How to Freeze Spinach

In case you’ve wondered … can you freeze spinach? – the answer to that is yes! Learn How to Freeze Fresh Spinach for smoothies and to add to soups, stews and skillets, and more with these two easy methods.

Freezing spinach is a an easy process and it’s a great way to store spinach for adding to soups, stews, skillets, casseroles and sauces all year long.

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 spinach leaves. Frozen spinach is great to cook with and add to smoothies, but once thawed it’s wilted and soggy so it’s not really suitable for adding to salads or sandwiches. 

How to Freeze Spinach For Smoothies

I like to freeze the leaves for smoothies so I always have a stash in the freezer to pop into my morning smoothies.   Here’s how….it’s super easy!

1. Rinse. Rinse under cold water to remove dirt and debris and to discard brown looking and soggy leaves.
2. Dry.  Either pat dry with paper towels, or use a salad spinner to separate the liquid from the leaves. (I love my salad spinner!)
3. Freezer Bags.  Mark the date on the outside of your freezer bag.  Place the rinsed and dried leaves in freezer bags, filling them up about 2/3 of the way.  Press out as much air as you can while you seal.
4. Freeze.  Put the freezer bags in the freezer and store for up to 1 month.
5. Add to Smoothies.  No need to thaw, just add the frozen leaves right from the freezer to your blender when making smoothies.

Freezing Blanched Spinach 

For spinach that I plan on adding to soups, stews and skillets, I first blanch the leaves then freeze them in ice cube trays so these little cubes can be added to recipes on a whim.   One pound of spinach will wilt down to about 1 cup when blanched.  I use these cubes a lot!!!  They’re super handy to have stashed in the freezer!

1. Rinse Spinach.  Rinse raw spinach to remove dirt and debris and to discard brown looking and soggy leaves.
2. 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).
3. 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. 
4. Squeeze Excess Water.  Lay the spinach out on paper towels and blot them to remove some of the liquid.
5. Ice Cube Trays.  Evenly distribute the blanched spinach in ice cube trays and freeze for 2-3 hours or until solid.
6. 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
7. Freeze Spinach.  Store freezer bags filled with frozen spinach in your freezer.
8. Add to Recipes.   There’s no need to thaw them first, just add the frozen spinach cubes right from the freezer to simmering soups, stews and skillet dishes.

How Long Will Frozen Spinach Last In The Freezer?

As long as it’s properly sealed in an airtight freezer bag, frozen spinach could last in the freezer for up to 1 year. Freezer burns can happen if freezer bags aren’t sealed properly and food is exposed to air, so it’s important to press out as much excess air as you can when sealing your freezer bags. You can seal a freezer bag almost completely but leaving just enough room to stick a straw through, then suck out all the air in the bag and seal it tightly.

Do I Need To Thaw It Before Using?

No, there’s no need to thaw the frozen spinach first. Just add the frozen spinach cubes right into a pot of simmering soup or stew (it will break apart and add flavor and nutrition to your dish), and add the frozen spinach leaves right into the blender with the rest of your smoothie ingredients.

How To Use It

You can easily add frozen spinach to any of these recipes.

• 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 Freeze Grapes
• How to Freeze Peaches
• How to Freeze Blueberries
• How to Freeze Strawberries
• How to Freeze Tomato Paste
• How to Freeze Tomatoes
• 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

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Yield: 4 servings

How to Freeze Spinach

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Additional Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

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 for Smoothies

1. Rinse raw spinach to remove dirt and debris and to discard brown looking and soggy leaves.
2. 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!)
3. 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.
4. Put the spinach filled freezer bags in the freezer and store for up to 1 month.
5. No need to thaw, just add the frozen spinach leaves right from the freezer to your blender when making smoothies.

How to Freeze Blanched Spinach (to Add to Soups, Stews and Skillets)

1. Rinse raw spinach to remove dirt and debris and to discard brown looking and soggy leaves.
2. 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).
3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. (about 2 gallons per 1 pound spinach)
4. Fill a large bowl of water and ice.
5. 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. 
6. Transfer spinach from boiling water to the bowl of water filled with ice.
7. Remove from ice water and set aside leaving spinach in basket, sieve or colander so the excess water can drain.
8. Spin the blanched spinach in a salad spinner or pat excess water from the spinach with paper towels.
9. Evenly distribute the blanched spinach in ice cube trays and freeze for 2-3 hours or until solid.
10. 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.
11. Put the freezer bags filled with spinach cubes in the freezer and store for up to 3 months.
12. No need to thaw - add spinach cubes right to soups, stews and skillets while cooking.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount 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.