Saving Beet Greens

Leafy greens are really good for us. They are high in vitamins and minerals and provide lots of fiber as well. So it might be wise for us to save the greens when putting the beets in the root cellar.

Last year was the first time that I saved my beet greens. The days that I am putting the beets in the root cellar are already so packed with chores that I used to just feed them to the chickens. But last year I decided to throw some greens in the freezer. All winter long, I was really glad that I did.

The first time, I washed them, tore them into small pieces and then steamed them until they wilted turning them with tongs.

Then I put them into some ice water and the water turned pink—I had just lost all my vitamins and minerals which are water-soluble. So the next time, I steamed them again but put them inside a bowl which I then put into another bowl of ice water. Problem solved!

I let them cool, turning them several times and put them in a pint freezer bag, making it flat so that it would stack well.

This year, I did the same thing with some kale and radicchio. I like to have these around for my bone broth soups. Adding leafy greens improves the vitamin and mineral content of the soup. I discovered over 30 years ago that if Bob and I have at least two servings of my homemade soup a week, we have no problems with our joints. If I forget, my knees bother me.