How to prepare spinach - easy ways to freeze vitamin greens
Although spinach is a cold-resistant crop, it cannot be grown without a greenhouse in winter. Therefore, many gourmets who have appreciated these greens are interested in how to prepare spinach. And although not everyone likes the juicy spinach leaves, it is gradually gaining more and more fans. Interesting taste, beautiful color and a pantry of vitamins make it a welcome guest in the kitchen. Moreover, spinach is good not only fresh. Even frozen leaves retain their taste and nutrients. Let's talk about this today, namely, how to freeze spinach for the winter.
Pre-preparation of spinach
As with the preparation of any greens for the winter, no matter how it is made, spinach needs to be processed. It goes without saying that this includes careful sorting of the leaves. It is necessary to discard yellow and dry ones, and rinse the rest of the foliage well. After that, the spinach must be chopped. You can do this in any way you like: small or large plates.
Chopped spinach should be subjected to another "rinse", but this time with boiling water. Pour the leaves with boiling water and hold for a couple of minutes, and then strain. This will make the spinach sterile against bacteria. In addition, heat treatment changes the color, making it more saturated, and also softens the petioles.
If you are using spinach bushes for winter harvesting that have already begun to shoot, just increase the time. The hardened stems will soften when the spinach is blanched.
How to prepare spinach for the winter: freezing quickly and easily
Another advantage of heat treatment of spinach is that it significantly loses volume, which means it will take up less space in the freezer. Hence the most popular option is freezing.
There are several ways to do this:
- Cut, scalded and strained leaves just need to be laid out in clean plastic bags. It will be more convenient if you do not fill them completely, but flatten them so that you get such a flat briquette. Such briquettes can be placed on top of each other, moreover, it is convenient to use by simply breaking off the required amount.
- Arrange the cut leaves in the cells of the ice mold, tamp them tightly, and fill with water. When the cubes are frozen, wrap each one in foil.
- Instead of water, pour chopped spinach with melted and chilled butter. This spinach can be used to make pasta.
- Grind the spinach into blender, put in molds and pour with butter. It makes a good addition to sauces.
- Boil the leaves in water, cool. Pour together with the broth into a freezer container. The vitamin base for the soup is ready.
If your spinach has large leaves, they will also come in handy for harvesting. To do this, you do not need to cut them, but simply wash and dry them.
Now it remains only to roll the leaves into a tube and wrap with cling film. It is easy to cut off such a roll, even frozen, as needed and put it back in the freezer.
Now you know how to prepare spinach using the freezer. There is only one thing to add: do not fill the entire refrigerator with spinach. With prolonged storage, it loses its juiciness and color. Better to leave a couple of beds to pickle or preserve.