Can You Freeze Spinach? How to Freeze Spinach and Ways to Use It

Can You Freeze Spinach?

Spinach, just like other perishable products, has a short shelf life. And then there’s another challenge in the space available in the refrigerator. The bunches can be bulky, and the bags can be huge, making refrigeration challenges.

The good news is that you can freeze spinach, either as whole leaves or as a puree. Simply dumping fresh leaves in the freezer isn't ideal, though, because the quality drops over time.

The loss of quality is caused by natural enzymes in the leaves. Freezing slows them down but doesn't stop them, even when you are maintaining such low temperatures in a household freezer. Over time, unblanched spinach can lose color, flavor and texture.

The fix is blanching. According to the National Center for Home Food Preservation, spinach and most other greens should be blanched for 2 minutes before freezing, and collards for 3 minutes. Pressing out air with freezer or vacuum bags also helps. You can also blend blanched spinach and freeze the puree in cubes.

In this article, I will cover these methods. The first is blanching:

Here are steps on how to properly blanch and freeze fresh spinach leaves:

What you need:

Large pot
Large bowls
Ice cubes
Large slotted spoon
Paper towels or clean kitchen towels
Freezer-safe resealable bags
Permanent marker

To prepare;

Remove roots, pluck off thick stems.
Submerge the leaves in a bowl of water to wash away the grit and loosen stubborn dirt.

Cooking:

Bring a large pot of water to boil.
Fill a large bowl with ice water and set it somewhere nearby.
Drop large spinach handfuls into the water.
Stir to submerge the leaves fully.
Blanch for 2 minutes, starting the timer when the water returns to a boil. The spinach will turn bright green.
Scoop the spinach out with a large slotted spoon.
Dunk the spinach into ice water.
Remove the cooled spinach from the ice water and squeeze it dry with clean hands.
Transfer to a separate large bowl.
Use paper or clean dish towels to dry the cooked spinach.

Freezing:

Label freezer-safe bags with the date using the permanent marker.
Divide the blanched and dried spinach among the labeled bags, leaving about 1/2 inch of headspace.
Roll the bags up, squeezing out as much air as possible, and seal.
Use within about 3 months for the best quality. It stays safe longer at 0°F, but flavor and texture slowly decline.

Thawing:

Thaw the spinach overnight in the fridge or a bowl by running cold water over the bag until thawed. Squeeze out excess moisture.

Frozen spinach recipes

Spinach is used the world over to make many different delicacies. We couldn’t cover all of them here even if we wanted to. I will, however, highlight one or two;

Frozen spinach for smoothies

Adding spinach to a smoothie is an easy way of adding vitamins to your drink. Fresh spinach blends fine, but frozen spinach chills and thickens the smoothie at the same time, so you need less ice.

Mature leaves can turn tough after thawing, so many people prefer frozen baby spinach for smoothies. Its mild flavor makes it an easy way to add greens and a vitamin boost.

Here are other recipes made with spinach:

Breakfast casserole – Spinach, mushroom, and cheese

What you need:

Olive oil
8 cups rustic crustless Italian bread, cut into cubes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
2 minced cloves garlic
5 cups fresh baby spinach
4 ounces Gruyere, shredded on the large holes of a box grater
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
8 large eggs
2 1/2 cups half-and-half
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped

Directions:

Grease a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish with olive oil.
Put the bread cubes, 2 tablespoons of the oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a few grinds of pepper in a large bowl.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
Add the bread to the skillet, and cook, occasionally tossing, until toasted and golden brown, about 8 minutes.
Return the toasted bread to the bowl to cool.
Wipe out the skillet.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat until it starts to shimmer.
Add the mushrooms in one layer (resist the urge to stir right away), and cook until they start to brown, about 3 minutes; stir, then continue to brown for 2 minutes more.
Add the garlic, thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and some pepper, stir continuously for 1 minute, then fold in the spinach and another 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Continue to cook, often stirring, until the spinach is wilted, 1 to 2 minutes.
Remove from the heat.
Place half the bread cubes in the prepared casserole dish, and sprinkle them with half of the Gruyere and Parmesan.
Add the mushroom-spinach mixture in an even layer.
Top with the remaining bread cubes, Gruyere and Parmesan.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and several grinds of pepper.
Pour the egg mixture into the casserole dish.
Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours up to overnight.
Remove the casserole from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Bake the casserole until the custard is set and the top is golden brown, 50 to 55 minutes.
Cool for at least 15 minutes before serving warm or at room temperature.

You can check these out among many other recipes that spinach can be used in;

How to freeze kale

What you need:

Knife
Large pot
Large bowl
Colander or strainer
Four clean kitchen towels
Tongs
Slotted spoon

Directions:

Rinse the kale leaves under running water to remove dust, dirt, bugs, and other debris. Then place them on a clean towel to drain excess water.
Cut the stalks off the leaves. To do away with the stalk entirely, cut off the bottom stem where there is no leaf, and then peel the leaves away from the midrib running up the middle of the kale.
Blanch the leaves. Using tongs, place the kale leaves into a large pot of boiling water and blanch for 2 minutes.
Remove the leaves with the slotted spoon and put them into an ice bath. Let them cool for about 2 minutes before removing them to dry.
Transfer the kale to the colander, and allow the excess water to drain off. Shake the colander regularly to help remove the water. Use the other two towels to dry the kale as much as possible.
Set the kale aside to air dry.
Pack the kale into airtight containers or freezer bags, leaving about 1/2 inch of headspace, squeeze out the air and seal tightly. Use within about 3 months for the best quality.
The dryer the kale is when you freeze it, the fewer ice crystals will form, and the longer the kale will withstand freezer burn.

The bottom line

Freezing extends the shelf life of perishable greens. Kale and spinach freeze well and keep most of their nutrients.

The main challenge is preparing them correctly. Leaving air in the bags causes freezer burn, and skipping blanching lets enzymes slowly reduce quality, even in the freezer.

To keep quality high, blanch the leaves first. A short boil inactivates those enzymes, and plunging the leaves into ice water keeps their deep green color.