Can you freeze spinach? – A couple of cooks

Wondering if you can freeze spinach? This leafy green vegetable keeps well frozen – that’s how it’s done!

Did you have leftover spinach and don’t know what to do with it? Here’s an idea: throw it in the freezer! This green leafy vegetable is actually very easy to freeze. While many vegetables lose flavor and texture in the freezer, spinach works well for preserving – and you can add it to soups, stews and smoothies – a great way to eat your veggies! Here is how to do it.

Can you freeze spinach?

Spinach freezes very well – the flavor of the vegetable is preserved during the process. Frozen spinach cannot be used raw in salads, but it is ideal for adding to cooked dishes such as soups, stews, sauces and casseroles, and mixed dishes such as smoothies. You can use it directly in cooked or mixed dishes without defrosting it.

Spinach is very easy to freeze: you don’t even need to blanch it first, like you do with other vegetables. Note that this generally does not work as an easy substitute for the packaged type available in stores. (Read on to find out why.)

How long does spinach last in the fridge?

Stored in the produce drawer of the refrigerator, spinach will last about 1 week. If you want to keep it beyond that point, you can freeze the spinach for 3 to 6 months. Spinach doesn’t require blanching like other vegetables, making it quick and easy to pop into the freezer.

How to freeze spinach

Spinach is extremely easy to freeze – you can simply pop the leaves right into the freezer. Many vegetables require blanching first, which helps set their color and helps them last longer in the freezer. But this leafy green works well raw! Here’s how to freeze spinach:

1. Wash and dry: If the spinach is sold in bunches, you may want to cut off the long stems (or coarsely chop the leaves). Baby spinach does not require chopping. Rinse the leaves under cold water, then dry them as much as possible.
2. Place spinach in a freezer-safe plastic bag or silicone bag.. If you use a plastic bag, use a straw to suck any remaining air out of the bag and seal it.
3. Mark the expiration date. Use a permanent marker to label with an expiration date 3 months in the future.
4. Freeze. Place the container or bag in the freezer and freeze for up to 3 to 6 months. For best results, use within 3 months.

In canned frozen spinach

Keep in mind that this method of freezing spinach does not work well as a substitute for the canned type available in stores. Packaged frozen spinach is a common ingredient in something like spinach artichoke dip or spinach quiche. Here’s what’s different:

• Packaged spinach is blanched first. To make store-packed frozen spinach, simply place the leaves in boiling water for 30 seconds. Rinse spinach in cold water, then squeeze out as much water as possible. Then, cut the leaves into large pieces and freeze them in a bag or container.
• Packaged spinach comes in large quantities. That little block of spinach from the store is 16 ounces of spinach – which is a pretty big amount! Unless you have a large amount of spinach, we recommend skipping the blanching step and using the frozen spinach for smoothies or soups.

Tips on how to use frozen spinach

Frozen spinach can be used straight from the freezer in cooked or mixed dishes – no need to thaw! Use unblanched frozen spinach in cooked recipes that call for freshness. Here are some tips:

• Use frozen spinach only in cooked or mixed dishessuch as stir-fries, soups, stews, and smoothies. Don’t eat it raw in salads because the texture becomes softer after freezing.
• Frozen leaves can be added directly to dishes.: no need to defrost.
• Use within 3 to 6 months. Flavor and texture can degrade the longer food is frozen. For best results, use within 3 months.

spinach recipes

Here are some recipe ideas on how to use frozen spinach! (Again, remember that packaged frozen spinach from the store is blanched first, so if you’re trying to approximate this product, you’ll need to add the blanching step.) Here are some of our favorite spinach recipes: