How to Blanch Spinach

Co-authored by Jennifer Lease, RD, CDN

Blanching is an easy way to quickly cook green vegetables in order to preserve their flavors and nutrients. If you don’t blanch your spinach, the color can get dull and it can lose nutrients when you freeze it. Conveniently, you can blanch spinach on the stove top or in the microwave, then transfer it to a bowl of ice water. Once your spinach is blanched, use your spinach in your favorite recipes or place it inside your freezer.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Using Boiling Water

1
Wash your spinach leaves to remove superficial dirt. Before you blanch your spinach, rinse off the leaves in cool water from your sink for 10-20 seconds.^{[1]
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- If you prefer to remove the stems from your spinach, do so at this time. Cut them off with a small, sharp knife.
2
Boil a large pot of water at high heat. Fill up a large pot halfway with water, and place it on your stovetop. Then, use a high heat setting to bring the water to a boil.^{[2]
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- If you’d like, you can add 1-2 tbsp (14.8-29.6 g) of salt to your water. While this is not required, it helps season the spinach and helps it retain nutrients.
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3
Fill up a large bowl with ice cubes and cold water. As your water comes to a boil, locate a glass or plastic bowl and fill it with ice cubes. Then, cover the ice cubes with cold water from your sink. Set your bowl next to your stovetop so you can easily transfer your spinach once it boils.^{[3]
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4
Boil your spinach for about 30-40 seconds until it turns bright green. When your water is boiling, place your spinach into the water. Use a slotted spoon to submerge the spinach in the boiling water. Once you drop in your spinach, set a timer for 30 seconds. The spinach is ready when it turns a bright green color.^{[4]
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- Avoid overcooking your spinach. If the spinach is cooked too long, it turns a darker shade of green.
5
Submerge your spinach in the bowl of ice water for up to 1 minute. Scoop up your spinach using a slotted spoon and immediately dunk the spinach into the ice water. Do this as soon as you remove it from the boiling water for best results.^{[5]
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- Once the spinach is in the ice water, press down on the leaves with your spoon so they are totally submerged.
- The ice water stops the cooking process so your spinach stays tender and retains its nutrients.
6
Place your spinach into a strainer to drain the water. After about 30-60 seconds, scoop up your spinach with a slotted spoon, and place the leaves in a strainer. Push down on the spinach gently with your spoon to remove excess water.^{[6]
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- Alternatively, you can pour the ice water and spinach directly into the strainer. If you do this, scoop out the ice from the strainer using a spoon or your fingers.
7
Squeeze out the water from the spinach using your hands. To get rid of as much water as possible, grab the spinach in your hands and gently squeeze the leaves. Do this for all of your spinach.^{[7]
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- If you don’t get rid of the excess water, your recipe or sauce can wind up too wet.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Blanching in the Microwave

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Put your spinach in a microwave-safe bowl. A microwave-safe bowl is made out of materials that will not catch fire or melt in the microwave. Use a glass, plastic, or ceramic container, and put at least 5 oz (147.9 g) of washed spinach inside.^{[8]
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- To check if your container is safe for the microwave, look at the bottom. Most containers will read “Microwave-safe” if you can use them in the microwave.
2
Cover your spinach with water. After you put your spinach in a container, pour in water until the spinach is covered.^{[9]
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Cook your spinach in the microwave on high heat for 2 minutes. Place the container inside your microwave, and select a high heat setting. After 2 minutes, remove your spinach from the microwave.^{[10]
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- Use caution when removing the spinach as the container may be very hot.
4
Place your spinach in ice water to stop it from overcooking. Fill a bowl up with ice as the spinach cooks and cover the ice in cold water. Then, dump your spinach into the ice water after it finishes cooking.^{[11]
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- This helps preserve the bright green color of your fresh spinach as well as maximize the spinach flavor and nutrient content.
5
Pour your spinach into a strainer to get rid of the water. Immediately after your spinach is finished cooking, dump the contents of your container into a strainer. Pour out the water as you place your spinach inside.^{[12]
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- You can also gently squeeze the spinach while it is in the strainer to get rid of more moisture.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Using Your Blanched Spinach

1
Use your spinach immediately if desired. After you remove the excess water, it is ready to serve. Eat your spinach plain as a healthy side, or make delicious recipes with your spinach, such as palak paneer or a spinach salad.^{[13]
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- Once you blanch your spinach, it will look much smaller than it did when you started out. A large bag of spinach turns into a palm-sized ball.
2
Refrigerate your spinach in an airtight container for 3-4 days. If you want to store your spinach temporarily, place it in an airtight container. Then, refrigerate the spinach for 3-4 days.^{[14]
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3
Freeze your spinach to keep it for up to 1 year. If you want to freeze your spinach, place it into a large freezer bag, and squeeze out any air. Then, stick it in the freezer. Plan use your spinach within 10-12 months.^{[15]
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- To cook with your frozen spinach, simply remove it from the freezer and thaw it for 1-2 hours in the fridge.
- Vegetables that are blanched before frozen retain significantly more of their nutrients than vegetables frozen without blanching.
- Spinach is versatile and easy to cook. You can add it to many dishes in healthy ways.^{[16]
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- Add to a pasta or grain dish by draining the pasta or grain right over the spinach in a colander.^{[17]
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- Then saute in a pan with a bit of olive oil. It a heart-healthy fat.^{[18]
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Community Q&A

Question

Can I freeze spinach?

Community Answer

Yes, you can always freeze your spinach. Just make sure it is properly sealed.
Question

Will boiling spinach destroy the nutrients?

Community Answer

Nutrients definitely remain in spinach after boiling, but some do leach into the cooking liquid. The less time spent boiling, the more nutrients are conserved. Steaming vegetables allows them to retain more nutrients.
Question

Can I freeze red beat leaves the same as spinach?

Michele

Top Answerer

Yes. As long as you blanch them, most greens can be frozen this way. There are a few exceptions though, such as lettuce.

Things You’ll Need

Using Boiling and Ice Water

Large pot
Boiling water
Salt (optional)
5 oz (147.9 g) or more of clean spinach
Bowl of ice water
Slotted spoon
Strainer

Blanching in the Microwave

Microwave-safe bowl
5 oz (147.9 g) or more of clean spinach
Water
Microwave
Strainer
Ice bath

Warnings

Do not blanch spinach leaves that are yellow, wilted, or bruised.

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Avoid storing spinach with tomatoes, apples, or melons. These crops cause spinach leaves to turn yellow, as they have ethylene. Spinach is very sensitive to ethylene.

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If you leave the spinach in the boiling water for too long, the nutrients will break down.

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