Freezing Fresh Spinach | Guide to Storing & Using Frozen Spinach

Spinach is one of the best sources of iron a human body can get. It may not be possible to get fresh veggies every day! So, from freezing fresh spinach in the best way possible to using frozen spinach, learn everything here!

 Freezing Fresh Spinach freezing-fresh-spinach-storing-freezer-methods-ideas-frozen-leaves

Howdy! Who can forget the famous cartoon character – Popeye, who ate spinach and got lots of strength. As a child, I never liked eating spinach and my mom used to show me this sailor character who used to have spinach and become super powerful and full of strength! So, Popeye was my spinach-inspiration in childhood, lol!

Okay, let me return from my childhood memories and get back to the topic. Spinach is a green leafy vegetable that is very beneficiary for health and it is necessary to have it at least once in a week. Groceries shopping is done mostly twice a week. But this superfood gets rotten quickly in the fridge. So, here are a few quick tips on freezing fresh spinach. Let’s get started!

Freezing Fresh Spinach

Spinach Storage: Can You Freeze Fresh Spinach?

The answer is sure shot – yes! You can freeze fresh spinach and the best part is that it can be frozen for months together without it getting spoilt. Yeah you read it right, spinach can be stored in the freezer for several months but only if you do it properly. Read on to know more!

freezing-fresh-spinach-guide-storing-usage-latest-trends-veggiesHow to Store Spinach in the Fridge?

If there is not enough space in your freezer but you still want to store fresh spinach, you can still refrigerate it! Spinach can also be stored in the fridge but shelf-life may be less when compared to storing it in the freezer.

Wet spinach rots really quick. So, make sure spinach moisture-free before storing in the fridge. If it has any moisture, remove it by simply drying or keep it in a salad drainer and wiping clean with a towel. You can also dry the leaves by spreading them out on a towel and keeping them under the fan for an hour or two.

After removing the moisture, place the spinach in a clean dry plastic box or a plastic bag. You can also use a paper towel to retain the moisture if any, and this will help spinach not lose its green color and stay fresh longer!

freezing-fresh-spinach-guide-storing-usage-latest-trends-veggiesHow to Freeze Spinach?

Spinach can be frozen in the freezer for a longer time. The procedure for freezing fresh spinach is similar for both fridge and freezer. It’s only the temperature that matters, which helps the spinach last longer in the freezer than the fridge.

How Long Can You Freeze Spinach?

Frozen spinach can be used for 10-12 months! Longer than 12 months is not recommended as it may lose its vital nutrients. If the spinach is discolored, don’t use it even if it has not been 10 months. While storing, label the package with the date of storage so that you know how long you can use it for. If stored in the fridge, don’t use it after 7 days!

How to Keep Spinach Fresh?

Save your money and time by buying large quantities of spinach and storing it in a proper way to keep it fresh for months together. Another important thing to consider is to be very choosy while buying the spinach. It should be super fresh and perfectly green. Once bought, wash it well and store in a clean, dry container and wrapped in paper towels! This will make the freezing fresh spinach process easier and effective too!

freezing-fresh-spinach-storing-usage-frozen-freezer-ideasBlanch Spinach

Blanching the spinach may increase its shelf life and help it to stay fresh for a longer period of time. Also blanching and keeping it frozen will save your time in future when you want blanched spinach for any recipe.

How to Blanch Spinach for Freezing?

Take a large pot of water and bring it to boil. After the water is boiled, add in spinach leaves and boil for another ten minutes. Remember that after boiling, the spinach becomes mushy and the quantity is reduced to less than half. So, if you want to freeze spinach by blanching, make sure you have adequate quantity.

After boiling, strain the spinach by washing under cold running water. Later, squeeze the leaves to remove excess water and store it an air-tight container in the freezer. You can also place the strained spinach in the ice tray and freeze it for two hours. Later transfer the cubes into the freezer bag and store them fresh.

Freezing Spinach Leaves Without Blanching

Blanching the spinach leaves will increase the shelf-life for sure! If you don’t want to blanch them you can store them by following the process discussed above and incorporate the nutrient-rich spinach in your diet whenever you want to!

Uses of Frozen Spinach

If freezing fresh spinach is easy, using it is even easier! From making smoothies to salads to soups, frozen spinach is so useful when you don’t know what to cook!

Frozen Spinach Smoothie

Buying, washing and blanching the spinach every time you wanna have a smoothie can be a pain! So, why not use the frozen spinach in making the smoothies? This will make your task easier and also, you will not feel lazy to prepare the spinach smoothie when you already have clean frozen spinach ready to be smoothied!!

storing-using-frozen-spinach-freezing-fresh-soinach-smoothiesSpinach Soup

Spinach soup is a healthy substitute for junk food. If you have frozen spinach just blend it, add in your favorite veggies and seasonings, bring it to boil and have the tummy-filling spinach soup.

freezing-fresh-spinach-recipes-for-frozen-spinach-soupSpinach Curry

Frozen blanched spinach is a good option to make spinach curry. Just add in the frozen spinach, bring it to boil and add paneer or any of your favorite vegetable to it. Cook with seasonings or masala. Perfect for a night of Indian dinner and Bollywood movie!

Spinach Salad

Nothing can beat this healthy salad. Add frozen spinach, tomatoes, onion, paprika and some berries. Toss it with extra virgin oil or vinegar and you are good to go!

spinach-salad-blanched-spinach-ideas-to-preserve-spinachBuy Frozen Spinach

If you don’t have space in your refrigerator to stock up spinach or don’t have time to do all the process, then you can go for readily available frozen spinach. You can get it whenever you want to use. But nothing is as healthy as what we make with our own hands, as you can have clean, preservative-free, organic food!

So, this is all about freezing fresh spinach! How do you freeze the spinach and how often do you use it? Do let us know by tweeting @shilpa1ahuja.

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