Beetroot is considered one of the most popular vegetables in Ukraine and the near abroad. And this is not surprising, because the red vegetable is rich in vitamins and minerals. Drying beets allows you to preserve the beneficial properties of the product for the whole year.
Benefits of the procurement method
People have long noticed that if a fresh fruit or vegetable is properly dried, it will retain the maximum amount of useful substances. 
- Dried fruits and vegetables contain a lot of potassium, which improves the functioning of the cardiovascular system. In addition, it is a storehouse of organic acids and carbohydrates.
- The use of dry vegetables, fruits and herbs significantly reduces the risk of atherosclerosis, renal failure and many other chronic diseases.
- This method of preparation allows you to simplify cooking, as well as save time.
- Drying vegetables does not require additional ingredients and complex manipulations.
Did you know? In dried products, the concentration of nutrients is twice as high as in fresh form.
The benefits and harms of dried beets
The whole usefulness of dried beets can not be described in a few words. Its use contributes to the removal of toxins, improves mood and increases appetite.
The red color of the root is caused by the substance contained flavonoid, which helps to relieve spasms from blood vessels, reduce hypertension, improve the strength of capillaries, purify blood from carcinogens and radiation. 
Dried fruits contain unique betanin, the alkaloid compounds of which accelerate the absorption of food and improve the functioning of the liver, increasing the viability of its cells. In addition, they help reduce cholesterol and body fat.
This vegetable cannot bring serious harm to the body, but it is still necessary to use it in reasonable quantities. It is proved that the substances in the composition of the root crop deteriorate the absorption of calcium in the body. Eating too often can harm people suffering from bone diseases or injured bones.
Thus, the use of dried beets is obvious, and it can cause harm only in exceptional cases.
Prepare beets for the winter can also be a method of freezing.
Which beet is best to choose for drying
If you decide to dry the red root vegetable, please note that not every variety will do. Try to choose beets rich deep purple color, without rings.
The shape of the fruit should be round, flat-rounded or flat, with sweet pulp and without coarse fibers. Make sure that there is no damage from pests and agricultural equipment on the beets, the length of the petiole is no more than two centimeters.
The most suitable for drying are considered varieties "Incomparable" and "Bordeaux". 
How to prepare a root vegetable
Before drying vegetables must be prepared.
- First of all, they wash the vegetables with a soft sponge under the tap, pour cold water for a couple of hours.
- After that, pour out the liquid and fill it with a new one, put it on fire, so that the root crop will boil well.
- After 20 minutes, the vegetable is placed in cold water, such a "shock" therapy will allow it to prepare faster.
Important! Readiness beet checked toothpick. It enters the ready vegetable very easily.
- When the beets have cooled completely, they should be peeled, spine and heads.
- Cut the root vegetable in any convenient way (slices, straws, cubes no thicker than 0.5 cm), depending on how you think to use it.
- Now the root crop needs to be laid out on a baking sheet or a sieve in a single layer and sent to the place of drying.
There is a variety of beet, in which only leaves are suitable for food - it is chard, or leaf beet, which has many useful properties.
Popular drying methods
Exists three main ways of drying vegetables. Let's see which one is the most optimal and how to dry the beets at home.
Air sun drying
To dry vegetables and fruits in the sun came up with our ancestors. This is the oldest and most natural way when products are laid out in attics, in sheds, under sheds. For this kind of need a minimum set of equipment, only racks and sieves. 
However, one should take into account the awkwardness of the preliminary works, for which baskets and sieve for blanching, boilers for steaming vegetables, water tubs, knives for cleaning and cutting, scales, tare, packaging paper, etc. will be needed.
To make the products better blown by the wind, the racks need to be lifted from the ground and the trays tilted south. To dry the beets in the sun you need to four days. On the readiness of the fetus says fragility and light elasticity.
Learn more about the subtleties of drying tomatoes, carrots, peppers, zucchini, squash, eggplants, onions, garlic, parsnip, celery, broccoli, mushrooms (oyster), pumpkin seeds, nuts.
In the electric dryer
Drying beets in an electric dryer is considered the most modern and convenient way of harvesting dried fruits and vegetables. The electric device will become a lifesaver for those who have their own garden and a lot of harvest for processing. It will help you save time and energy by obtaining environmentally friendly preforms without preservatives, sulfur dioxide, monosodium glutamate and other harmful chemical additives, as well as an incredible amount of salt, sugar and vinegar.
One of the main advantages of the method compared to drying in the sun is that you will not depend on the vagaries of the weather. Usually it is this factor that prevents the fruits from drying for the required period and of good quality. 
In the oven
Drying food in the oven is considered the most popular way for people living in apartments. There is no place to dry in the sun, and there is no point in buying an electric dryer for a small amount of vegetables.
Important! Unlike other vegetables, drying beets requires a higher temperature and more time.
To prepare the beets, prepare it and lay it on the grid. Make sure that the pieces do not lie too close to each other, so that warm air will circulate better throughout the oven. To dry a red fruit is necessary at a temperature of 85-90 degrees. Stir in the process several times. Additionally, leave a 2–3 cm gap in the electric furnace and 20 cm in a gas oven. Leave the vegetable for 6–7 hours until ready.
Try not to overdo it, otherwise the root crop will crack. 
How to determine readiness
After a certain time, depending on the cooking method chosen, the product should be checked for readiness. A sufficiently dried vegetable will be maroon. It will become fragile to the touch, but at the same time flexible and resilient.
How and where to store dried beets
Store vegetable drying should be in a dark cool place. Place the finished product in a glass or can with a tight-fitting lid. Also, a good product will be stored in plastic bags.
We advise you to read about the harvesting and drying of greens: parsley, dill, arugula, basil, cilantro, sorrel, spinach, green onions, onions, and medicinal plants for tea: thyme, mint, raspberry leaves, cherry and blueberry.
What can you use
The use of dried beets is as diverse as fresh vegetable. Such beet preparation is usually used for cooking first courses, in particular, borscht. After soaking the dried vegetable in water, it can be added to various salads, making a vinaigrette. 
In addition, the product is ideal for making refreshing beet kvass. Home drying is tasty and healthy to eat just like that, this food is especially interesting for children.
Did you know? In ancient Persia, beetroot was considered a symbol of quarrels and strife.
For what and how to dry the tops
Not only the root crop itself has beneficial properties, but also beet tops. This part of the plant is suitable for winter harvesting. For drying beet tops for the winter it is washed from the ground, dried with a towel, cut and dried on a wooden surface.
After that, it is ground into powder and poured into a glass jar, tightly closed. Store beetroot powder also need a semi-dark dry place. This product is added as a seasoning, curative decoctions and drinks are prepared.
Since ancient times, beets and dishes from it were considered to be incredibly useful products for humans. Dried beets for the winter in the dryer, oven or in the sun will be equally useful. It is able to fill the body with essential microelements, replacing fresh fruits and vegetables during the cold season. Regular consumption of this tasty product will add to your health and strength.
