely chop the greens and mix with garlic.

In the ready dish add sour cream and herbs and garlic before serving.

Beet smoothie with kefir

The bright raspberry color of the beet smoothie will not leave anyone indifferent. The thick drink is rich in vitamins and will replenish your energy reserves instantly.

Ingredients:

• 50 g of dried beets.
• 400 ml of kefir of any fat content.
• 7-8 sprigs of dill.
• 4 sprigs of green onions.
• Salt and pepper on the tip of a knife.

Method of preparation:

1. Steep or boil dried beets and leave to cool. Wash the dill and green onions under running water and dry with napkins.
2. Chop and dice the cooled beets and put them in a blender. Chop the greens and pour into the same bowl.
3. Pour 200 ml of kefir, add spices and mix thoroughly at high speed. Add remaining kefir and mix again until smooth.

Ready smoothie poured into glasses, it is recommended to drink at once.

Chinese Dragon Salad

This is a spicy meat salad dressed with soy sauce.

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 400 g of pork pulp.
• 100g dried beets.
• 2 small carrots.
• 4 medium onions.
• 1 red or yellow chili pod.
• 1 tsp. sugar.
• 100 ml olive oil.
• 20g fresh parsley.
• 20g fresh celery.
• 3 Tbsp. soy sauce.
• 1 tbsp. vinegar.
• Spices to taste.

Method:

1. Beets soak in water or a weak solution of vinegar and grind on a coarse grater along with peeled carrots. Pour the soy sauce into the grated vegetables and mix.
2. Slice the pork into thin slices, salt and fry over a high heat in a pan with 1/3 of the olive oil. Roast for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent it from burning. Place roasted meat in a bowl and stir in sugar until dissolved.
3. Cut the chili into translucent, thin strips and place them with the meat.
4. Peel onion, cut in half rings and fry in 1/3 olive oil until translucent, about 4 minutes on average.
5. Wash, dry and chop the herbs. Combine all ingredients in a bowl with the meat, season with the remaining olive oil and vinegar and mix thoroughly.

Soak the salad for about 3 hours.

Vereschanka

Tender pork breast meat is cooked in beet kvass with sourness.

Ingredients:

• 500 g of pork breast.
• 2 medium onions.
• 2 tbsp. lard (rendered fat from lard).
• 100g of dry rye bread crusts or breadcrumbs.
• 2 cups of beet kvass.
• Spices to taste.

To cook beetroot kvass correctly, you must put fermented kvass in advance:

1. 100-150 g of dried beets crush and place in a 2-liter jar.
2. Add dried bread and pour warm water 2-3 fingers below the neck. Rye bread and breadcrumbs can be replaced by mixing 0.5 tsp. dry yeast with 1 tbsp. sugar. The fermentation process lasts about 5 days at a temperature no lower than 18-20 ° C.
3. At the end of 5 days, strain the kvass, pour into another container and place in the refrigerator. Beets and bread at the bottom of the jar can be re-pour water and put to ferment again.

Ready kvass has a rich, beautiful color and a slight sourness.

Method of cooking heather:

1. Brown on lard pork, pre-cut into large chunks. Roast meat with melted fat transfer to a saucepan with kvass.
2. Peel the onions and cut them into strips of medium thickness, and add them to the kvass with meat.
3. Stew the ingredients with spices under a covered lid for an hour over low heat.
4. Crush the rye breadcrumbs or bread. Add to the casserole and stew for 20 minutes.

Wheat or buckwheat porridge works well as a side dish.

Omelette meatloaf with dried beet

Airy and bright roll will please even children.

Ingredients:

• 7 eggs.
• 250 g of minced meat (chicken, meat, fish).
• 1 small onion.
• 30 g of dried beets.
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Method of preparation:

1. Pre-soak dried beets and grind them on a grater.
2. Stuffing fry together with finely chopped onion, pour spices to taste.
3. In a deep bowl, break the eggs, sprinkle them with spices and mix gently and well.
4. Grease a heated frying pan with vegetable oil and pour a quarter of the egg mixture into it. Spread eggs evenly in the bottom of the pan, put on top one third of the stuffing and roll up the roll.
5. Slide the rolled up roll to the edge of the pan. Pour another quarter of the eggs on the free space, so that the mass flows under the roll. On the resulting pancake put another third of the stuffing and roll up again, sliding it to the edge.
6. Pour half of the egg mixture on the free place and put beets on it. Roll again and push aside. Pour the rest of the egg mixture on the free space and roll again.
7. Put ready meatloaf with beet in an omelette on a plate and serve cut into pieces.

Beet pâté

Ingredients:

• 70 g dried beets.
• 2 eggs.
• 80g salty feta cheese.
• A large garlic clove.
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil.
• Salt and spices to taste.

Method of preparation:

1. Soak or boil dried beets and send them to a deep bowl. Boil hard-boiled eggs (8 minutes or more after boiling), cool, peel.
2. Chop the cheese, eggs and garlic into large pieces and add to the beets. Pour the spices and vegetable oil.
3. Grind products with a blender until a homogeneous mass.
4. Transfer the finished pate in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.

Rice cream soup

An unusual cream soup with dried beets and rice has a sweet flavor.

Ingredients:

• 50 g dried beets.
• 300 ml cream.
• 0.5 tsp. salt.
• 5 tbsp cooked rice.
• Nutmeg ground on the tip of a knife.

Method of preparation:

1. Cook dried beets until tender, about 20 minutes. Take out of the water and beat with a blender until smooth. Drain the remaining beet broth into a bowl.
2. Pour the cream into a saucepan, put the beet mass, sugar and bring to the boil. For a more liquid consistency, you can dilute the mass with beet broth.
3. In the boiling ingredients put boiled rice and sprinkle with nutmeg.

Photo of dried beets