How to Preserve Spinach

Freeze or can spinach to preserve it.

Spinach is a nutritious green vegetable that contains a number of health benefits. Spinach offers a substantial amount of vitamins A, C, E, K, B vitamins, calcium and iron. If you want to preserve spinach to use year-round, there are two different methods. Water blanching and freezing spinach is one option. The other is to can your spinach, though this option is time consuming. Both frozen and canned spinach will keep for up to one year. Does this Spark an idea?

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Freezing:
Spinach
Freezer bags
Bowl
Sauce Pot
Canning:
18 lbs. spinach
Pint-size canning jars
Canner
Sharp knife
Large pot
Steamer basket
Salt

Instructions

Freezing
- 1
  
  Fill a sauce pot with 1 to 2 inches of water and bring to a boil.
- 2
  
  Wash the spinach leaves and trim the stems off while the water is heating up.
- 3
  
  Place the spinach into the pot once the water is boiling and cook for two minutes.
- 4
  
  Remove the spinach from the pot and place in a bowl of ice water for two minutes.
- 5
  
  Put the spinach into freezer bags, stuffing the bag full, and freeze.
Canning
- 6
  
  Wash the spinach and cut off the stems and the stem in the middle of the spinach leaf. The easiest way to do this is to cut each half of the leaf off by cutting along the midrib or stem.
- 7
  
  Bring a pot of water to a boil. Place the steamer basket inside the pot, add the spinach and steam for four minutes.
- 8
  
  Fill each pint jar with ¼ tsp. salt then add the spinach to the jar. Pack the jar loosely.
- 9
  
  Pour boiling water over the spinach and leave 1 inch of space at the top of the glass.
- 10
  
  Place the lids on top of the canning jars and process in a canner for 70 minutes.