How to Preserve Rutabagas

Preserve your rutabaga for use later on.

Rutabagas are root vegetables rich in Vitamin C and Potassium that taste great when served alone or with another vegetable, such as potatoes and onions. Growing your own rutabagas gives you the chance to eat the vegetable fresh. Of course, a large crop will produce more rutabagas than you would be able to consume before winter. In this case, you will need to preserve the rutabagas so that you continue to eat them long after they have been harvested. Does this Spark an idea?

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Plastic zipper bag
Box
Damp sand
Sterilized canning jars
Apple cider vinegar
Hot-water-bath canner
Water
Knife
Plastic freezer bag

Instructions

- 1
  
  Rinse and dry your rutabaga. Place it in a plastic zipper bag and store in your refrigerator. This will preserve your rutabaga between one and four weeks.
- 2
  
  Place your rutabagas in a box filled with damp sand. Store in your basement for up to six months. The basement can only be used to preserve rutabagas if the temperature remains between 45 and 50 degrees F.
- 3
  
  Can your rutabagas in a pickling liquid. Remove the skin of the rutabagas and dice them into smaller pieces. Set the rutabagas in sterilized canning jars. Cover with apple cider vinegar and 1 tablespoon of salt (adding garlic and other herbs is optional). Place the canning jars in a hot-water-bath canner machine for 20 minutes. Store on a shelf in a cool dry location after the contents of the jar cools completely.
- 4
  
  Blanch the rutabagas for freezing. Peel and cut the rutabagas into small chunks and boil them for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water. Pack in a plastic freezer bag, leaving 1/2 inch of space at the top of the bag. Store in the freezer for up to six months.