Spinach freeze: how to do it right, and what methods of harvesting are better suited for winter storage?

The best option for winter home storage of spinach - freezing. The product subjected to such processing does not lose vitamins and beneficial substances.

Any of the methods is not labor-intensive and the procedure will have a successful result even for novice cooks.

At the same time, greens will absolutely not lose their taste and will retain useful properties, as well as vitamins. Learn all about spinach freezing methods and secrets of this process from our article.

Preliminary work

For freezing, it is best to choose the spinach leaves of the very first harvest, they have a delicate texture and they do not have a bitter taste, unlike the leaves, collected after the formation of floral arrows.

It does not matter what method of freezing is chosen - greens should be thoroughly washed from the ground and sand. This can be done by dropping bundles of greens into a deep container with cold water, and then extract and carefully rinse each leaf under running water.

Freezing whole leaves at home

1. The stems and roots of plants need to be cut.
2. Sort the leaves, selecting not damaged and about the same in shape and size.
3. Fold them in small stacks for a single use of ten to fifteen pieces.
4. Twist the leaves, trying not to injure their integrity and fix the food film.
5. Put the blanks in the freezer at some distance from each other. After complete freezing, you can shift the beams more tightly, while trying to injure them as little as possible.

In this form, spinach can be stored all winter.

We offer to watch a video about another method of freezing spinach entirely:

In ice cubes

Without boiling water

1. Spinach is ground with a blender or green scissors.
2. The resulting raw material is laid out in ice molds.
3. Pour cold boiled water and clean in the freezer.
4. After complete freezing, the cubes are transferred to a more compact storage in a bag or container.

With boiling water treatment

1. Put the pre-chopped spinach leaves on a sieve.
2. Rinse with boiling water.
3. Place for a couple of minutes in a double boiler.
4. Spread the resulting product in ice tins and pour with ice water, then send it to freeze.

It is possible to store the preparations received in both ways until spring.

Shredded Greens

In its raw form, it is possible to freeze not only whole leaves, but crushed. Greens should be cut into segments by half a centimeter or smaller. Arrange in batches or containers and send to the freezer. Such preparations can be stored for ten to twelve months.

How to prepare mashed potatoes?

1. Blanch greens in boiling water for twenty to thirty seconds, then pour over ice water.
2. Using a blender to turn the leaves into a uniform mashed potatoes. If there is no blender, wipe through a sieve.
3. Spread out in molds and put in the freezer.

The billet is designed for long-term storage, so spinach processed in this way can be consumed all winter.

If it is boiled leaves

Is it possible to freeze not only raw, but also pre-blanched leaves? Yes you can. The method involves the following actions:

1. put spinach in boiling water for twenty to thirty seconds;
2. then move it into ice water;
3. take out, drain the liquid, form small balls from the leaves;
4. decompose in batches or containers and put into the freezer.

The method is designed to store spinach throughout the year.. However, it will not be spoiled and will retain all its benefits.

A photo

In the photo you can see what looks like frozen spinach.

Frozen food benefits

The benefits of frozen spinach for the body can not be overemphasized. Due to the chemical composition of leaves, its use has a beneficial effect on the human body, reducing the risk of strokes and normalizing pressure.

Spinach takes part in blood formation processes, suppresses active formation of cancer cells. A large amount of vitamin C is stored in frozen spinach, which helps prevent age-related visual impairment and iron, making the product indispensable for those suffering from iron deficiency anemia. Also, spinach perfectly supports immunity, so its use in winter is especially important.

Frozen spinach - a storehouse of vitamins and trace elements that are available year-round. If methods involving preheating are used for freezing, some of the nutrients are lost. To maximize the preservation of all the properties of spinach that are unique to the body, it is recommended to choose freezing of whole or crushed leaves, without blanching them.

Does calorie change?

For those who use a calorie-based diet, it is important to take into account that the calorie content of spinach after a freeze changes upwards - 22 kcal per 100 grams of fresh spinach versus 34 kcal per 100 grams of frozen.

How to use?

How to eat frozen food? In soups, spinach frozen in any way can be added without prior defrosting. For the preparation of beverages and second courses, the blanks must be thawed. Spinach spread on a colander to glass all the excess liquid, and then squeeze.

If the leaves were frozen completely and not subjected to pre-treatment, after defrosting, they are done all the same manipulations as with fresh green spinach.

What dishes can I add?

The possibilities of using frozen spinach in cooking are incredibly wide. It can be used to make sauces, fillings for pies, and, both salty and sweet, casseroles, soups, vitamin drinks, all sorts of marinades, add to the mince, simmer along with other vegetables.

Which method is best suited for winter storage?

When freezing spinach, you should take into account what it will be used for, but in fact it is difficult to stop on any one method. Any of the methods listed in the article allows you to store useful greens throughout the year, so the best solution would be to use several freezing options at once, enabling wide use of spinach in your diet.

Spinach is frozen not only because of the desire to enjoy the delicate taste of dishes based on it throughout the winter, but also to maintain health. Eating spinach helps to eliminate toxins and toxins from the body. and weight loss and improves overall health.

Watch the video: How To Preserve and Freeze Kale Greens EASY! (December 2024).