Generally, spinach will soften in texture after freezing. However, because the taste and nutrients are not lost, frozen spinach can still be processed into smoothies and other dishes. To increase its shelf life, you can first boil or steam the spinach before freezing it. If you want to process spinach into liquid foods such as soups or smoothies, spinach can also be processed into puree before freezing. Choose the method that suits your needs, yes!
Step
Method 1 of 4: Cleaning Spinach
Step 1. Soak spinach in cold water
Place the fresh spinach leaves in a bowl, then pour clean cold water until the spinach is submerged.
Stir the spinach with your hands while removing any leaves that are of poor quality, bugs, or other debris
Step 2. Rinse the spinach
Remove the water from the bowl and transfer the spinach to a large colander to drain the excess water. After that, rinse the spinach again with cold running water for 30 seconds.
If the condition of the spinach is not too dirty, the first soaking process should be enough to clean most of the dirt that is attached to the spinach. However, if the spinach is very dirty, or if you want to clean it more thoroughly, repeat both steps twice to maximize the process
Step 3. Dry the spinach well
Put the spinach in the salad spinner, then turn the spinner to dry it.
- If you don't have a salad spinner, wrap the spinach in paper towels and squeeze out any excess liquid inside. After that, spread each leaf on a paper towel for 10-15 minutes so that the texture is completely dry.
- If you want to freeze raw spinach, make sure it is completely dry before placing it in the freezer. This method does not apply to freezing boiled or pureed spinach.
Method 2 of 4: Freezing Raw Spinach
Step 1. Put the spinach in a special plastic clip to store food in the freezer
First, fill the plastic with as much of the cleaned spinach as possible. After that, remove the excess air before closing the plastic tightly.
- In fact, you are actually recommended to fill the plastic with spinach in order to minimize the amount of air in the bag.
- You can also use containers instead of plastic clips. However, be aware that containers have very low effectiveness as you will have a hard time expelling the excess air inside.
Step 2. Store spinach in the freezer
Put the spinach in the freezer. Frozen raw spinach can be stored for up to six months.
- When preparing, soften the spinach by transferring it to the refrigerator and letting it sit for a few hours. After that, squeeze the excess water on each spinach leaf before processing it.
- In fact, spinach cell membranes will break down when spinach is frozen. As a result, frozen spinach that has been softened will be too soft in texture so it is not delicious to eat directly. However, don't worry because spinach can still be processed into smoothies and other recipes!
Method 3 of 4: Freezing Boiled Spinach
Step 1. Bring the water to a boil
Fill a large saucepan with enough cold water to cover the spinach. After that, heat the water on the stove over medium to high heat until it reaches a stable boiling point.
Remember, boiling spinach in the traditional way is effective in maintaining the color and taste of spinach. But unfortunately, some of the spinach nutrients will be lost after that. To minimize the amount of nutrients lost, consider steaming instead of boiling the spinach. If you are interested in using this alternative method, place the steamer over boiling water
Step 2. Boil spinach for 2 minutes
Put a handful of spinach in the boiling water, and cover the pot tightly. Observe your watch, and immediately remove the spinach within 2 minutes.
- If you want to steam, instead of boiling the spinach, put the spinach in the steamer and cover the steamer tightly to ensure that no steam escapes.
- If you prefer to boil spinach, understand that most likely, the water will turn green afterward.
Step 3. Transfer the spinach to a bowl of iced water
Remove the spinach from the pan, and immediately transfer it to a bowl of iced water. Soak spinach for two minutes in cold water.
This process is effective in stopping the cooking process and preventing spinach from losing its nutrients. In addition, doing so is also effective in maintaining the color and taste of spinach
Step 4. Dry the spinach
Place the spinach in the salad spinner, then spin the spinner until each leaf is completely dry.
If you don't have a salad spinner, put the spinach leaves in a colander that has been lined with dry kitchen paper. Let the spinach sit for 20 minutes, then use another paper towel to absorb any excess liquid
Step 5. Put the spinach in a special plastic clip to store food in the freezer
Remove excess air before sealing the plastic tightly.
Technically, you can also use special containers to store food in the freezer. However, it is feared that there will be crystallization on the surface of the food because the excess air in the container will not be able to be removed
Step 6. Store spinach in the freezer
Place the plastic bag of spinach in the freezer to increase its shelf life. If stored properly, the quality and freshness of boiled spinach will be maintained for 9 to 14 months.
Transfer the frozen spinach to the refrigerator a few hours before using it to soften the texture. Because boiled spinach tends to be mushy in texture, mix it into smoothies and other cookie recipes instead of eating it straight
Method 4 of 4: Freezing Pure Spinach
Step 1. Process spinach and water in a blender
Combine six parts spinach with one part water in a standard-sized blender. Close the blender, then process the spinach until the texture is smooth and thick like puree.
- In general, you may need to fill more than half of the blender so that the blades of the blender can process the ingredients in it better.
- Add enough water just to move the blades of the blender. If the amount of water listed in this recipe is not enough to move the blender blades, feel free to increase the amount a little at a time.
Step 2. Pour the puree into the mould
Once the texture is smooth and not lumpy, pour the spinach puree into an ice cube mold or similar container. Leave at least 6 mm of space from the surface of the puree to the mouth of the mold.
- If you don't have an ice cube tray, you can also use mini or standard muffin tins, as well as candy molds.
- While metal and silicone molds can give better results, you can also use plastic molds.
Step 3. Freeze the puree
Place the mold containing the spinach puree in the freezer, let it rest for four hours or until the puree texture is completely frozen.
Step 4. Transfer frozen spinach puree to a plastic clip bag
Remove the frozen spinach puree from the mold, and transfer it to a special plastic clip. Remove excess air from the plastic before closing it tightly.
If it is difficult to remove from the mold, let the puree sit for a few minutes at room temperature. Once the base and edges have softened, try getting them back out
Step 5. Freeze the spinach puree as needed
Put the plastic filled with frozen spinach puree back into the freezer. The quality and freshness of spinach will remain good for up to one year.
