Ask a Master Gardener: Beets accidentally frozen in garden are probably compost (2024)

Q: I ran out of time as I was finishing up garden chores, and I never harvested a couple dozen beets. They’re still out there. The ground is frozen, and when I dig up a beet it is covered with ice crystals. Can I still do anything with these? Could I just move them directly to the freezer and use them frozen?

A: Beets are hardy and can tolerate light frost, but they can’t take the weather we’ve had lately. Once the frost moves inside the beet, it damages the cell walls. I’m afraid once your frozen beets thaw, you’re going to have something pretty mushy and grainy.

You can freeze beets, but it’s best to cook them first. To preserve a harvest of beets (that have not already frozen hard in the garden), you boil them until tender, peel, chop and freeze. Then they can be used in soups and salads or roasted in the oven.

It is possible to freeze raw beets if you shred them or chop them into small pieces first, but it’s not your best choice. The flavor and texture suffer, and you may lose nutrients if you don’t blanch them before freezing. Still, you could try this with a few of your accidentally frozen beets. Given the texture problems, you will likely only want to use these beets in recipes where they are pureed, such as smoothies and some types of borscht.

You could also try juicing your accidentally frozen beets. Beet juice has demonstrated health benefits, and it can be used as food coloring. If you don’t have a juicer, you can puree peeled, chopped beets in a blender and then strain. You can freeze the juice.

For the most part, though, I think you’re going to want to toss those beets in the compost. Better luck next year!

Written by U of M Extension Master Gardeners in St. Louis County. Send questions to features@duluthnews.com .