| Pantry | Refrigerator | Freezer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raw | - | 5-7 Days | 12 Months |
| Cooked | - | 3-5 Days | 12 Months |
| Frozen | - | - | 12 Months |
Shelf Life of Spinach:
Spinach is an excellent source of vitamins and magnesium that helps the body reach the required amount needed for building more red blood cells. It is helpful for all ages as it has a rich nutritional value and aids in having a healthy diet. But how do you save it for a long time in the kitchen? The shelf life of spinach is less than other vegetables. It is recommended to eat it fresh, and best to cook it on the day it is bought. However, most people like to save it for an extended period.
The shelf life of spinach is 1 week in the refrigerator. You can cook spinach and put it in a freezer for 2 months. The raw spinach can only last for maximum 5 to 6 days. After that, it cannot be used as the leaves starts to die.
Purchasing Spinach:
Purchasing the best spinach can be confusing to non-experienced people. So, here are some details that will help you in purchasing spinach.
- Search for the freshest leaves that have a darker color than the rest.
- Do not pick the bunches that have dirty or yellow spots.
- Do not pick the ones that have a bad and muddy odor.
- Many department stores have put them in plastic bags with a date printed on it. That is the date when you can use it. Pick those because they are easy to use and store.
- If you are shopping from the market, touch the spinach, if they are crispy and have a pleasant odor of fresh leaves then go ahead and buy them.
- If you buy spinach in a plastic bag, then use the bag for storing. These bags are specially designed to help have a longer shelf life.
Storing Spinach:
Storing spinach is very easy. You can cut them or put them back the same way after drying them. Mostly the spinach is wet so use a paper towel or tissues to dry them off. Moisture can decrease the shelf life of spinach so they will not last as long. Before storing the raw spinach, you can also put a paper towel in the plastic bag for removing the excess moisture in the vegetables. This will help you store the spinach for a week in the refrigerator. You can cook spinach and store it in a container for 2 months in a freezer.
How to Handle Spinach:
The first thing to do is to clean the spinach. It is the most important thing because the spinach needs to be thoroughly washed. Drain the water and let them dry if you are about to store them. If you are ready to cook them, then you can use the drained spinach without drying them off completely.
Cooking Spinach:
There are different ways of cooking spinach but the simplest and easiest way of doing this is:
- Put a few drops of vegetable oil and heat it until the oil gets hot.
- Add the washed spinach within a minute of the water boiling.
- Add spices and cook for 10 minutes while covering it.
- You can serve the spinach with cheese on top such as parmesan.