Why do you have to cook beetroot before freezing?

[lovelygreenleaves]

All the information says you have to, but I can't find why

[Jandra]

In general you need to cook or blanche veg before freezing to stop enzymatic working (the heat breaks down the enzymes) and often also because the veg doesn't look (and perhaps tastes) palatable after thawing.

Not sure about beetroot, but I've always cooked them briefly before freezing.

Jandra

[lovelygreenleaves]

I cooked it this time because I was worried about the enzymes, but I'm curious about how much of a difference it would make to veg that you'll just be putting in a soup?

[wulf]

If you've got any more in the ground you could always experiment. At worst you'll end up with a bit of extra compost material and, at best, you may discover that you can save the time (and energy) of cooking it in future.

Wulf

[MKG]

Ice crystals. They rip some veggies apart - including unblanched beetroot. What you get back out of the freezer, after thawing, is a flaccid lump of stuff which tends to fall apart on cooking. It's still edible, but there are limits.

Mike