Best Way to Store Fresh Spinach to Keep it Crisp!

Spinach is one of the most famous veggies of all time and it is also very popular and consumed on a pretty large scale. It provides us with all the health benefits we want and gives us the strength and stamina we need.

If you have seen Popeye, you would be aware that spinach is a very useful and nutritious vegetable. However, this was just a cartoon, but in reality, spinach is very healthy and full of benefits. We will cover the benefits of spinach later in this article. The main point of concern that lies here is that all the vegetables are perishable and they go very quickly and therefore the main problem lies here is the storage.

You might have gone shopping and saw green spinach there and thought of buying it and then when you came back home you realized that you need to either cook it now or store it properly so that it doesn’t go bad but you do not know how to store spinach properly. There are many ways in which one can store spinach and today we are going to discuss them.

I will also try to cover some of the things that one needs to be aware of if they love spinach and if you are one of those people then this article is going to help you a lot so keep reading!

What is spinach?

Spinach is a vegetable and it comes from the Chenopodiaceae family which is also popularly known as goosefoot. This family also contains beetroot, chard, and quinoa. The taste profile of these vegetables is somewhat similar to spinach.

If we talk about spinach the three different types of spinach available are savoy, smooth leaf, and semi-savoy. Spinach is a very beneficial vegetable for your health and as you read this article you will start loving it if you don’t. The most important concern after buying spinach is the storage. Many people face the same question : How to store spinach so that it stays fresh for weeks and how to keep it crisp? Let’s have a look at this and find out the best way to do so.

How to store Fresh Spinach?

The storage part of any vegetable is the most important one and if you neglect it you will get vegetables that are bad or they are in a state that is uneatable.

Things that you will need

A big container that has a lid
Paper towels (sheets)

Before storing the spinach it is very crucial to make sure that it is clean and there aren’t any kinds of leaves that are slimy, yellow or brown or wilted. Once you have removed all such types of leaves that don’t look fresh.
The first thing that you are required to do is line the bottom of your container using paper towels. You can stack 2-3 paper towels if you want to.
Now the next thing that you are required to do is dry your spinach and this is the most important step to keep in mind. If there is any kind of liquid it can cause the spinach to get slimy so before storing it you must ensure that your spinach is completely dry.
Now you will have to layer the spinach that is dry over the paper towel inside the container, the paper towel will also help to catch the moisture.
If you are going to keep the spinach for a long time it is good to keep it inside a refrigerator so close the lid of the container and store it inside the refrigerator.

How long does spinach stay good for?

This is a frequently asked question and the answer can depend on the fact that is how fresh or old your spinach is when you bought it.

If you follow the above-mentioned method it will probably keep your spinach fresh for around 5-7 days and even for a long time sometimes.

Why does spinach go bad so fast?

The biggest villain here is the moisture. When we talk about vegetables, they all have some amount of moisture in them and this varies from vegetable to vegetable.

The moisture is the only reason here why spinach goes bad quickly. If there is a lot of moisture while you store your spinach then it won’t last even 2 days.

How to keep my spinach dry?

When I buy spinach, I make sure that I don’t wash it until I am going to use it. This helps me to prevent any extra moisture on it while storing it.

If you always wash it before storing it then it is very necessary to make sure that it is extra dry when you store it. You can use a salad spinner that helps you to dry all the veggies and not just spinach.

If you’re not in a hurry and want to keep your kitchen utensils to a minimum, just put a smooth Spinach on a dry towel. Then let it just hang out a little. Both towels retain much of the humidity and the majority of the job is done by air.

Whenever you see that the paper towels are wet you will have to make sure that you replace them. This will be good for your spinach and it will stay fresh and crisp for a long time.

Three Best ways to store Spinach

It is very important to know how you can store your spinach. Now that you know how to store it and all the precautions you need to follow.

Have a look at how you can do that. Using any of these below-mentioned ways you will have to put the spinach in the refrigerator only.

Paper towels and plastic bags

You can try wrapping the paper towels around your spinach as this will ensure that all the moisture gets soaked up. Take a plastic bag and place the spinach inside and make sure that all the air is removed. After this, you will have to store the spinach inside the crisper drawer of your refrigerator.

Plastic containers and paper towels

This is the same method that we saw previously in this article. You will have to line the container with paper towels and then dry your spinach and place it inside and then close the lids and place the container inside the refrigerator.

Plastic bags

This is also a pretty useful way. You can store your spinach in a plastic bag. You’ll need to blow some air inside the bag and this will help the spinach to get some carbon dioxide. After this seal the bag and then store it in the refrigerator.

How to store my Spinach in the Fridge?

You might be wondering that we already saw how one has to store spinach inside the refrigerator but we only saw the part related to spinach. Let’s look at the things one needs to keep in mind about storage inside a refrigerator.

As we saw previously, the best way to store spinach is inside a refrigerator. Your refrigerator will maintain a temperature that is around 37 degrees that is optimal to keep the spinach fresher.

One thing to be kept in mind is that when you place your fresh spinach inside the refrigerator you’ll have to keep it far away from fruits that produce ethylene. If you don’t know which fruits I’m talking about then these are fruits like bananas, apples, melons, tomatoes, pears, etc. Ethylene is not good for spinach and it will cause it to decay and wilt quickly. If your refrigerator has a crisper drawer then you should keep your spinach there.

Best containers for storing Spinach

You can make use of plastic containers or bags for storing your spinach inside the refrigerator.

Plastic containers are better if you want to store spinach and keep them fresh for a long time.

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You can also use bags and they are affordable too. You can clean them easily and you can easily pace dry spinach with a paper towel in the bag. It doesn’t take much space either.

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How to Freeze Fresh Spinach?

It is possible to freeze fresh spinach but this will depend on the way you are going to use the spinach.

I have considered three scenarios that are:

Do you want to use it within 6 months?
Do you want to use it purely?
Do you want to thaw it as a whole leaf?

If you are thinking of using your spinach within 6 months then you can look for a bag that is freezer safe and place the spinach inside the bag and then the bag inside the freezer.

You can also pure the spinach by using water and then store it using an ice cube tray. Once you notice that the mixture of pure is completely frozen you can place it inside the freezer-safe bag.

How to Blanch your spinach for Freezing?

If you are thinking of keeping your spinach for more than 6 months then you’ll have to consider blanching your spinach first.

This will help you to preserve the taste, texture, and flavor of the spinach. If you have got a lot of spinach and you are sure that it will last for more than 6 months then you can try blanching it and storing it.

The first step that you are required to do for blanching your spinach is that you need to boil the water first and then add the spinach inside the boiling water and keep it until the stems become soft. It’s usually 35-45 seconds.
After this, you’ll have to quickly transfer the spinach inside an ice bath. Take a large bowl of ice water and place the spinach inside. Take a slotted spoon and pick up the spinach so that the hot water doesn’t come along with the spinach.
Let the spinach get cool inside the cool water for at least 2 minutes and after this try removing all the water from your spinach.
After removing the water, you’ll have to take a freezer-safe container and transfer the spinach into it and then place this container inside the freezer.

Health benefits of Spinach

Here are some of the health benefits that spinach offers.

Prevent cancer

Cancer is one of the most deadly diseases and spinach is one of the biggest cures for it. Spinach helps to prevent cancer and as we all know prevention is better than cure.

Spinach has got zeaxanthin and carotenoids in a high amount that helps to remove the free radicals from the human body. These free radicals are the reasons why a human body gets prone or infected with many diseases and cancer is one of those diseases.

Reduces blood sugar

Spinach is also helpful for people that have high blood pressure. It helps to reduce the blood sugar inside the body.

Spinach has potassium content that is good for people with high blood sugar as potassium reduces the effects of sodium inside the human body.

Strong bones

Spinach helps to grow your bones and make them stronger. It contains vitamin K and this is very helpful for bone growth.

Spinach also contains calcium and it is very much needed for your bones.

Aids vision

Lutein and zeaxanthin are the antioxidants that are in spinach that helps to provide good eyesight and vision.

Spinach also helps to prevent cataracts and other eye problems. Vitamin A is found in spinach that is helpful for normal eyesight.

Boosts immunity

Immunity is much needed these days and spinach is the source of this immunity. It helps to boost immunity.

Vitamin A is present in spinach that helps to provide strength to the entry points inside the human body that are respiratory, intestinal tracts, and mucus membranes.

Provides glowing skin

Spinach helps to enhance the skin and it also gives you a glow.

Skin is the most sensitive part of your body and if you want glowing skin you must try consuming spinach and you’ll get the results. Our skin requires essential nutrients and spinach is the one that can provide your skin with such nutrients.

Helps the brain to function properly

Spinach helps the body to be relaxed and also helps the brain to properly function.

This leafy green vegetable helps the brain to work efficiently during old age and consuming it will help your brain to stay active and think properly.

Old people must consume spinach as this will help to keep the brain working efficiently.

Prevents acne

Acne is one the major problem that the youth goes through and spinach can help to solve these issues.

Consuming spinach can help to prevent acne. It can help to ease the inflammation caused to your skin and also repair it. You can also make a mask to apply on your face using spinach.

Conclusion

Spinach is consumed to a very large extent and it has many health benefits. The biggest problem that people face when they buy vegetables is storage.

Vegetables are perishable and so is spinach. If you do not store your spinach properly it won’t last for more than two days. I have mentioned the best way to store your spinach. I have also mentioned some of the things that one needs to keep in mind while storing spinach. There are three ways you can try storing spinach.

I have mentioned all the things related to storing spinach and also the health benefits of spinach. After reading this you’ll know how to store your spinach properly and you will also eliminate the risk of spinach going bad after a few days. I hope this article was informative and useful.