How to Freeze Spinach
Can you freeze fresh spinach? You sure can! Learn How to Freeze Spinach so you always have a stash of it on hand to add to soups, stews, skillets and smoothies.
Fresh spinach doesn’t take long before it starts turning brown and soggy in the refrigerator, so I like to keep freezer bags full of frozen spinach that I can add it to recipes on a whim.
If you’ve ever wondered can you freeze spinach and how to freeze fresh spinach… well freezing spinach couldn’t be easier! These are two quick and easy methods that I like to use for freezing fresh baby spinach leaves so I can add to recipes later. When using spinach leaves for salads though, the spinach should always be fresh and never frozen.
How to Freeze Spinach Leaves for Smoothies
I freeze baby spinach leaves whole to add to my smoothies. Here’s how….(super easy!)
- Rinse Spinach: Rinse raw spinach to remove dirt and debris and to discard brown looking and soggy leaves.
- Dry Spinach: Either pat the spinach dry with paper towels, or use a salad spinner to separate the liquid from the leaves. (I love my salad spinner!)
- Freezer Bags: Mark the date on the outside of your freezer bag. Place the rinsed and dried baby spinach leaves in freezer bags, filling them up about 2/3 of the way. Press out as much air as you can while you seal.
- Freeze Spinach: Put the spinach filled freezer bags in the freezer and store for up to 1 month.
- Add to Smoothies: No need to thaw, just add the frozen spinach leaves right from the freezer to your blender when making smoothies.
Freezing Spinach to Cook with Later
For spinach that I plan on adding to soups, stews and skillets, I first blanch the baby spinach leaves then freeze them in ice cube trays so spinach can easily be added to recipes on a whim. One pound of spinach will wilt down to about 1 cup when blanched. I use these spinach cubes a lot!!! They’re super handy to have stashed in the freezer!
- Rinse Spinach: Rinse raw spinach to remove dirt and debris and to discard brown looking and soggy leaves.
- Chop: Coarsely chop spinach discarding any long and tough stems. (The spinach will be in bite-sized and more manageable pieces while it cooks in soups, stews and skillets).
- Blanch Spinach: Place spinach in a wire sieve or colander with a handle then submerge it in pot of boiling water for about 1 minute. The spinach will turn bright green. Remove spinach from boiling water then dunk it in ice water to halt the cooking process.
- Squeeze Excess Water: Lay the spinach out on paper towels and blot them to remove some of the liquid.
- Ice Cube Trays: Evenly distribute the blanched spinach in ice cube trays and freeze for 2-3 hours or until solid.
- Freezer Bags: Mark the date on the outside of your freezer bag. Place the spinach cubes in freezer bags filling them up about 2/3 of the way. Press out as much air as you can while you seal
- Freeze Spinach: Store freezer bags filled with frozen spinach in your freezer.
- Add to Recipes: No need to thaw, just add frozen cubes of spinach right from the freezer to the soups, stews and skillet dishes that you’re cooking.
Recipes with Spinach
- Breakfast – Add to scrambled eggs, omelettes, skillets like this Vegan Breakfast Skillet, and fritattas like this Spinach Leek Onion Frittata
- Soups – Stir into soups like this Vegetarian Tuscan White Bean Soup, Italian Wedding Soup, and Spring Chicken Vegetable Soup
- Dinner – Add to casseroles, pasta dishes, and skillets like this Easy Italian Chicken Skillet
- Smoothies – Toss into your morning smoothies like this Blueberry Spinach Smoothie
More Cooking Resources
- How to Cut a Pomegranate
- How to Zest a Lemon
- How to Make Sun Dried Tomatoes
- How to Store Tomatoes
- How to Make Quinoa
- How to Poach Chicken
- How to Make Basil Pesto
- How to Freeze Bananas for Smoothies
- How to Cook Lentils
How to Freeze Spinach
Learn How to Freeze Spinach so you always have a stash of spinach on hand to add to soups, stews, skillets and smoothies.
Ingredients
- 1 pound baby spinach
Instructions
How to Freeze Spinach Leaves for Smoothies
- Rinse raw spinach to remove dirt and debris and to discard brown looking and soggy leaves.
- Either pat the spinach dry with paper towels, or use a salad spinner to separate the liquid from the leaves. (I love my salad spinner!)
- Mark the date on the outside of your freezer bag. Place the rinsed and dried baby spinach leaves in freezer bags, filling them up about 2/3 of the way. Press out as much air as you can while you seal.
- Put the spinach filled freezer bags in the freezer and store for up to 1 month.
- No need to thaw, just add the frozen spinach leaves right from the freezer to your blender when making smoothies.
Freezing Spinach to Cook with Later
- Rinse raw spinach to remove dirt and debris and to discard brown looking and soggy leaves.
- Coarsely chop spinach discarding any long and tough stems. (The spinach will be in bite-sized and more manageable pieces while it cooks in soups, stews and skillets).
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. (about 2 gallons per 1 pound spinach)
- Fill a large bowl of water and ice.
- Place spinach in a steaming basket or wire sieve or colander with a handle then submerge it in pot of boiling water for about 1 minute. The spinach will turn bright green.
- Transfer spinach from boiling water to the bowl of water filled with ice.
- Remove from ice water and set aside leaving spinach in basket, sieve or colander so the excess water can drain.
- Spin the blanched spinach in a salad spinner or pat excess water from the spinach with paper towels.
- Evenly distribute the blanched spinach in ice cube trays and freeze for 2-3 hours or until solid.
- Mark the date on the outside of a freezer bag. Place the spinach cubes in freezer bags filling them up about 2/3 of the way. Press out as much air as you can while you seal.
- Put the freezer bags filled with spinach cubes in the freezer and store for up to 3 months.
- No need to thaw - add spinach cubes right to soups, stews and skillets while cooking.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 26Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 90mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 2gSugar: 0gProtein: 3g
theharvestkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate information, however, this nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. The nutritional information provided comes from online sources and calculations. See full disclaimer on About page.