Okay, I know, beet puree sounds anything but sexy, but bear with me, there is a reason I’m writing about pureeing beets! I happen to love beets and can’t get enough of them, but I don’t always have them around or want to take time to prep them (not that it’s hard, by any means). And, for some things I like using beets for, I need them pureed, and I only need a little bit at a time. In comes my handy technique for prepping and storing pureed beets. There are two things I use the pureed beets for most: smoothies and salad dressing. I will tell you how to make each of those in separate posts, but for now, here’s how to make the pureed beets.
All there is to do, is trim, scrub, peel, and cut up fresh beets. Then, boil them in just a little water until they are tender. Cool slightly and puree in a blender. Spoon into clean ice cube trays, cover, and freeze until firm and then pop out the little cubes and store in freezer bags. This makes them easy to access in the small quantities I need!
Keep in mind you don’t have to make as much as I do! Simply scale the recipe for your needs.
Alright, I’ll stop talking about beets, but please check back to see how I use the pureed beets.
Beet Puree How-To Photos:
Start with fresh beets
Cook beets in water until tender
Blend cooked beets until smooth
Spoon beet puree into clean ice cube trays, cover and freeze
Pop beet cubes out of trays and store in freezer bags
Beet Puree
Yield: 7 1/4 cups (about 65 frozen beet cubes)
Nutrition Info (per frozen cube): 9 cals, 0 g pro, 2 g carb, 0 g fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 0 g sat fat, 1 g fiber, 17 mg sodium
Ingredients:
4 to 4 1/4 pounds fresh, trimmed red beets (about 6 large beets)
1 cup water
Method:
1. Scrub and peel the beets. Cut beets into 1 to 1 1/2 inch pieces (you should have 10 to 11 cups total). Place beet pieces and water in a 4 to 6-quart pot. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 40 to 45 minutes or until beets are very tender. Check occasionally to make sure there is still water in the pot; if not, add 1/2 to 1 cup water to the pot.
2. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool for about 20 minutes. Do not drain the beets. Puree beets and cooking, in the blender or food processor, until completely smooth.
3. Spoon pureed beets into clean ice cube trays (you will need 5 to 6 trays). Cover and freeze until completely frozen. Pop the frozen beet cubes out of the trays and divide among zip-top freezer bags. Store bags in an airtight container in the freezer up to 6 months.
