Freezing spinach

[aquilegia]

I have far more spinach than we'll eat for dinner tonight.

What's the best way to freeze it?

Should I blanch it? How long for?

Chopped or whole? OR wouldn't it matter?

(we've had spinach on homemade pizza, pasta with tomato, aubergine, peppers and spinach sauce, spinach and peas tonight with quiche and there's still loads left! sadly not homegrown, though.)

[aquilegia]

[Deleted]

Yummy. I wash it then cook it for 5 minutes with a tablespoon af water, then cool and freeze it.

[tim]

Or purée it - as is, or in a white sauce.

[Mrs Ava]

I blanch for just a couple of mins, refresh under running cold water and then squeeze squeeze squeeze!  Then I loosen it and kinda sprinkle it over a tray and freeze like so, then it goes into a freezer bag/box in loose-ish clumps to use at will!  ;D  I do the same with my swiss chard, kale and cauli/sprout greens.

[aquilegia]

thanks all.

[tim]

Sorry - I meant Chard - which is all we grow.

[wardy]

frozen spinach is lovely for your curries and goes especially well with methi.  Speaking of methi (fenugreek) has anyone grown it on the plot - not just for green manure or sprouting but as a veggie?

[Hector]

Yummy. I wash it then cook it for 5 minutes with a tablespoon af water, then cool and freeze it.

We have some baby spinach I would like to freeze (we use it in pizzas and curries...so ideally would like to free pured or in small , porable batches. My day usedto free in ice cubes containers then put in freezer so he could take out a block at a time BUT I don't know how he prepared it :(

When folks say they cook with a teeny bit of water how do they actually do it...in a wok/frying pan???

Tim, can I trouble you for more detail of how you puree chard  in/without white sauce? I have chard as well.

[Morris]

I steam blanch just until it is wilted, then refresh in cold water. Squeeze a handful to get rid of excess water, then open freeze resulting small balls of spinach on trays. Bag up when frozen.

Love spinach, I prefer it to chard/leaf beet.

[Hector]

Morris, really appreciate your help. Froze some earlier :)

[Morris]

My pleasure  :)