What to do with carrot and beet tops

Vegetables

Not throwing away what's useful is a sound rule of farming. Carrot and beet tops are considered waste. However, the tops of root vegetables contain vitamins and minerals. The leaves and bunches of vegetables are used as a compost base, a food supplement, a raw material for preserves, and a medicinal remedy.

Fertilizers

When organic waste decomposes, it produces a fertilizer called compost. Different crop leaves decompose at different rates. Dense leaves (like potatoes and tomatoes) take longer, while thinner leaves (like beets and carrots) decompose more quickly. The resulting compost is added to planting holes or watered under the roots of already-emerged crops. Ash, a source of phosphorus and potassium, is much quicker to obtain. This is achieved by drying and burning the tops. However, to produce a large amount of fertilizer, large volumes of raw materials are required.

Important!

During the composting process, harmful microorganisms are present in the compost bin. Therefore, agents to accelerate decomposition and treatment are periodically added.

Beet leaf fertilizer is prepared in mid-July. To do this, tear the beet tops into 5 cm pieces and place them in a container with nettles, burdock, and quinoa. Add a bunch of straw and 1 kg of soil, and cover tightly. Leave the mixture outside at temperatures above 20 degrees Celsius to infuse. Apply the prepared mixture to the roots once every 10-14 days.

Treatment

Before use, the plants are washed, scalded with boiling water, and briefly steeped in water to remove nitrates. To avoid allergic reactions, wear gloves after contact with skin. To extract the medicinal benefits of beet leaves, they are used to prepare infusions for constipation, compresses for headaches, conjunctivitis, and mastitis, and to wipe problem areas with the juice. For medicinal purposes, carrot tops are consumed as juice, tea, and decoction. For weight loss and to lower cholesterol, raw beet tops are added to salads and other dishes.

Beet greens contain biotin, an antioxidant that boosts metabolism. A bunch of carrot greens contains calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium, copper, zinc, phosphorus, sodium, chlorophyll, ascorbic acid, vitamins B and K, and fiber. Carrot greens contain significantly more vitamin A than the root. They also contain a significant amount of the antioxidant selenium, which helps prevent cancer and supports reproductive function.

Nutrition

Beet and carrot tops are used as a food supplement or prepared as a separate dish called botvinya. Beet and carrot greens are frozen, dried, fermented, salted, and pickled for winter storage. Common processing methods that minimize the loss of nutrients and are suitable for healthy eating include drying and freezing.

Before drying, the leaves are finely chopped. They are spread in a thin layer on a sheet of paper, tray, or cloth. Place them outdoors in the shade. During the drying process, the leaves are stirred to ensure even drying. The drying time is determined by the appearance of the greens. Their color will fade, and the leaf pieces will become brittle. Store the dried greens in canvas bags or glass containers with a tightly sealed lid.

There are two ways to freeze greens. First, the greens are gathered into bunches, tied with string, and placed in the freezer on plastic freezer bags or special trays. The freezing time is determined by their appearance. The greens' color fades, their texture hardens, and the bunches become covered with a thin layer of ice. The frozen product is stored in bags or plastic containers. Second, the greens are chopped, wrapped in plastic wrap, and placed in the freezer.