Make convenient frozen spinach pucks with these simple steps for how to blanch and freeze spinach. The same process and times can be used for kale, swiss chard or beet tops.
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time5 minutesmins
Total Time15 minutesmins
Course: Storing Vegetables
Keyword: freezing, frozen vegetables, spinach
Servings: 1.5cups
Calories: 70kcal
Author: Getty Stewart
Ingredients
1lbSpinach
Water
Ice
Instructions
Gather fresh spinach.
Bring a large pot of water to boil.
Meanwhile, wash spinach at least two to three times to ensure all fine silt is removed.
Remove any large stems and yellowed or blemished leaves.
Toss spinach into boiling water. To ensure even boiling, don't overcrowd the pot, repeat the process several times in small batches.
When water returns to full boil, set timer and boil for 2 minutes.
Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with freezing cold water and ice.
After 2 minutes of boiling the spinach, immediately turn off heat and transfer spinach from boiling water to ice cold water.
Let spinach cool in ice water bath for 2 minutes.
Remove from water and squeeze out as much water as possible using the back of a spoon and wire mesh or your hands.
If desired, chop spinach to desired size.
Place spinach in ice cube tray or into freezer bag.
Place ice cube tray in freezer for one to two hours then transfer frozen cubes to freezer bag.
Remove as much air from bag as possible before sealing. Use a straw inserted into a small opening and suck out air to create a simple vacuum seal. This helps prevent freezer burn.