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Spinach (Spinacia oleracea), a plant of the Amaranthaceae family, is closely related to chard, beets, and quinoa. Although it is popular in salads due to its soft, loose leaves, its creamy texture and high water content make it particularly useful as a blank taste canvas or as a vibrant addition to purées, sauces, and even things like pasta dough. The nutrient-rich greens can be kept for future use by freezing fresh spinach. Fresh spinach leaves should be cleaned to get rid of debris, then dried using paper towels or spun in a salad spinner to get rid of extra moisture. Put the spinach leaves in a zip-top bag and squeeze out as much air as you can before sealing the bag. Blanching your spinach in boiling water for a few minutes is another way if you want it to keep its green colour while being frozen for a longer period of time. To stop the blanched spinach from cooking further, submerge it in cold water. After that, drain the spinach to remove it. Before placing the spinach in a freezer bag, squeeze off any extra water. In the freezer, blanched spinach can be kept for up to a year.
Now that you know how to freeze your spinach, you can follow these methods to defrost it.
In the refrigerator
• The frozen spinach must be thawed at least two days in advance. Fridgetize the spinach that has been frozen. Allow it to thaw naturally rather than taking special measures to perfectly defrost it.
• Because the temperature of the frozen spinach decreases gradually rather than suddenly, it won't become soggy or too saturated with water.
• Be aware that if you need to prepare a meal at the last minute, this strategy might not be the greatest option. Since it would take you a day or two to complete this procedure, it is best to plan ahead.
At room temperature
• Take out your frozen spinach and let it defrost on the sink if you need to leave the house for work or errands for no more than five hours.
• In order for the water to quickly flow down the drain, make sure the packet of frozen spinach was put in a sizable strainer. To prevent it from becoming overly wet, it is best to place it in the sink rather than on the counter.
• The frozen spinach should be cooked or consumed right away after thawing at room temperature.
In the oven
• On a busy day, you can quickly thaw frozen spinach using this method. Simply remove the frozen spinach from the package and place it in a bowl or container that can be microwaved.
• Use the defrost setting on your microwave to zap the spinach for roughly two minutes.
• Get a strainer out and let the spinach's extra liquid trickle through it.
• The spinach should then be placed on a paper towel to dry and absorb the remaining liquid.
• The liquid can be squeezed out and allowed to run into the sink.
