Frozen spinach (spinach) - tips

Video: How to Freeze Spinach (Preserving Spinach for Months!)

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Advice

You can also use a vegetable roast basket if you have one.

Cut the vegetables into bite-sized pieces if the leaves are large. For large leaves, you may want to split them in half to make them easier to eat. Although frozen spinach will soften when thawed, large pieces of vegetables are still difficult to eat.

You may also want to get rid of the hard stalks and leaf veins while chopping the vegetables.
If you freeze small spinach, you don't need to disconnect or remove the stalk.

Freeze vegetables in zippered bags and label them. Put the vegetables in a freezer bag and compact it, then close the zipper tightly. Squeeze as much air as possible without crushing the vegetables. Seal the plastic bag and put it in the freezer. Spinach can be stored this way for up to 6 months.

If you are using a hard box to store your vegetables, try to fill the box with vegetables. However, do not squeeze the vegetables too tightly, as the vegetables may expand when frozen.

Label the vegetable bag and freeze it. Don't just rely on memory to know how long to keep vegetables in the freezer or even remember what's inside the bag.Use a marker to write on the bag if there is room to write, or write on a sticker with adhesive and stick it on the bag. Place the bag of vegetables in the freezer when labeling is complete. Spinach will be stored well for up to 6 months this way.

If using a hard box, put the label on the lid.
To thaw spinach, you can leave the bag in the refrigerator overnight.

Method 2 of 3: Blanch the spinach before freezing

Remove hard stalks and cut vegetables into bite-sized pieces. If the leafy vegetables are larger than what you want to eat, you should cut them in half or cut into smaller pieces as you like. You should also remove the long stalks and remove the leaf veins between the larger leaves.
- You do not need to cut off any already small leaves.
Boil a large pot of water. The amount of boiling water will depend on the amount of vegetables you plan to blanch. In general, you will need about 8 liters of water to blanch about 0.5 kg of vegetables.
- Do not overfill the pot ¾. If you overfill the water, the water will boil and there is no room for vegetables.
Stir the vegetables when the water is boiling and cover the pot for 2 minutes. Carefully drop the vegetables into the water and use a long handle to press the vegetables under the water. Stir the vegetables until the water boils again, then cover the pot tightly and continue to boil for 2 minutes.
- If you want, you can put the vegetables in the steaming basket, then put the whole basket of vegetables in the water. This will make it easier to remove the vegetables after blanching.
- Do not leave the vegetables in the water for more than 2 minutes, otherwise the vegetables will be crushed and crumpled.
Soak the vegetables in a bowl of ice water for 1 minute. Carefully remove the vegetables from the pot with a hole with a hole, and place them in an ice bowl. Check the water bowl temperature. If the water is still warm, add ice.
- Be careful not to splash boiling water!
Spread the vegetables on a paper towel and pat dry. To get rid of excess water in vegetables, spread the vegetables over a thick sheet of paper towels, then use a few more sheets of paper towels to soak the vegetables as dry as possible.
- This step will help the texture of the frozen vegetables taste better.
Put the vegetables in a plastic zippered bag and drain the air out of the bag. Divide the vegetables into enough portions for one meal. The air in the vegetable bag can cause the vegetables to freeze, so push out as much air as possible before sealing the bag.
Advice: Breaking the vegetables first means that you will only have to defrost enough for one meal at a time.
Label the vegetable bag and freeze it for up to 1 year. Write the date of frozen vegetables on the bag with the word "spinach" so you don't forget what's in the bag. Use vegetables for 10-12 months to maintain the best quality, although spinach can be eaten as long as it is frozen at -18 degrees Celsius.
- Before preparing spinach, you can thaw it by placing it in the refrigerator overnight. If you want to thaw faster, leave the bag under cool running water for 10-15 minutes or until the vegetables are completely thawed.
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Method 3 of 3: Freeze ground spinach

Put the vegetables in a blender with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of water. If you grind a lot of vegetables, simply remove them to make a full batch, then add more water; Water will help blend the vegetables evenly.
- You can also use a food blender if you prefer.
Suggested formula: Try replacing the water with Orange juice or coconut water If you're going to make frozen veggies or make baby food!
Blend the spinach for 30 seconds or until puree. Depending on the type of blender, it may take 30-60 seconds to puree, but you can grind longer if the vegetables are still not as pure as desired.
- If you have a juicer, you can use it for a smoother, more homogeneous liquid.
Divide the ground vegetables into each bag, jar or ice maker. To thaw pureed vegetables easily, divide the vegetables into one-sized bag or frozen baby food jar, or pour the pureed veggies into an ice cube tray to form small balls.
- If you freeze ground vegetables in the ice cube tray, wait for them to freeze, then put the veggies in a frozen bag or box. This will give you an ice tray to use when needed.
Freeze the ground vegetables and store for up to 1 year. If the temperature is maintained at -18 degrees C, spinach will be eaten while still frozen. However, vegetable quality will be the best within 10-12 months. To thaw vegetables, you can put them in the refrigerator overnight.
- You don't need to defrost first if you want to use spinach in a cold smoothie. Just pop in the blender with the ice cubes - or substitute for ice. You can also drop frozen pellets directly into hot soups or other dishes while simmering, as the hot temperature melts the ice quickly.
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