This post contains helpful tips and tricks! If you’re in a rush, please use the “Jump to Recipe” above!
📖 How to freeze fresh spinach
Two quick notes before we jump in:
None of these options work if you want to use spinach in salads (like my fresh spinach avocado salad). Freezing spinach breaks down cellular walls, so it will lose the structure you would want for a salad. Always wash and dry spinach leaves thoroughly. Spinach hides a lot of dirt! If you’re picking up pre-washed spinach from the supermarket, give it a quick rinse, and you’re good to go.
Three Ways to Freeze Spinach
There are three ways to freeze spinach, depending on what you want to use the spinach for.
If you want to have the leaves still be intact (for instance, to use in soups like this Efo Riro, or in a creamed spinach) then you’ll want to freeze the whole spinach leaves. If you want to retain the color and have the leaves intact, you can blanch the leaves. Blanching helps prevent enzymatic reactions that lead to decay and discoloration. However, it does reduce the nutrient content a bit (more on that below!) so you could just freeze them straight. If you want to use your spinach in smoothies or as a base for recipes, blend it up and freeze the spinach puree!
Option 1: Freeze Fresh Spinach Leaves
Rinse your spinach, dry them thoroughly. Pick out any leaves that are already starting to wilt. Place leaves in a freezer safe bag and remove as much air as possible. I love closing it 80% of the way, putting a straw in and sucking out the rest of the air! Throw it in the freezer. Use spinach within a month if not blanched, or it gets freezer burned.
Option 2: Blanch & Freeze Spinach Leaves
Add the spinach to a pot of boiling water, fully submerging it for at least 1 to 2 minutes Transfer spinach to a bowl with ice cubes. Let it cool down completely for at least 2 to 3 minutes Take out all your anger and frustration on the spinach by wringing the water straight out of it, as much as possible Portion using measuring jars (so much easier to measure out a cup of spinach ahead of time!) Or store in measured freezer safe containers, and you’re done!
Blanched and frozen spinach can last up 3 to 4 months easily! But I almost always use it up before then.
Option 3: Freeze Spinach Puree
If you want to use frozen spinach in smoothies or as a base, make and freeze spinach puree. To do this, blend your washed and dried fresh spinach leaves along with water. I use about ¼th a cup for 15 oz of spinach. 5-6 oz of spinach will fill up an ice cube tray (or make slightly more than a cup of spinach puree!) Once blitzed, pour the spinach puree into ice cube containers. Throw it in the freezer for at least 3 to 4 hours for the spinach cubes to set. Then throw cubes in a freezer safe bag, and back in the freezer. Smoothie bombs ready! Check out these recipes to use your frozen spinach: If you tried this recipe, don’t forget to comment and rate! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
📖 Recipe
