Can you freeze spinach?
Can you freeze spinach? Yes, you can freeze spinach for about 10-12 months.
Provided you take the time to blanch them first, spinach keeps very well in the freezer. You will have a hard time telling the difference between fresh spinach and frozen spinach.
How to freeze spinach?
Freezing spinach is not very complex. Here’s how:
- Fill a large bowl with cold water and add the spinach leaves. Mix the leaves to clean them, keep only the very green leaves and eliminate the damaged or withered leaves. Then drain them.
- Boil water in a saucepan and fill a basin with cold water. Keep the basin close to the stove because you will need to have it close at hand. Once the water is boiling, put the spinach in a metal colander and plunge it into boiling water. Leave the spinach in boiling water for 90 to 120 seconds, then remove the colander and immediately plunge the spinach into the basin filled with cold water.
- Wash and let the spinach dry. You can pat them with paper towel to save time.
- Once the leaves are dry, put them in a reseal able freezer bag. You can use multiple freezer bags if you want to freeze individual portions.
- Seal the freezer bag tightly, pushing out as much air as possible.
- Label the freezer bag with the date and contents, then put the spinach in the freezer.
What is the shelf life of spinach in the freezer?
Fresh, blanched spinach will keep for about 10 to 12 months in the freezer, while fresh, unblanched spinach will keep for about 2 to 3 months.
After this time, the spinach will still be safe to eat, but its flavor, texture or appearance may begin to deteriorate noticeably.
How to thaw spinach?
Spinach does not need to be thawed. In many cases, you can cook them as is without thawing them first.
If you want to thaw them, put them in the refrigerator for several hours or even overnight. After thawing, you will probably have to drain them because the leaves may release water.
Can you refreeze spinach?
We do not recommend refreezing spinach. They will lose a lot of their flavor and you will probably end up with unappetizing mushy spinach.
Instead, try freezing small, individual portions to avoid waste.
Can you freeze spinach without blanching it?
Yes it’s possible. However, we advise against it. By blanching them, the spinach retains its properties, color and flavor.
