Rutabaga, also known as swede or turnip cabbage, is an adaptable vegetable that can be prepared by boiling, mashing, roasting or adding it to stews and can even be frozen for future use.
Wash, peel and cut rutabaga into cubes or slices before blanching in boiling water for two minutes before quickly cooling in ice cold water to produce delicious frozen treats. Package and store them airtight containers or freezer bags before freezing for optimal storage results.
Blanching
Rutabaga may not look particularly appetizing at first glance in a grocery store, with its brown-tan skin and sometimes mottled purple or green spots, but that shouldn’t stop people from trying their hands at cooking it! While its appearance might make people shy away from it in favor of more desirable tomatoes and zucchini varieties, rutabaga can actually make for delicious meals when prepared properly – though finding fresh ones may prove challenging at times!
If you want to store rutabagas for cooking purposes, the optimal conditions are those where they remain cool. If they can’t be found locally, consider going to farmer’s markets or food co-ops and look for firm roots without signs of decay or bruises.
Rutabagas can be stored in a root cellar or other insulated space where their temperature remains constant; or frozen for at least a month in plastic bags in your refrigerator; alternatively you could freeze them in wooden buckets filled with moist sand or sawdust and allow some dry air circulation so as to not completely dehydrate them.
Before freezing rutabagas, they must first be blanched. This process is straightforward and ensures they’re safe to consume.
To blanch rutabagas, begin by peeling and chopping into cubes or slices. Next, bring a pot of water to boil before submerging cubes of rutabaga into it for three minutes – this helps stop further cooking while protecting its nutrition value. When timer goes off transfer directly into cold water in order to stop further cooking and preserve nutrients.
Once your rutabagas have completely cooled, drain and pack them in freezer bags or containers with 1/2 inch of headspace and date stamp. If using containers, leave 1/2 inch for labeling; for freezer bags simply squeeze out excess air before sealing; you could also split your batch into meal-size portions before freezing them individually in individual bags, giving you access to only what’s necessary for specific meals.
Cooling
Rutabagas can be harvested year-round, but harvesting them in autumn allows you to preserve them and store for use during winter. There are various methods of preservation available including boiling and freezing which provide an economical and easy solution to keeping root vegetables for months at a time.
Boiling rutabagas can be done either on the stovetop or in a large pot filled with salted water. Rinse and add them as soon as they become tender; remove immediately once done for best results and storage purposes; cooked rutabagas may last three weeks when stored in an airtight container in your freezer.
Before placing rutabagas in the freezer, ensure they are dry before placing them there. Moisture can lead to freezer burn and alter both flavor and texture of your food. Place them in plastic bags or loosely wrap with paper towel or fabric before freezing them.
Once rutabaga is cooked, it should be allowed to cool completely before being frozen. This can be achieved either in a bowl of ice water or by placing it into your sink filled with cold water – being careful that all bacteria is killed before freezing is crucial!
As soon as your rutabaga has cooled down, pack it into an airtight freezer bag or plastic wrap with enough headspace for expansion – leaving just 1/2″ between head space and seal will prevent this happening and ruin its shape when frozen resulting in soggy defrosting results. Use permanent marker to label each bag containing its contents and date.
If you want to store rutabagas without using a freezer, they should be stored in a dark and cool area such as a basement or root cellar, or alternatively in buckets filled with damp sand or sawdust. Insulation must still allow air circulation through their roots so they don’t spoil.
Freezing
Freezing rutabagas, whether raw or cooked, is an excellent way to preserve them for up to 12 months depending on how they’re stored. Proper food waste reduction techniques help you enjoy this versatile root vegetable year-round – you can freeze rutabagas whole, diced or even mashed for easy access when needed!
Make sure the rutabaga you intend to freeze is free from dirt, bruises, holes, cracks and other forms of damage; also look for firm and heavy specimens which fit within their size range.
When freezing rutabagas, use the same techniques used for other vegetables and fruits. Rigid containers (glass jars or hard plastic) are best as they can withstand extreme temperatures while making partially-thawed food easier to remove from their containers. Wide-mouth dual purpose glass jars are particularly ideal, since they can handle both boiling water temperatures as well as freezing freezer temperatures.
Select young, medium-sized rutabagas when selecting frozen ones; these will be more tender and flavorful than older varieties. Avoid those with holes, punctures, or soft spots as these could deteriorate quickly in storage.
Blanching is the first step of freezing rutabagas. For this, select one gallon of water per pound of rutabaga and bring to a boil, timing out two minutes from when you first placed them in the pot to submerging them in ice water and thus stopping the cooking process and preventing overcooking.
Drain and pack cubed or sliced rutabagas into airtight freezer containers with 1/2 inch headspace between layers; label the containers accordingly with their contents and date.
Rather than stacking frozen rutabagas for maximum freezer space savings, try placing them individually on shallow trays or baking sheets before placing in the freezer. This will expedite their freezing time. Once frozen, they can easily be stacked to save further freezer space.
Dehydrators offer another cost-effective and space-efficient method of freezing rutabagas, and will preserve their natural color and texture as well. Defrosting from the freezer should always take place overnight in the fridge to avoid bacteria forming that could spoil them quickly.
Storage
Rutabaga is an incredible vegetable, capable of being cooked many ways including roasting, boiling, steaming and frying. Additionally, rutabagas can also be made into hash browns as well as used in soups and stews. Unfortunately keeping fresh rutabagas can be tricky when not immediately consumed but freezing is a quick solution – simply blanch before freezing to ensure the result won’t turn into mush upon thawing!
Rutabaga can be frozen raw or cooked, with best results being seen with cooked varieties. Uncooked varieties will turn mushy upon defrosting and won’t have the same delicious flavors found when freshly made. To prepare rutabagas for freezing, first trim off tops and roots before peeling using either a y-peeler or vegetable peeler; cut the pieces into large cubes or chunks before blanching – which involves boiling vegetables for two minutes followed by immediate immersion into cold water to cool them down again before blanching – before immersing them back into boiling again before immediately immersing into cold water to cool them down once more before being immersed into cold ice water to cool them down once more before being immersed into cold ice water to cool them off for freezing;
Once rutabagas have been chilled, they should be packaged into freezer containers or bags and packed tightly, to remove as much air as possible before sealing tightly and labelling with their contents and date of freezing. Place these in your freezer until completely frozen before placing them back out again to use – doing this should give a storage life of at least 12 months!
Alternative storage for rutabagas includes placing them in a root cellar, which will extend their shelf life while also maintaining their sweet taste and texture. A root cellar should provide ideal temperatures and humidity levels to maintain their freshness and sweet taste; without one available you could also create your own by packing roots into boxes with peat moss or sand, and creating some air circulation within these structures – though insulation should still allow some moist air to come through to preserve quality roots.
Rutabagas can be further protected during their storage in the fridge or root cellar by coating them with edible wax, which will protect them from moisture and humidity while providing easy removal when cooking or peeling them.
