\u00a9 2020 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. You will notice that the leaves will slightly change its colour. Empty the spinach and water into a colander to drain away the water. Steaming spinach is a simple process that does not take long. Store baby spinach or curly-lead in its original packaging (plastic bag or box) to keep it fresh. The spinach will turn bright green. ", https://foodretro.com/how-to-blanch-spinach/, http://beyondwonderful.com/how_to/preparing/blanch_spinach.htm, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. The wikiHow Video Team also followed the article's instructions and verified that they work. Using 5-6 oz of spinach yields about 1 cup of frozen spinach. To cook with your frozen spinach, simply remove it from the freezer and thaw it for 1-2 hours in the fridge. "Recipe told me to "briefly boil spinach leaves." Put the entire spinach in the water for another 20 – 30 seconds. Steps on how to blanch spinach (palak) leaves : 1.Add water in a wide pan. Conveniently, you can blanch spinach on the stove top or in the microwave, then transfer it to a bowl of ice water. Be sure to buy lots because a huge bag of spinach cooks down dramatically to a wad the size of a small ball. see the link in this question for better information from a well compiled source. The ice water stops the cooking process so your spinach stays tender and retains its nutrients. While this is not required, it helps season the spinach and helps it retain nutrients. To blanch the spinach, bring a large pot of water to a boil and submerge the spinach in the water for 2 minutes. Use caution when removing the spinach as the container may be very hot. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. To blanch spinach, first bring a pot of water to a boil and fill a bowl with ice cubes and cold water. Can I freeze red beat leaves the same as spinach? Step 1: Before blanching the spinach, you must wash it sufficiently. You can steam spinach over the stove or using a microwave. Spinach is very sensitive to ethylene. Skip this step and you'll end up with black goo when you defrost your greens (yuck). Thanks, wikiHow! If you leave the spinach in the boiling water for too long, the nutrients will break down. You can use your blanched spinach immediately or store it in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge or 1 year in the freezer. Freeze if you can't blanch. Once your spinach is blanched, use your spinach in your favorite recipes or place it inside your freezer. There are 16 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Leave it in the ice water for 1 minute. Do this before you use your spinach in recipes or salads. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the spinach to the ice water so it stops cooking. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. No, only cold water can be used for blanching, because the point is to immediately stop the cooking process (which continues after removing the spinach from the heat) by instantly chilling it. Blanch The Spinach. Spinach, like all greens, contains oxalic acid which can work against your body absorbing the vital nutrients from spinach. Then, submerge the spinach in the boiling water and let it boil for 30-40 seconds until it turns a bright green color. If you’d like, you can add 1-2 tbsp (14.8-29.6 g) of salt to your water. Just make sure it is properly sealed. Blanching loosens the skin from the flesh, and shocking helps it to easily peel off. Do not blanch spinach leaves that are yellow, wilted, or bruised. This article has been viewed 273,623 times. Blanch Spinach. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. If you don't blanch your spinach, the color can get dull and it can lose nutrients when you freeze it. Vegetables that are blanched before frozen retain significantly more of their nutrients than vegetables frozen without blanching. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. In addition to iron, spinach is also a healthy source of protein and calcium. The following process for how to freeze spinach can be used for swiss chard, kale or beet tops too. Just like freezing, canned spinach needs blanched. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.
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\u00a9 2020 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. Once the spinach is in the ice water, press down on the leaves with your spoon so they are totally submerged. The pictures are very helpful too. Part of the series: Spinach Bites. Tested. You can also gently squeeze the spinach while it is in the strainer to get rid of more moisture. To blanch spinach, first bring a pot of water to a boil and fill a bowl with ice cubes and cold water. Immediately pull spinach from pot and add it to saute pan with garlic. You can blanch it and freeze it to make some yummy spinach dip in the hot summer months or for making spinach pasta. All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. Before you get started, it’s important to know that when blanching, the spinach collapses, just like kale. Cut them off with a small, sharp knife. 04 of 08. 5.Cook for 2 minutes. Watch this video to find out how to blanch fresh spinach leaves. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the spinach to the ice water so it stops cooking. To learn how to refrigerate or freeze your blanched spinach to use later on, keep reading! minerals. Blanch for one minute or until the stem turns bright green and become soft. To blanch in boiling water, bring a 1-gallon pot of salted water to a rolling boil, and then add in the cleaned spinach leaves in 1-pound increments. I followed the instructions to the T, and the spinach is bright and lovely, "This article helped me with making bibimbap. wikiHow's. Blanching spinach in the microwave requires a microwave-safe bowl and a few other basic tools. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. After the ice treatment, remove spinach from water, squeeze out all the excess water and store it in a ziploc bag and freeze. // Leaf Group Lifestyle, How to Cook Fresh Baby Spinach for Freezing, How to Cook Fresh Broccoli in a Slow Cooker, North Dakota State Univerrsity; Blanching Vegetables - Why and How; March 1989. Before you blanch your spinach, rinse off the leaves in cool water from your sink for 10-20 seconds. Curly-leaf spinach is best for sauteing, blanching, or steaming. By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. If the spinach is cooked too long, it turns a darker shade of green. If I want to serve hot spinach after balancing, do I rinse in hot water? Finally, drain the spinach in a colander and gently squeeze it with your hand to remove all of the excess water. Prepping spinach and other greens—whether it’s for lasagna or to serve straight—usually involves boiling or blanching them in a pot of boiling water. Nutrients definitely remain in spinach after boiling, but some do leach into the cooking liquid. Leave the leafy part above the water. Blanching spinach helps to stop the enzyme activity that causes it to eventually lose its flavor and crisp texture. The delicate leaves provide all the fiber and nutrition of mature spinach, along with a mild flavor and tender texture. Leave it in the ice water for 1 minute. If you don’t blanch your spinach, the color can get dull and it can lose nutrients when you freeze it. Chop up your spinach with a potato masher if you want to enhance the flavor. Blanching spinach properly removes this coating while doing a fair job of retaining most of the nutritional content. By using our site, you agree to our. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.
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\u00a9 2020 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. In addition to iron, spinach is also a healthy source of protein and calcium. While it’s true that blanching your spinach and kale isn’t exactly necessary for freezing them, it does help retain their color and is said to help retain more nutrition than just freezing them straight up would. A mandatory step prior to freezing, blanching also helps to clean the spinach and brighten the color. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. To prevent flavor loss, lock in nutrients and help preserve color blanch spinach and other veggies before freezing. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. You can also do this before you freeze your spinach. I wanted to use fresh spinach in my recipe, but I. Sort through the spinach to be blanched, removing any wilted or damaged leaves and discarding them. Melynda Sorrels spent 10 years in the military working in different capacities of the medical field, including dental assisting, health services administration, decontamination and urgent medical care. Blanching leafy greens like spinach softens the leaves, intensifies the color, and heightens its flavor. Leafy greens such as spinach, kale, and chard need to be briefly cooked before they are frozen. Thank you so much. Yes, you can always freeze your spinach. ", "Great pictures, concise directions, awesome.". ... Blanch and freeze the green parts of these vegetables and reserve the leaf stalks to use fresh in a recipe. This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. Since I was using my blanched spinach for a recipe, I have pureed it. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Copyright © 2020 Leaf Group Ltd., all rights reserved. Continue to 4 of 8 below. Alternatively, you can pour the ice water and spinach directly into the strainer. This way you can blanch any vegetable – green beans, asparagus, spinach… Spinach may not be everybody's favorite leafy green, but it is a vegetable that is high in essential vitamins and nutrients, and is an optimal menu choice for weight loss. cut spinach, zucchini, cucumber, kale, algae wafers. Learn more... Blanching is an easy way to quickly cook green vegetables in order to preserve their flavors and nutrients. It is best to put the spinach in a sieve. How to Blanch Spinach in the Microwave. Blanching is a form of quick-cooking that serves a multitude of purposes. There are a few exceptions though, such as lettuce. How to Freeze Spinach. 3.Add spinach leaves. This information is vital for maximizing nutritional intake on a vegan diet. Swish the spinach in a bowl of cool water, then rinse it clean. Steamed spinach can make for a healthy side dish to any meal. "As a vegan, I want to optimize my nutrient intake, and spinach is a fantastic source of many different vitamins and, "This is a wonderful step-by-step process to blanching spinach. 1. Blanch them. Allow the spinach to chill in the ice water for an additional 2 minutes before emptying the bowl into a colander to get rid of the water. This is also optional, but is regarded as being worth it to most people. It can help loosen peels off fruits like peaches, leech out bitterness, or enhance (and fix) colouring of delicate greens. 2.Let it come to a boil. So you need to blanch an abundance of spinach to have a good serving in the pot. Submerge a handful of spinach, roots down, into the boiling water. Spinach, a cool season leafy-green plant belonging to the same family as Swiss chard and beets, is often hailed for the high amount of iron it packs into each serving.