Every green juice lover wonders about how to store Spinach in an easy way. Freezing Spinach will reduce the wastage of produce. I always have fond of green juices. Therefore, I used to purchase an extra-large quantity of organic Spinach.
By investing only$3.89, I found it a great deal to enjoy for a whole weak. Apart from juicing, I like to add a handful of Spinach to salads. However, it doesn’t stay fresh for a longer duration. Hence, I decided to take help from Google. I was so relieved to see that I can freeze Spinach. It was literally a savage and pleasant surprise for me.
You may know already a few hacks; however, I have come up with a quick and easy way. A hassle-free process will save you time.
Important Note
It is vital to consider few facts before freezing fresh Spinach. You need to know that frozen Spinach will break down the cellular walls. Therefore, it will be watery when thawed.
Multiple methods
There are various ways in order to freeze Spinach. In blended recipes, the consistency and texture don’t matter that much. All you need to do is grabbing the required amount of Spinach from the freezer and add it to the smoothie.
It also works well for soup, stir-fry, dips, and pasta dishes. It has always been my favourite nutrition boosters. Adding into taco meat, pasta salads will enhance the flavour and richness of dishes.
Freezing Fresh Spinach
Usually, there are two methods that I prefer to use. However, the first one is my favourite as it is mess-free.
Freezing whole spinach leaves
Thanks to these hacks, now freezing fresh Spinach is a total breeze. All you have to do is picking icy leaves. After that, place the fresh spinach leaves in a ziplock freezer bag. Make sure to squeeze the air out as much as possible. Now put it in the freezer.
Freezing Pureed Spinach
The other recipe or method involves making puree and freezing the Spinach. Usually, I prefer the above process; however, sometimes, I even try for a change. What you have to do is adding Spinach and enough amount of water into the jug. Later on, freeze the puree in Ziploc freezer bags.
Make sure that you can only afford these methods if you plan to use them only for six months. Indeed, no vegetables should be freeze for more than six months. Speaking of freshness, it would be better to preserve Spinach after being plucked or taken from the garden or farmer’s market.
After that, you need to wash and clean the Spinach.
Benefits of using Spinach
Spinach is famous for its numerous health benefits and improving oxidative stress, eye health, and blood pressure.
Oxidative Stress
Spinach comes with carrying antioxidants to fight against oxidative stress for reducing the damage. According to a study, eight people have found it helpful. It will increase the risk of diabetes and cancer.
Furthermore, it accelerates ageing.
Eye Health
It is rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, which are responsible for maintaining the food colour in vegetables.
Do you know our eyes also have high quantities of these pigments that protect eyes from the damage caused by sunlight?
Furthermore, lutein and zeaxanthin protect from macular degeneration and cataracts. Otherwise, you can get blind.
Cancer Prevention
Spinach comes with two components, including SQDG and MGDG, that slow down cancer growth. According to study and facts, these two components will slow down tumour growth in a person’s cervix.
They are efficient at decreasing the size of the tumour. Several human studies link spinach consumption to a reduced risk of prostate cancer. It also prevents breast cancer. Spinach is loaded with a high amount of antioxidants that fight against cancer.
Blood Pressure
It also includes high amounts of nitrates that decrease heart diseases. Furthermore, it moderates the blood pressure level. In a report, it is proved that eating fresh Spinach lowers blood pressure level. It boosts heart health.
Who should not intake Spinach in routine
Although it is considered very healthy, however, it also has drawbacks.
Kidney Stones
The main reason behind kidney stone is acid and mineral salt build-up. One of the standard variety is calcium stones that consist of calcium oxalate. It is high in oxalate and calcium; therefore, people who have kidney stones should use it in a limited amount.
Blood clotting
As Spinach is high in vitamin k1 that serves several functions in the body, it is considered best due to its role in blood clotting.
Furthermore, it has the capability to interfere with blood-thinning medication. Such people should consult their doctor first before taking a large amount of Spinach.
Additional information regarding Spinach
It contains a large quantity of dietary oxalate, a compound that binds to calcium in the body.
Do you know oxalate-rich foods enhance the excretion of oxalate through urine? It leads to kidney stones. However, there are various kinds of kidney stones; however, mainly 80% composed of calcium oxalate.
People with kidney stones are advised to use a limited amount of Spinach. The experts say that boiling spinach will reduce dietary oxalate by up to 87%.