How to Freeze Spinach | 4 Easy Ways

Learning how to freeze spinach can save you a bunch of time and money. Frozen spinach is a healthy addition to your recipes.

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You can freeze fresh spinach? Yep. you sure can. Read on to learn 4 of my favorite methods.

If you’ve ever reached into the vegetable drawer and grabbed that bag of fresh spinach from the grocery store out and it’s a soggy, nasty mess, this article is for you.

It’s also great for folks with a garden who found out those tiny little seeds produced a half a ton of spinach at the same time. Buy the spinach at the farmer’s market to save additional money.

There are really four easy ways to freeze spinach. We walk you through all of them and give you pros and cons for each method.

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First thing. A caveat. After freezing spinach you do not want to use it in fresh salads and the like. The freezing process breaks down the fibers in the spinach and kills the texture. It will be more reminiscent of the frozen spinach you buy in boxes in the store.

It’s great though for using in soups, stews, smoothies, quiches, dips and the like. In other words, recipes where the spinach will eventually be cooked. We prefer baby spinach leaves for freezing.

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Freezing raw spinach

1. To freeze spinach raw, wash the spinach well to remove any dirt or debris.
2. Drain the spinach between sheets of paper towels or my favorite way to dry it is using my salad spinner.
3. You can place the leaves flat in a freezer bag, or use a muffin tin or ice cube tray to stuff the leaves into. Then freeze them for a few hours. Place in bags (remove as much air as you can) or vacuum pack them, for longer storage.

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Pros for freezing raw

• By far the easiest method.
• No additional cleanup.
• Very versatile.
• Easier than canning.
• Retains more nutrients.

Cons

• Won’t stay fresh as long as the other methods without freezer burn. Use within 3-6 months for best flavor.

Blanching spinach before freezing

1. To freeze blanched spinach, wash the spinach well.
2. Get a pot of water boiling on the stove.
3. Set up an ice bath in a large bowl. (Just add cold water to bowl and add ice.)
4. Drop large handfuls of spinach in boiling water at a time. Blanch for 2 minutes.
5. Remove the spinach with kitchen tongs or a slotted spoon. Let the water drain for a few seconds, then plunge into the ice water bath
6. Drain the spinach between sheets of paper towels or my favorite way to dry it is using my salad spinner.
7. You can place the blanched leaves in a freezer bag (remove as much air as you can), or use a muffin tin or ice cube tray to stuff the leaves into. Then freeze them for a few hours. Place in bags or vacuum pack them, for longer storage.

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Pros for blanching

• You get the same texture you are used to for frozen spinach.
• Very versatile. Use it many dishes.
• Incredibly easy.
• Easier than canning.
• Will last at least a year without freezer burning.

Cons

• One more pot to clean up.
• Loss of some nutrients.

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Freezing spinach purée

1. To freeze it into spinach puree for smoothies, just process the fresh leaves in your blender or food processor with a splash of water to get it going.
2. You can place the puree in a freezer bag, or use a muffin tin or ice cube tray to freeze it in. Then freeze them for a few hours. Place in bags (remove as much air as you can) or vacuum pack them, for longer storage.

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Pros for purée

• Incredibly easy.
• Great for use in smoothies.
• Easier than canning.
• Will last at least a year without freezer burning.
• Retains more nutrients.

Cons

• One more tool to clean up.
• It’s really only good for smoothies.

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Freezing sautéed spinach

This is my most used method because if we have a whole bag, I am using it in a recipe. For most recipes, we sauté the spinach to wilt it. Then add it to whatever we’re making. Any leftovers are frozen and used the next time.

So we aren’t really taking any additional time to pop a bag into the freezer. Which is a great time saver and we don’t waste the rest of the bag.

1. To freeze sautéed spinach, wash the spinach well.
2. Drain the spinach between sheets of paper towels or my favorite way to dry it is using my salad spinner.
3. Add a splash of olive oil to a large skillet.
4. Add large handfuls of spinach at a time. Tossing them around with a pair of kitchen tongs just until wilted.
5. Remove the spinach with kitchen tongs or a slotted spoon into a bowl. Let it cool to room temperature.
6. No need to drain.
7. Place the sautéed leaves in a freezer bag, or use a muffin tin or ice cube tray to stuff the leaves into. Then freeze them for a few hours. Place in bags (remove as much air as you can) or vacuum pack them, for longer storage.

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Pros for sautéing

• Very little extra time and no additional cleanup if you are cooking it for another recipe anyway but don’t need the whole bag.
• Flavor is great coming out of the freezer bag.
• You can add onion, garlic or spices that you use for many recipes, this is the only method that you can do this.
• Easier than canning.
• Will last at least a year without freezer burning.

Cons

• You have one more pan to clean up.
• Loss of some nutrients.

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Why freeze it?

• We all know that spinach is one of those power foods. Spinach is high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, iron, folate, and potassium. It’s also high in fiber.
• It’s an amazingly useful ingredient to have on hand to throw into the dishes that you are serving to bump up the nutrition.
• It only takes a couple minutes, no matter which method you choose.
• There is very little cleanup.
• Tastes delicious.
• Reduces waste.
• Can help stretch your food budget.

Important note: Freezing spinach will not kill bacteria like e coli. It will merely put them in hibernation. When food is thawed they will become active again.

How to use it

There are so many incredible ways to use frozen spinach. It’s only limited by your imagination. For some recipes, like smoothies, or quiche, or pizza you may want to thaw it. For others, like soups and stews, you can just pop frozen cubes of spinach right into your pot.

• Use frozen spinach cubes in soups like this Venison soup.
• Use it in chilis like the meaty chili.
• Try it in your smoothies.
• It’s great on pizzas, like our chicken and spinach white pizza.
• Great in pasta dishes. This chicken lasagna is delish.
• Perfect for quiche. Spinach and caramelized onion is a favorite.
• Great in appetizers, like Lobster pastries.
• Makes yummy dips like Hot Crab dip.
• It’s really a must if you are making Wellington.

What a great way to reduce waste, increase your grocery budget and make busy meal prep that much easier.

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More ways to preserve your harvest

• Freezing Peaches
• Freezing Tomatoes- 3 easy ways
• How to freeze strawberries
• How to freeze rhubarb
• Canning Whole Tomatoes
• Canning Potatoes | How to Can Potatoes
• Spinach Pesto

Helpful tools

• saucepans
• reusable bags

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I hope you enjoyed the recipe today!

Enjoy. And have fun cooking!