Spinach is a green, leafy plant that is native to central Asia, but popular throughout most of the world, especially the US.
Raw or cooked, spinach is considered to be a superfood on many levels.
What is spinach?
Spinach is a verstile leafy green that is part of the amaranth family and related to beets and quinoa.
You can buy it fresh, canned, preserved and frozen- basically any which way food can be purchased. It can be incorporated into nearly any dish.
Spinach tastes different depending on how it is cooked. Fresh it is sweet and crisp while cooked is can take on a slightly bitter taste. Processed spinach can be nearly flavorless.
Health Benefits of Spinach
Spinach is known for being high in iron, but it also has these vitamins and minerals.
- vitamin K
- vitamin A
- vitamin C
- folate
- manganese
- magnesium
- vitamin B2
Freezing
Can spinach be frozen? Spinach is full of water and also fairly fragile. It can be frozen, but don’t expect it to pop back out the same light and luffy leafy green you put in.
If you plan to use it within 6 months, just place fresh, dry spinach in an airtight bag, releasing as much air as possible and freeze. If you are planning on freezing for longer, you’ll need to blanch it first and then freeze.
Alternately, you can puree it with water in a blender and then freeze it in ice cube trays.
How to Use
Spinach is such a verstile ingredient. It is known for being good in smoothies without altering flavors. It can be eaten raw in salads or as a garnish or bed for other foods.
It can also be tossed and added to rice, pasta or beans. It wilts fairly fast so what looks like a large bag might not amount to much when added to a dish hot.
Recipes that Use Spinach:
