Harvesting spinach for the winter: freezing and other home cooking recipes

As nutritionists assure, the daily use of spinach, the most useful product in cooking, plays an important role in promoting health and preserving youth. Using the leaves of this greenery at the height of the season is not difficult, but in winter, when fresh greens are becoming a rarity in stores, a hand-made spinach blank will come to the hostess's aid. Today, specially for you, preparing spinach for the winter: freezing and other recipes for cooking at home!

A treasure trove of useful elements

Green spinach leaves can be called a storehouse of substances necessary for the successful functioning of our body. Here are just a few of them:

cellulose;
proteins;
vitamins of group A, B, C, E;
trace elements (calcium, magnesium, phosphorus);
carotene;
lutein;
fatty acid.

Research by scientists shows that people who regularly consume spinach get less sick. After all, such a set of elements has a beneficial effect on the immune system. The body becomes more resistant to the formation of various tumors, including cancer cells. In addition, the consumption of spinach:

improves memory and brain function in general;
enhances reproductive ability;
slows down the aging process;
stimulates digestion;
promotes the removal of toxins from the body;
increases hemoglobin;
regulates the deposition of extra pounds.

To achieve a visible result, you need to eat it all year round. Therefore, experienced housewives stock up on product for the entire season.

Beneficial features

The vegetable is 90% water. Proteins - about 3%, carbohydrates - 2%. Calorie content 100 grams - 22 kilocalories. The most valuable components of green culture are vitamins B9, C, A, K, E, PP, micro-, macroelements - potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron.

Due to its neutral taste and bright color, the vegetable is widely used in cooking. It serves as an addition to salads, soups, sauces. Fresh young rosettes are used.

Mature leaves are suitable for harvesting, heat treatment.

Eating spinach is useful for vitamin deficiency, iodine deficiency, osteoporosis, increased bleeding, hyperglycemia.

Oxalic acid, contained in green culture, forms oxalates - insoluble chemical compounds at high temperatures. In renal failure, oxalates will not be excreted from the body, forming kidney stones.

You should limit the consumption of vegetables if there are problems with the deposition of salts in the joints, increased blood clotting and acidity of the stomach.

Finally ...

Spinach is one of the healthiest foods in the world. Doctors recommend using it to all people who want to prolong their youth and life. It is quite easy to get spinach in summer, but what to do in winter? To do this, all housewives are advised to stock up on this leafy vegetable using the above methods.

Delicious and healthy spinach is good for preparing first and second courses, snacks and sauces. This vegetable contains a huge amount of useful elements and vitamins. Therefore, it is considered one of the effective products that resist the formation of malignant tumors and aging.Spinach regulates the work of all systems in the body, including the activity of the brain. Therefore, it is recommended to regularly consume it in small quantities.

Benefits of spinach

Despite the fact that this culture cannot boast of particular popularity, he undoubtedly deserved love among its admirers. And all thanks to the vitamin complex (vitamins A, K, C, E) and a variety of trace elements (manganese, iron, copper, zinc and even selenium). Attentive housewives should know that spinach does not lag behind currants, cherries and raspberries in terms of the amount of useful elements in its composition.

Spinach is very healthy for children and adults

Such a powerful composition makes spinach a healing product that has a beneficial effect on the state of the nervous and immune systems, improves brain activity, and helps fight the aging process and malignant formations. Delicious and incredibly healthy, spinach improves the taste of hot dishes, cereals and side dishes, is added to salads and makes meat dishes and soufflés more spicy and interesting.

Can I leave at room temperature?

Storing spinach requires coolness. The best option is a refrigerator, but if it is not there, then you can store the spinach at room temperature, however, no more than a day. Longer storage will negatively affect the quality of the greens and their taste characteristics.

Of the advantages of such storage, one can single out the fact that the plant remains in its original form and does not have time to lose a drop of its nutrients. The algorithm for storing spinach in room conditions is simple:

How to store lettuce leaves in the refrigerator and how much?

Storing salad in a container

Lettuce leaves are a great alternative to vegetables. You can make light salads from them, add them to sandwiches or use them as a festive decoration of dishes. The delicate and juicy structure of this greenery makes it indispensable at any feast. But lettuce has one small drawback, as soon as you process it, it begins to rapidly lose moisture.

Therefore, as a rule, we do not stock this product in large quantities and strive to buy it just enough to use it during the day. But still, if you know some of the nuances, then you can store the salad in the refrigerator for more than one month. The best part is that you don't need anything supernatural for this. If you bought a whole head of lettuce leaves, then divide it into separate parts, carefully wrap them in plastic wrap and put them in a container with a lid.

It is advisable to keep it in the department for storing vegetables and fruits. And finally, remember that the main enemy of lettuce is moisture, so it is best not to wash it before storing it. The leaves should be completely dry and as well chilled as possible.

Advantages and disadvantages of all methods

Way	pros	Minuses
Canning	The product is completely ready to use, the color is perfectly preserved.	Taste is partially lost during cooking
Freezing	Simple and labor-intensive method	Takes up a lot of space in the freezer, some of the natural color is lost
Drying	Raw materials can be stored for a long time. A good way for winter storage.	A small assortment of dishes that can be used lose color.
Cold storage	The greens are preserved in their original form, suitable for use in fresh salads.	Short shelf life
Indoor storage	Maximum preservation of useful properties and the original appearance of the plant	Very short shelf life
Salting	Long shelf life, color retention	Cannot be used for sweet food

When stored properly, spinach can maximize its health benefits.The use of these leaves in winter will be an excellent source of vitamins and minerals and will have a beneficial effect on the body.

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Further storage

It is preferable to store a delicate product in the refrigerator. Some blanks are in the freezer. At temperatures close to 0 degrees, pathogenic microorganisms either die or stop reproduction. Dried leaves will deteriorate if the room is humid or cold.

The storage period for all types of workpieces is no more than 8-10 months.

After this period, dried, frozen, canned leaves lose their beneficial properties.

Blanched spinach

To make a harvest at home, you only need spinach, your desire and nothing more. Green leaves are washed, cut across in small pieces and dipped in boiling water. After 1-1.5 minutes, they are pulled out with a slotted spoon, dried on the surface and placed in a jar for further freezing. Closed with a lid, preservation is first sent to the refrigerator for cooling, and then to the freezer for long-term preservation.

To blanch spinach, it is enough to dip it in hot water for 1 minute.

Advice! Do not rush to pour out the broth that you left after blanching: you can make fragrant green soups and amazing cabbage soup from it.

Another useful advice from experts: it is best to preserve spinach before the arrows form on the bushes - this is the period from July to August, when the leaves are especially juicy and fleshy to the touch.

Salt spinach

Salting greens at home is rightfully one of the simplest and most labor-intensive methods of harvesting this crop. Before proceeding with canning, you need to prepare greens and iodized salt in the right ratio: 1 part of spinach should account for less than 1/10 of its salt.

Whole spinach leaves can be salted for the winter.

Spinach should be peeled, leaving only leaves for salting, then washed and dried on a towel. Greens are laid out in pre-sterilized jars and poured abundantly with salt. In order for the leaves to settle to the bottom of the jar, a load should be placed on top of the salt, which is then removed, and new leaves are added in its place and sprinkled with salt in the same way. This is how the entire jar is filled, which is sealed with a lid, and stored in the refrigerator throughout the winter. By the way, according to the same recipe, you can prepare aromatic and healthy dill or parsley for the winter.

Advice! Before you start eating spinach, it should be rinsed and added to a nearly finished dish.

How to keep fresh in the refrigerator?

In a plastic container

You can store spinach in this way for a week while maintaining all the beneficial properties.

You need to do the following:

Sort the leaves thoroughly, remove excess debris and damaged parts, rinse.
Put the leaves in a single layer in a food container, cover with ice water.
Place the container on the refrigerator shelf with the lowest temperature and change the water every day.

In cling film

The method is very simple, but, nevertheless, it allows you to extend the shelf life of spinach up to one month, and at the same time preserve all the beneficial properties of the plant.

Rinse and dry the leaves.
Wrap tightly with cling film.
Put on any shelf of the refrigerator.

In the vegetable drawer

To determine spinach for such storage, it must first be rinsed and wrapped in a damp cloth.
Place in a container.
Leave the container in its usual place or place it on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.

Important! It is not recommended to often take out bundles of greens from the refrigerator, since they will deteriorate faster from temperature changes.This method allows you to preserve all the nutrients as much as possible, but the shelf life of spinach is limited to 4-5 days.

Composition and useful properties

Spinach is rich in beneficial micronutrients. In terms of protein content, it is second only to legumes, but is especially appreciated by nutritionists for its unique composition: organic, saturated and unsaturated acids, vitamins of all groups, micro and macro elements.

This green contains vitamins A and C. It is resistant to temperature influences, therefore it is treated with boiling water, or boiled a little for cooking, and is not afraid of the loss of useful elements.

Spinach is a healthy vegetable rich in trace elements, protein and organic acids

Given the large amount of nutrients, spinach is recommended for use as a preventive measure against many diseases. It helps to increase hemoglobin due to iron contained in it, strengthens the vascular system, and helps stabilize the digestive system. The product is recommended as a mild diuretic and laxative, it is prescribed to prevent iodine deficiency and improve vision.

Read also: Green tomato slices quick recipe

Vegetables from your garden are most useful. You can read about how to grow spinach in our article.

Drying

You can prepare spinach for the winter by drying it. Most often, this is done if there is no free space in the refrigerator for freezing or storage. So, vegetable leaves are washed, dried and laid out on clean paper in a warm room so that direct sunlight does not fall on them. You can use an electric dryer for this purpose.

Now we know how to prepare spinach for the winter. These processes are not laborious and simple, they do not take much time, and the result is excellent. Prepared vegetables will help to color the winter diet with bright summer colors.

Drying spinach

Drying is the ideal way to preserve all the nutrients of the plant. Then, if necessary, dried spinach is added to meat, fish dishes, side dishes. At the same time, it almost completely retains its useful properties, since it is not subjected to heat treatment.

To dry the spinach for the winter, it is necessary to sort out the purchased green mass, select healthy and whole leaves. They are washed in warm water, then laid out on a clean cloth and dried in the shade in the fresh air. From time to time, the leaves must be turned over so that they dry evenly.

Unusual cubes

This method is a bit laborious, but quite effective, as it involves freezing the vegetable over ice. Before preparing spinach for the winter, it is recommended to rinse the vegetable, cut off everything unnecessary and dry the leaves. Cut dry leaves into small pieces, put them in ice molds and fill with cold boiled water.

The mold is placed in the freezer in the storage compartment for an extended period of time. These interesting cubes can be used with various first courses, sauces or stews. If it is supposed to prepare a paste, then butter is poured into the molds instead of water, which is preliminarily melted and cooled.

Ways to prepare spinach at home

A vegetable for the winter is preserved in traditional ways:

dried;
freeze;
prepare canned food.

Procurement recipes are simple, not time consuming. Parsley, arugula, butter or vegetable oil can be used as additional ingredients.

Drying

Drying is the most gentle method of harvesting green leaves for the winter. Lack of heat treatment does not destroy vitamins.

Greens must be dried in a ventilated place, in shade. The leaves are thoroughly washed and laid out on paper towels. The air temperature should be at least 30-35 degrees on the first day, so that moisture actively evaporates from the sheets. Dried leaves are dried at a lower temperature to preserve color and taste.

The finished product should be brittle but not dusty. The dried leaves are placed in a glass container, covered with lids, stored in a dry, dark place. Too tight capping is not allowed, in which the leaves will acquire a musty odor. The best way to preserve the quality of dried herbs is with a paper filter.

The paper allows air to pass through, which makes it possible to keep the dried sheet in its original quality. At the same time, dust and foreign odors do not penetrate into the containers.

Freezing

Storing greens in frozen form allows you to prepare them, preserving their beneficial properties for a long period. The main rule for freezing is that defrosted greens cannot be re-frozen. It loses its nutritional value.

You can freeze with whole leaves, chopped, with water, oil, in combination with other herbs.

Using oil when freezing greens has advantages over the usual method:

the oil shell protects the delicate substance from the effects of low temperatures;
aroma and taste are better preserved;
aromatization of the refrigerating chamber is blocked;
ease of use.

Vegetable oil and butter can be used. Spinach for freezing is taken without petioles. Prepared raw materials fill the molds by no more than 2/3 of the volume. The ratio of oil and herbs is 1: 2. The temperature in the freezer should be between 15-18 degrees, with long-term storage of frozen greens.

Harvesting with whole leaves

There are two ways to freeze a vegetable:

Greens for freezing must be cleaned of stalks, rinsed, dried. Fold together 3-5 leaves and roll into a tube. Wrap each tube in plastic wrap, avoiding gaps, and place in the freezer.
Place the leaves on the baking sheet in the freezer. Frozen greens are placed in a plastic container and stored in the freezer.

Part of the frozen product is used as needed, the rest is packed and returned to the cold.

Ice cubes with surprise

The washed and dried leaves are freed from petioles and cut into pieces. Chopped greens are tightly placed in prepared forms for freezing and poured with chilled boiled or filtered water. The molds are visited in the freezer.

The ice cubes are transferred to a metal or plastic container and stored in the freezer until needed.

Delicate herb puree

Puree is made from cooked leaves. Water is poured into an enameled container, brought to a boil, salted to taste and herbs are added. You can add baking soda to the tip of a knife to preserve the vibrant color. After 5 minutes, the liquid is drained. The leaves should cool, after which they are rubbed through a sieve or crushed with a blender. The finished product is placed in sterile jars and placed in the freezer.

Another option would be spinach and arugula puree. Arugula is a lettuce plant with juicy leaves. It has a spicy aroma and tastes like a bitter nut. A mixture with spinach will add zest to the puree. The ratio of ingredients depends on taste preferences: for lovers of spicier mashed arugula should be at least half, in other cases - up to a quarter.

For cooking, the leaves are washed, cleaned, dried, cut into small pieces.Grind with a blender until smooth. The resulting puree has a liquid consistency, so it is boiled down to a thicker state. Hot packed in heated jars. Cool in the usual way. Canned food is stored in the refrigerator.

Salting

For salting, you need iodized salt. Leaves preparation includes: washing, drying, petiole removal. Jars of 500 milliliters should be heated in the oven or sterilized with steam.

The leaves are stacked on the bottom of the jar by one third, completely covered with salt. From above, oppression is set for 10 minutes or gently crushed with an improvised tool (for example, a spoon). The procedure is repeated over and over again until the container is full. Under the influence of salt and dense packing, spinach should give juice, in which it will be salted and stored throughout the winter.

The prepared balloon is sealed. Store in a cool dry place. The ratio of salt to spinach is 1:10. We recommend using a balance.

Canning

Spinach is canned with sorrel: 2 parts sorrel - 1 part spinach. Oxalic acid is found in both green cultures, it is a preservative, gives a special taste to canned food. Spinach and sorrel are washed, petioles are removed. Placed in an enamel or stainless steel container, pour water to cover the leaves.

Blanched spinach

Before you start blanching, you need to prepare glass cans (400-500 milliliters) and saline solution. The ratio of water and salt to 1 kilogram of herbs: 1 liter and 50 grams of salt. Bring the water to a boil, dissolve the salt and let it boil for 2-3 minutes.

The spinach should be washed, peeled off. Blanch in water at a temperature of 90 degrees, not allowing it to boil, for 3 minutes. Hot sheets are placed in heated jars, poured with boiling brine and put on sterilization.

The temperature of the water in the sterilization container should be within 60-70 degrees. Placed jars of spinach should be covered with water up to the shoulders. The best conditions for sterilization are when the container of water is covered with a lid.

On medium heat, the water is brought to a boil, the fire is reduced to a minimum. From this moment, the sterilization countdown begins: 5-7 minutes. Then the cans are tightly sealed, turned upside down. Ready-made canned food is stored in a cool dry place.

Spinach with onions and parsley

Spinach with green onions and parsley is a vitamin and aromatic dressing that should be prepared for soups and broths in the cold season. The proportion when preparing - 5 parts of spinach, 2 parts of green onions, 1 part of parsley. The ratio of water and salt to greens: 4 parts water and 0.1 - salt.

For example:

1000 grams of spinach;
200 grams of green onions;
100 grams of parsley;
400 milliliters of water;
10 grams of salt.

Greens are washed, petioles are removed from spinach and parsley. A green feather is left on the bow. Chop parsley and onion finely. Spinach - in the form of noodles. Bring water and salt to a boil, put greens. After boiling, boil for 5 minutes. Packaged in hot jars, closed with lids.

Recipe for preparing spinach for the winter for sauces

Spinach is peeled and cut into pieces. Using a blender, prepare a homogeneous gruel. Soften butter at room temperature or in the microwave. Add oil to puree and mix thoroughly.

The finished mass is distributed in molds for freezing and placed in the freezer. Frozen workpieces are transferred to a plastic or metal container. The preparations for the sauce are stored in the freezer.

How to preserve?

The most time-consuming method, but allowing at the same time to preserve all the useful properties of the plant throughout the year. To preserve spinach, you need the following:

Sort out the greens. Remove petioles and yellowed leaves.
Rinse the spinach and pat dry.
The cooking solution is prepared from three liters of water, a tablespoon of soda and salt.
Boil the leaves over high heat until soft.
Strain and pour over the greens with cold water.
Rub the resulting raw material through a sieve, put in a small saucepan and boil until thickened.
Put the puree in the jars and close them tightly.
Store the workpiece in a cool place.

Spinach puree

To prepare an unusual puree from greens, you will need culture leaves, soda and water in a 1: 1 ratio. The recipe for mashed potatoes is as follows: greens are washed, boiled in salted water. By adding baking soda, you can soften the water somewhat. The cooked spinach is thrown back in a colander, rinsed under running water, dried and thoroughly wiped through a sieve. The puree should be of such a consistency that it does not spread from a tablespoon. The cooled mass is packaged in jars, closed with lids and placed in the refrigerator.

You need to wipe spinach, from which water is completely drained

Can you do without baking soda, you ask? Sure you may. However, thanks to its use, the spinach blank will retain its original color throughout the winter.

Canning

Spinach prepared using this method can be stored for quite a long time.

Ingredients: one kilogram of spinach, one liter of water, two tablespoons of table salt.

Preparation

Before you prepare spinach for the winter, you need to rinse it, remove the cuttings and dry it. Then the vegetable is blanched for five minutes in very hot, but not boiling water. Leaves are thrown back in a colander so that the water is glass. Then the greens are tightly laid out in sterile jars, the excess liquid is drained. Then the brine is prepared from water and salt. Put salt in boiling water and boil for about two minutes. Jars with herbs are poured with this brine and tightly corked or rolled up with lids.

Healthy preservation of sorrel and spinach

To prepare the workpiece, you will need greens (spinach and sorrel leaves in a 1: 2 ratio), water ¼ liter. The leaves of greenery are carefully sorted out, washed under warm water and placed in an enamel bowl, where liquid is added in the specified volume. The container is placed on the stove and the contents are brought to a boil. You do not need to boil for a long time: just 2-3 minutes is enough. The resulting mass is transferred to pre-sterilized jars and sealed with lids. Such preservation can be stored all winter, but will it be? This is a question for the hostesses!

Sorrel, along with spinach, can be a great base for a winter diet.

Dried herbs

Dried spinach is often used as an essential ingredient in meat, fish dishes, side dishes and cereals. The benefits in this product are the same as in fresh green leaves, and this is because the cooking recipe does not provide for heat treatment, which means that all useful properties and qualities are preserved in full.

To prepare dried spinach, the leaves are moved, the damaged ones are removed, the remaining ones are washed under warm water, laid out in one layer on a towel and dried in the fresh air. A shade will work best. Turning periodically, the leaves are dried until fully cooked.

Dry and hot air is needed to dry spinach

Attention! It is recommended to dry greens at a temperature of 30-35 ° C.

Dried spinach can be stored equally well in a box or in a regular jar. You can also use a special dryer and oven for drying.

How to choose and prepare the main ingredient

Young leaves are used fresh. Their vegetable fibers are not resistant to heat treatment and cold, quickly break down and turn spinach into porridge. For harvesting for the winter, you will need dark green, dense leaves. The freshness of the greens is checked by slightly curling the leaf: just picked, it emits a slight crunch.

The leaves should not have spots, blotches. They require careful washing in a large container, not under running water. For all recipes, one of the conditions is to dry the leaves, remove the stems.

Can I dry?

If there is no room in the fridge or freezer, spinach can be dried. The plant processed in this way retains all the beneficial properties, and it can be stored throughout the year, until the next fresh harvest. So, in order to dry spinach you need:

Wash the herbs thoroughly and place them on a cloth to dry.
Remove cuttings and spoiled leaves.
Arrange the spinach on a flat dish or large cutting board.
Expose the dish in the sun, cover with gauze.
Store dried spinach in a dark, dry place.

Important! You can dry spinach greens not only in the sun, but also in the oven. A baking sheet with prepared herbs should be kept in the oven for 3-4 hours, at a temperature of no more than 45 degrees.

Canning spinach

Many people wonder how to preserve spinach. To prepare greens for the winter in this way, in addition to the plant itself, you only need water and salt. First, spinach leaves are thoroughly washed under running water, at the same time sorting them out, putting aside damaged and spoiled ones.

After that, the whole mass must be blanched in hot water with salt. Remember, the water doesn't have to boil, but it should be hot enough. The process takes no more than 7 minutes, after which the leaves must be removed with a slotted spoon and dried. Then they are folded into jars.

The mass in the jar must be compacted by pressing it with a wooden pestle. The separated liquid is drained, and hot brine is poured in its place. Jars are rolled up with lids and stored throughout the winter. This canned spinach retains its excellent taste.

Smoothie

Smoothies with frozen herbs are prepared on the basis of water, juices, as well as yogurt and kefir. It is best to use frozen cubes in ice cube trays. Place the chopped cubes in a blender bowl, fill with liquid, add other ingredients, whisk. Drink the resulting tasty, healthy, dietary drink to your health!

I have given you just a few recipes so that you have an idea of what can be made from frozen spinach. In fact, there are many more recipes. Thawed greens are added to, pizza, sauces for Italian pasta, cook it with eggs. If you are interested in more recipes - ask in the comments, I will definitely answer you!

It's time to say goodbye, but not for long. Tomorrow I will try to please you, my dear readers, with a recipe for a lush apple charlotte - "White filling" this year has freaked out more than ever.

How and where to store spinach correctly?

Spinach does not have a long shelf life. Green leaves tend to stay fresh for several days. In order for the spinach to remain juicy and not lose its taste, it is necessary to carefully select the leaves intended for storage and create the necessary temperature regime.

The nuances of storing spinach:

spinach is recommended to be eaten as soon as possible, even after several days of storage, the level of useful elements in it decreases, and the taste becomes less saturated;
in the refrigerator, spinach can be stored in a plastic bag (it is not recommended to rinse the leaves beforehand);
in the bag in which the spinach is stored, it is imperative to make several holes;
you can freeze spinach not only in the form of leaves, but also in the consistency of mashed potatoes (the leaves are blanched and chopped with a blender, and then packed in bags or containers);
Spinach puree can be stored in the freezer in disposable plastic cups wrapped in cling film;
so that the spinach leaves do not lose their freshness for several days, they can be poured with cold water and refrigerated in this form (such spinach should be eaten within a maximum of 3 days);
yellowed, wilted, damaged leaves or leaves with signs of disease or parasites cannot be stored;
Ideal for storing young and green spinach leaves (old spinach may become less juicy during storage);
if you put spinach leaves in direct sunlight, they can turn yellow within a few hours (such spinach is not suitable for eating due to the lack of juice and lethargy of the leaves);
the autumn spinach crop is believed to have a longer shelf life;
you should be careful when storing spinach next to greens, vegetables or fruits (overripe fruits can speed up the process of wilting of the leaves, and some types of greens can change the aroma and even taste of spinach);
It is also not recommended to store dishes cooked with spinach for a long time (spinach spoils quickly, so the taste of the dish will be spoiled within 2 days).

One way to store spinach is to place it in an enamel pot. If the leaves are dry and fresh enough, you can put them in a saucepan and close the lid tightly. The container should be placed in a dark and cool enough place. In this state, spinach can stay fresh for several days. It is not worth adding liquid or additional ingredients in this case.

Frozen spinach diet meals

Spinach is very popular with people who look after their health and shape. A wonderful selection of recipes is presented.

Spinach Bean Soup

A light first course that will fill you with energy.

Structure:

frozen spinach leaves - 200 g;
large carrots - 2 pcs.;
medium-sized tomatoes - 3 pcs.;
celery root - 200 g;
celery stalk - 1 pc .;
raw beans - 1 tbsp.;
olive oil - 1 tbsp l .;
onion - 2 pcs.;
garlic - 1 clove.

Advice! The beans will need to be boiled separately. Therefore, it is better to soak it overnight so that it cooks faster.

Algorithm of actions:

Prepare 1 onion, 1 carrot and 100 g of celery. Place in a saucepan, cover with water and boil the vegetable broth. Pull out the products, they will no longer be needed.
Cook beans separately.
Place a large deep frying pan on the stove and heat with oil.
Saute the onion until transparent.
Add chopped celery and carrots.
Pour in the broth, put chopped garlic with dill and tomatoes, which had been peeled in advance, sprinkled with boiling water, mashed in mashed potatoes.
Darken for a quarter of an hour under the lid.
Add beans and chopped vegetable leaves.

The soup will be ready in 10 minutes.

Mushroom soup with spinach

Structure:

spinach (frozen) - 200 g;
champignons - 300 g;
water - 1 l;
butter - 60 g;
potatoes - 300 g;
onions - 3 pcs.;
garlic - 4 cloves.

Step by step cooking:

Wash the potatoes, peel and cut into large cubes. Boil with garlic and 1 onion. Throw out the last after readiness.
Heat a large saucepan, melt the butter.
Fry chopped onions and mushrooms. Finally, add the frozen cubes of blanched spinach and cook until cooked, remembering to add the spices and salt.
Add boiled potatoes and blender until almost uniform.
Pour the water left over after cooking the potatoes.
Mix.

Infuse for about 10 minutes and serve with herbs.

Light Creamy Frozen Spinach Garnish

The recipe for stewed spinach with cream is very simple and perfect for a light snack.

Ingredients:

frozen spinach - 0.5 kg;
sugar - 1 tsp;
cream (low-fat) - 3 tbsp. l.

For gravy:

Canned spinach harvest

For canning, you will need green leaves and water (in a 1: 1 ratio), iodized salt (no more than 60 g). For a start, spinach leaves are sorted out, washed under running water, then blanched in hot, but not boiling water for about 6-7 minutes.

Rinse the spinach leaves thoroughly before preserving.

The heat-treated leaves are removed and dried with a slotted spoon, then transferred to sterilized jars. The leaves are carefully tamped with a wooden pestle. As a result of the compaction, a liquid is released, which is drained. Instead, hot brine is poured into the jars and the jars are sealed with lids.

Finally, I would like to note that few gardeners in our country are fond of growing such greens as spinach, but this culture, due to its great benefits, is gradually increasing its popularity! Useful and equally tasty blanks!

Salting

A method designed for long-term storage. You can save the taste and useful qualities with the help of salting for the whole year. For this you will need:

Go through the greens, remove the petioles and unsuitable leaves.
Rinse and dry the spinach.
Place the raw materials in jars in layers, sprinkle each of them with plenty of salt. A kilogram of greens will require about one hundred grams of salt.

The jar with the blank should not be immediately closed with a lid and sent to the refrigerator, wait until the greens settle and you can add more leaves on top.

Salted spinach

Spinach, like other leafy vegetables, can be pickled and canned. The salting recipe is simple:

rinse the leaves, dry, cut the petioles;
tear the leaves into small pieces;
put spinach leaves in jars in layers, sprinkling each layer with salt.

For salting, cut fresh spinach into slices

Important: the layers of spinach must be made of medium thickness, compacting each tightly. The total amount of salt will be up to 10% of the weight of the harvested spinach.

Keep the salted spinach in the refrigerator. The condition of the workpiece should be monitored and the appearance of green mold on the surface should be avoided. To prepare green borscht, you can salt spinach with sorrel in equal parts, adding a little parsley and dill.

Fresh storage

Fresh leaves can stay in the refrigerator for up to 8 days. They lose vitamins every day, but they continue to be nutritious and useful. The sooner you eat the vegetable, the better. Salads, sauces and other seasonings are made from young leaves. Spinach retains its bright green color even after heat treatment, which gives the dishes an unusual, but quite appetizing look. If the leaves are overgrown and bitter, then they are scalded with boiling water, fried and stewed.

Spinach grows very quickly, so it is easy to grow it both on the windowsill and in the garden. Cut the leaves when they are young and cook them right away.

If you bought spinach at the market or supermarket, store it in the refrigerator in the vegetable compartment and wash it just before use. You can put it in a special plastic container or wrap it in a plastic bag, making several holes in the bag for ventilation. Use a damp kitchen towel or cotton towel instead of a bag. Vacuum-packed spinach should only be opened before cooking. The vacuum allows you to store the vegetable for much longer.

Harvesting spinach for the winter

Vitamins and minerals are necessary for the human body all year round, so it makes sense to make preparations for the winter from healthy vegetables.Harvesting spinach is easy. There are many recipes that will help to store the product for the winter and at the same time preserve its beneficial properties.

Fast spinach and onion puree

The easiest and fastest way to prepare spinach is to make a vitamin puree.

wash thoroughly, and then scald fresh, young greens with boiling water (250 grams of onion per kilogram of spinach);
put in a saucepan and boil for 5-10 minutes;
cool with cold water, dry with paper towels;
grind with a blender and add half a lemon, if not, a tablespoon of lemon juice (the taste will not be so rich).

We transfer the gruel to a prepared jar: if for the winter, we sterilize and roll it up, if not, under a plastic lid. This spinach puree can be spread over fresh bread, added to soup, or used as a sauce for baked meat.

Fast salting

thoroughly rinse and dry fresh leaves;
we put them in a pre-sterilized dish and sprinkle with plenty of salt;
put a weight on the top layer (for example, a glass of water).

When the contents settle, the load can be removed and a new portion of spinach can be added in its place. The procedure should be repeated until the entire jar is full. Then close the vessel with a lid and store in the refrigerator.

Spinach preservation recipe

For such a preparation, you will need 1 kg of prepared spinach, 1 liter of water and 2 tablespoons of salt.

blanch the leaves for 5 minutes in hot (not boiling) water;
put the spinach in a colander to dry, you can immediately chop it for further use;
we spread the leaves in sterilized jars;
we compact the mass, drain the remaining liquid;
fill the leaves with brine made from boiling water with the addition of salt;
we cork the dishes for the winter.

Canned spinach can be used to make soups, baked goods, sauces, omelets.

Vitamin preparation

To prepare a complex dressing for hot dishes, we need 1.5 kg of spinach leaves, 0.5 liters of water, 300 grams of green onions, 20 grams of parsley and dill, and 20 grams of salt.

Soup seasoned with herbs will help restore strength and immunity

chop the prepared spinach and greens and put in a saucepan with water;
boil for 10 minutes, add salt;
pour the resulting mixture into sterilized jars, let stand for 30 minutes and roll up.

Such a preparation can be added to any soups or used for dressing side dishes.

Freezing

This method is popular because of its simplicity. And thanks to the instant freezing mode, all useful substances are preserved in the product.

Drying

we sort out the leaves, remove the damaged and damaged ones;
rinse thoroughly under running water and let dry;
dry on a towel in the fresh air, periodically turning over;
for drying, you can use an electric dryer or oven at minimum temperatures.

Ground dried spinach is an ideal spice for soups and side dishes

This method also allows you to preserve all vitamins, since it does not involve heat treatment. Dried spinach is added to soups or grinded to flavor side dishes, fish and meat dishes.

Spinach should be included in the diet of all people, but this vegetable is especially popular among those who monitor their weight and health. This vegetable contains a large amount of nutrients and at the same time has a pleasant taste, which makes it a versatile ingredient for preparing various dishes.

Salting

Before salting, the leafy vegetable should be cut into strips, or simply chopped by hand. Then it is laid in layers in sterile jars and sprinkled with coarse salt at the rate of 100 grams. salt per 1 kg. product.

The greens need to be tamped well, and then tightly closed with a lid.Some housewives mix herbs with salt in a separate container and only after that they are laid out in jars. This workpiece should be kept in a cool and dark place. You can store spinach like this for 2 to 3 months.

Drying

You can keep food well not only in the refrigerator. Like any other greens, spinach leaves are dried. Dry them outdoors or in a slightly preheated oven. There are also electric dryers that are easy to use and can be accurately set to temperature.

Beforehand, the leaves must be washed and lightly dried on a towel, or simply allowed to drain, cut off the tails. Then they are laid out in a thin layer on a baking sheet and exposed to the sun, covered with gauze on top so that dust and flies do not sit down.

In an oven or electric dryer, spinach is dried at a temperature of about 45 °. After 3-4 hours, it can be packaged in cans and boxes. The dried vegetable takes up little space and is very convenient to use. Store dried spinach in a shaded and dry place.

Why spinach is good for you

Spinach contains more than 15 healthy vitamins, minerals, trace elements:

vitamins of group B, retinol (A), calcium, zinc are useful for visual acuity, strength of bones, beauty of skin, hair;
potassium, magnesium are responsible for the functioning of the nervous system, heart function;
vitamins E, C perform antioxidant functions, protecting the body from diseases;
iodine is involved in the work of the thyroid gland, which controls the hormonal processes of the body;
carotene, lutein are good for eye health.

Spinach is a source of vegetable protein and fiber. It is believed that these greens help cleanse the body, removing toxins and toxins from it.

Spinach is frozen with whole leaves, sliced or cooked puree. Selection and preparation of leaves:

For freezing, use the tender leaves of the first harvest. When the plant blooms and releases "arrows", it begins to taste bitter.
To begin with, the leaves are thoroughly washed. It is better to do this many times, since they often contain a lot of soil, sand, fine natural litter. It is important to remember that frozen spinach can no longer be peeled, it is sent directly to the dishes.
The leaves are sorted out, removing damaged, rotten parts.
Washed greens must be completely dried. To do this, spread it on a clean kitchen towel.

Depending on the purpose, the plant is frozen in several ways. Ideally, if a person immediately understands for what further purposes (soup, seasoning for main courses, filling for pies, casseroles) freezing is done.

In order not to confuse frozen spinach with other greens in the freezer, the packages are marked in a recognizable way or signed.

Freeze both fresh herbs and cooked. Blanching is perfect for delicate spinach leaves, that is, a quick short-term treatment with boiling water or steam (this way the greens will retain most of the nutrients).

How to blanch spinach:

rinse, dry, chop the leaves of the plant;
prepare a container with ice water (you can put pieces of ice there);
put a pot of water on the stove, bring the water to a boil;
greens in a sieve or colander are dipped in boiling water for 10-15 seconds;
then transfer the sieve to ice water for 15-20 seconds;
remove the sieve from the water, allow the moisture to drain completely.

An alternative to blanching can be the processing of herbs in (1-2 minutes). Then the green mass is gently squeezed out by hand, frozen in the chosen way.

Note!

Properly frozen greens retain almost the entire range of nutrients.

Method for freezing boiled spinach

Pour chopped spinach with water (10-15% of the mass of the leaves themselves), cook for 5-7 minutes.
Allow to cool to room temperature. If a thick product is needed at the exit, it should be filtered, packaged and frozen.The remaining broth can be used at your discretion (for example, make a vegetable soup). Expressing the broth is an optional procedure; after cooling, the vegetable can be frozen with the broth. Instead of boiling, it can be processed with boiling water for 4-5 minutes, while lowering the leaves into boiling water using a mesh or colander.

How much and how the workpiece is stored

When storing spinach, the absence of temperature extremes plays a very important role. When it freezes well for the first time, it should be placed in the freezer; do not get it unnecessarily. Also, it should not be in the quick freeze stage for too long.

The containers in which the greens are located must be airtight. It is also important to avoid direct sunlight on the workpiece. If you do not re-freeze, spinach can be stored for about 9-12 months.

For blanks, young spinach with juicy leaves is best suited, preferably the first harvest, you should not use plants that have given flower arrows.

Regardless of the chosen storage method, preparation of spinach involves sorting the leaves with the removal of damaged and yellowed ones.

It is also advisable to cut the petioles. Rinse thoroughly from earth and sand and dry.

Storing fresh spinach

The shelf life of spinach at room temperature is no more than a day. Such a short period is due to the delicate structure of the leaves. After 24 hours, the greens will begin to dry out and gradually lose their beneficial properties.

Under certain conditions, spinach can be kept fresh for several days.

Spinach needs a lower temperature. If it just stays in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator, its shelf life will be 2 - 3 days.
Store spinach in plastic bags or food containers. It can also be wrapped in a damp cloth and placed in the bottom of the refrigerator.
Delicate greens are quite sensitive to temperature extremes and quickly deteriorate if you keep them on the refrigerator door or take them out too often.
Before storing spinach in the refrigerator, it must not be washed. This should be done immediately before use.
There is a way to store vegetables in cold water. In this case, the stalks are placed in a container with water, and then sent to the refrigerator shelf. In this form, the greens will remain fresh for up to 3 days.
The shelf life of spinach wrapped in a damp towel is 4 to 5 days. The towel should be regularly moistened, and the leaves should be sorted and examined.

A product purchased in a store, which is vacuum-packed, can be stored for 30 days if its integrity is not violated. Therefore, the packaging should be opened immediately before using the herbs.

How to prepare spinach for freezing

There are several ways you can freeze spinach leaves in your home freezer. But regardless of the method chosen, it is necessary to prepare the greens.

Bunches of spinach should be disassembled and any damaged, limp, unhealthy leaves removed. Then thoroughly rinse each leaf under water and place on napkins or a towel to dry. If moisture remains on the leaves, it will turn into ice when frozen.

After drying, coarse petioles are removed. Thin ones can be left, they are quite edible. Only then can you start freezing the spinach.

On a note!
For winter preparations, it is best to use the first young soft spinach leaves. Late harvest usually has coarser leaves that can taste bitter.
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Resourceful chefs have come up with 4 basic methods for storing greens in the freezer. We present all these methods for the choice of hostesses.

Many people wonder if it is possible to freeze spinach with whole leaves so that they do not stick together? In this recipe, you will learn how to keep every leaf of healthy greens whole.

All leaves must be completely dry. For this method, it is best to shorten the petioles to a minimum. You will also need cling film.

Stack the spinach in stacks of 12-15 leaves and roll them into a not too tight tube. Wrap each stack with cling film. Fold the resulting rolls into a container or regular bag and put them in the freezer.

Freeze the spinach grated in a blender

Drain unnecessary water from a steamed or boiled plant, grind in a blender or rub through a sieve.
Put the resulting puree in trays, plastic cups or bags, let stand to room temperature, cover or wrap with a thin layer of cling film, freeze. If, as a result, it is not necessary to obtain a dense puree, the boiled product does not need to be filtered.

It turns out frozen sheet spinach or portioned puree, the volume of which is quite enough for any culinary delights. The frozen product retains most of its useful properties and does not deteriorate for a long time.

Freezing

A more efficient way to store spinach for the winter is to freeze it.

Prepared raw materials are cut into small strips.
Then they are placed in food-grade plastic containers, or zip-bags made of dense polyethylene.
In this form, the greens are sent for storage in the freezer.
You can store spinach like this in the freezer throughout the year.

The second time you will not be able to freeze the leaves, so they are distributed in small portions, sufficient for use at a time.

You can even freeze whole leaves. To do this, several layers of prepared greens are laid out on cling film and tightly rolled with a tube, after which they are removed to the freezer. There they will remain for 8 - 9 months.

Freezing spinach in cubes will also help preserve the food for a long time.

Chopped greens are laid out in ice molds, and poured with water. The ratio of greens to water should be about 2 to 3.
The molds are sent to the refrigerator and the product is frozen.
When the water freezes, the cubes are placed in tight bags or food containers and sent to the freezer for long-term storage.
Use such a workpiece as needed, without prior defrosting.
You can use olive oil or butter instead of water.

The shelf life of frozen diced spinach is 7 to 8 months.

Storage tips

Before storing spinach in the refrigerator, check that there are no vegetables or fruits nearby that release ethylene (a substance that ripens quickly).

Ready meals containing spinach cannot be stored for more than 30 hours.
It is advisable to consume fresh spinach immediately. After 2 - 3 days of storage, it loses vitamins and useful properties.
It is impossible to store leaves with a yellow color, as well as signs of illness and the presence of insects. They should be young, healthy, bright green.
Greens harvested in the fall can last longer.

How much and at what temperature to store spinach

In the refrigerator (compartment for herbs or vegetables), spinach can be stored for 4-5 days. At the same time, it is not recommended to allow a sharp temperature drop. Otherwise, when placed in the cold again, the leaves will wither and become less juicy, and the shelf life will be reduced several times.

Frozen spinach can be stored in the freezer for several months... The process of changing the consistency and taste characteristics begins only after 7-9 months, provided that the leaves are not frozen again. In the freezer, spinach can be stored in plastic bags or containers.

At room temperature, spinach will stay fresh for a maximum of 2 days. After this time, the leaves will no longer be juicy. Moisture can accelerate the decay process, and the shelf life can be in direct sunlight. That is why spinach should be placed in a dark, cool place that is constantly ventilated.

If the spinach is stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator, it can be stored for about a month. The main condition in this case is the correct sorting of the leaves. The spinach should not be wet, damaged, or sluggish.

Selection and preparation of leaflets

For freezing, it is worth selecting leaves without a single flaw and a bright green color. If such greens do not grow in your own garden, when buying, you should pay attention to the degree of maturity of the plant. The leaflets always have a limited period for use; they must not have flower arrows on them.

You can freeze a plant that was harvested before flowering. For such purposes, it is absolutely unacceptable to use sluggish leaves. Preparation for freezing is as follows:

each leaf must be removed from the coarse petiole, and also ensured that it is not dry or lethargic;
then the spinach should be washed well;
after it dries, you can start choosing the best way to freeze.