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Cooking Hacks

How Do You Keep Spinach Fresh Longer?

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Fresh spinach is a weekly grocery list staple, but can spoil really quickly if you don’t eat it within a few days of buying it. It’s not enough to simply choose the best looking bag of spinach at the grocery store like most fruits and vegetables in the produce section. For spinach to maintain its freshness and health benefits, you have to store it correctly. Luckily, it’s easy to learn how to keep spinach fresh with a few simple tricks.

Here are the best ways to store spinach in the fridge or freezer so it lasts longer!

How to Store Fresh Spinach in the Refrigerator

Fresh spinach usually comes in a clear plastic bag or tub, but even then it’s sometimes hard to tell how fresh every single leaf is. There’s a chance that some of the leaves have already wilted or gotten a little slimy, depending on how long it’s been sitting in the produce section.

According to Wikihow, an easy fix is to open the bag and sort through the leaves. If you discard any that don’t look fresh, this will ensure that the rest of the spinach doesn’t spoil quicker. Also, it makes cooking much easier because you can grab a handful of spinach to add to your favorite recipe knowing that all of the leaves are safe to consume. Just always make sure you rinse the spinach in a colander, like ExcelSteel 5 Quart Colander (Buy on Amazon, $10.99), and dry it off completely prior to storing it. If you plan on cooking the spinach immediately, there’s no need to dry off the excess moisture.

Finding the right vessel to store a large amount of spinach is another key to keeping it fresh. Forget the bag or box you bought the spinach in and use an airtight container, like Hefty 2.5 Gallon Food Storage Bags (Buy on Amazon, $3.99). Line the bottom of the bag with a few paper towels then lay the spinach leaves on top and seal the bag tight. This step is important for keeping the spinach dry and absorbing any excess moisture.

Then just place the bag of spinach in the fridge, preferably in the crisper drawer, to maximize its freshness for up to 10 days. (Click through to learn how enjoying more leafy greens like spinach wards off sight-robbing macular degeneration.)

How to Freeze Fresh Spinach

If you’re not in a rush to enjoy fresh spinach, then you can freeze it as well. HGTV recommends blanching the spinach leaves in boiling water, or steaming for two minutes, before soaking in ice water for the same amount of time. Dry the spinach using a few paper towels or a salad spinner (Buy on Amazon, $19.99), then place in freezer bags. This method will allow the spinach to last about nine to 14 months in the freezer.

With these simple tips, there’s nothing preventing you from getting creative in the kitchen. Whether you sauté it or put it in a green smoothie, the possibilities of incorporating spinach into your daily diet are endless!

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