Spinach is a dark green edible plant that can be eaten raw or cooked. It is rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, and if you remember, Popeye the sailor man, became powerful after eating it. So today, I will guide you through how to store spinach.
Spinach should be kept cold, so you can store it in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days or freeze it for 10 or 12 months. You can also dehydrate it, and it will stay for one year at room temperature.
If you want to know in detail how to preserve spinach properly, continue reading.
How to choose spinach
An essential step to increasing the spinach’s shelf life is choosing the ones in the best condition. Therefore, select spinach that looks fresh and green.
Do not choose spinach with many holes in the leaves or those that look opaque or dry. Also, do not select spinach with white or black spots because those are already contaminated.
If you want to buy spinach to eat raw, I advise you to buy those with flexible and thin stems. While the spinach you want to use for cooking, the best are those with thicker, firmer stems.
How to keep spinach in the fridge
If you bought fresh spinach to use in different recipes, do not leave it too long at room temperature, as the heat will wither quickly.
So to store spinach in the fridge, you will have to follow all my instructions:
- Step 1: Dry the spinach.
Generally, spinach is usually in refrigerated areas so it will be somewhat damp, so you will have to remove all the moisture with a clean paper towel or absorbent paper.
In this case, washing it will not be necessary since you want to keep it as dry as possible so that they do not rot so quickly.
And if the spinach came packaged (pre-washed), remove it from the packaging and still dry it since it can come wet too.
- Step 2: Wrap the spinach with kitchen paper.
Separate the spinach and wrap it with paper towels, then put it in an airtight container lined internally with more towels.
You can also put them inside an airtight bag.
- Step 3: Store the spinach in the fridge.
Put spinach in the vegetable compartment or drawer of your refrigerator. In this way, spinach can be refrigerated for 5 to 7 days. [1]
How to freeze spinach
Can spinach be frozen? Of course, you must blanch them; otherwise will be too slugged when thawing them and lose their flavor quickly.
So if you have a considerable amount of spinach and know you won’t eat it anytime soon, here’s what you should do:
- Step 1: Wash the spinach.
Remove the leaves from the stem, then wash the spinach under the tap.
- Step 2: Blanch the spinach.
Once you have washed the spinach, put a pot with water on the stove and wait for it to boil. When it boils, pour the spinach and let it cook for 2 minutes max.
- Step 3: Cut the cooking and dry the spinach.
After cooking, please take out the spinach and put it in a bowl with cold water and some ice cubes. Leave them a few seconds in the water (maximum about 90 seconds) to stop the cooking and drain, squeezing the leaves a little to remove the excess water.
Then place them on paper towels to dry them a little.
- Step 4: Divide the spinach into portions.
Spinach can’t be re-frozen, so I advise dividing all your spinach into small portions (or the amount you use in your recipes) and put them inside airtight bags.
Then place all the portions inside another larger freezer bag (that is airtight) or inside an airtight freezer-resistant container to prevent them from suffering frost burns and organize them.
You can also arrange them in ice cubes, freeze them for a few hours and then pass the frozen spinach cubes to a freezer-resistant bag. But in this way, they will be softer when thawing; nevertheless, it is still good to use in soups or smoothies.
- Step 5: Label the container.
Write the date of storage of spinach directly on the bag or on a label that you will then stick on the container.
- Step 6: Store the spinach in the freezer.
Spinach can be in the freezer for 10 to 12 months. [2]
You can directly cook the frozen spinach, but if you want to thaw it, only transfer it a day before to the fridge. The thawed spinach will keep in the refrigerator for up to two days.
How to store cooked spinach
If you have cooked your spinach and have a little leftover, you can store it in the fridge or freezer. Just follow my instructions:
- Step 1: Wait for the spinach to cool.
It is never good to store a meal that is still hot due to the temperature shock. In addition, the internal steam generates moisture inside the container, which can cause spinach to be damaged faster.
- Step 2: Transfer the spinach to an airtight container.
Once cold, transfer the cooked spinach to a container with an airtight lid. If you are going to freeze it, you can use an airtight bag resistant to the freezer.
- Step 3: Label the container.
If you freeze the spinach, you should write down the storage date.
- Step 4: Store the cooked spinach.
If you keep them in the fridge, place the container in the coldest part, and you will refrigerate the cooked spinach for 3 or 4 days. On the other hand, the cooked spinach will last between 6 and 8 months in the freezer.
To thaw it, leave it in the fridge overnight, but as I mentioned before, you can use it frozen in your recipes.
How to dehydrate spinach
Another way to preserve spinach long-term is to dehydrate it, as they are excellent options for dressing different foods or supplementing some smoothies.
- Step 1: Wash the spinach.
Separate the leaves from the stem and then wash them under the jet of water. Let them drain well, and then dry them with paper towels
- Step 2: Prepare the tray with spinach.
To dehydrate the spinach leaves in the oven, I advise you to use a rack on a tray so that the air circulates, and they become better dehydrated.
Although you can also use a tray with parchment paper to prevent the leaves from spoiling, try not to pile them up. Ideally, there should only be one layer of spinach leaves.
And if you’re using a food dehydrator, it only accommodates the leaves inside the equipment without piling up.
- Step 3: Dehydrate the spinach.
To dehydrate in the oven, put it at the lowest temperature you can, which usually ranges from 70°C to 90°C (160°F – 190°F), and dry for 2 hours; from so on, you should be checking to see if they are ready.
If you have a food dehydrator, set the temperature to about 52°C (125°F) for about 3 or 4 hours.
You will know they are ready when the spinach leaves have wrinkles and break easily. At this point, you take them out and let them sit before storing them.
- Step 4: Transfer the spinach to an airtight container.
For the airtight container that you will use to store dry spinach, I recommend that it be made of glass. Although a plastic one can still work for you, it must have an airtight lid.
You could also use an airtight bag, but glass containers are better for storing food long-term.
Another tip that could help you would be to liquefy the dry leaves of spinach to make a powder since they will take up less space and contribute the same to the foods or smoothies.
- Step 5: Label the container.
Stick a label with the storage date of the dehydrated spinach.
- Step 6: Store dehydrated spinach.
Place the jar with the dehydrated spinach in a dry, cool, and dark place in your pantry. This way, it will last one year at room temperature.
You can also store dehydrated spinach in the freezer for 18 or 24 months. Only use an airtight bag or container that is freezer resistant.
How to preserve canned spinach
Spinach can also be obtained canned, just as it is eaten by the popular character “Popeye, the sailor man.” Its conservation is extremely simple if the can has not been opened.
You must put it in a dark, dry, and cool place in your pantry. This way, you can keep the spinach can for 2 to 5 years at room temperature.
Once opened, transfer the spinach inside an airtight container and refrigerate so that you can keep the open canned spinach inside the refrigerator for 3 or 4 days. [3]
To freeze it, just put it inside an airtight bag or container, write the storage date on it, and freeze the spinach for 6 to 8 months.
How do you know if spinach is spoiled?
Spinach is spoiled if it has any of these characteristics:
- Bad smell.
- Mold (lint or white or black spots).
- Bad taste.
- They changed color (dried and turned yellow or brown).
- They are very watery and fall apart when touching.
If your spinach has any of these characteristics, throw them in the trash to avoid food poisoning.
Why does spinach spoil?
Spinach is a plant, and every plant has its natural life cycle. This cycle is shortened when they are harvested, that is, when they are extracted from the ground, so they will begin to dribble when they can no longer continue to obtain nutrients from the soil.
If they do not have good storage and are in a humid environment, that will cause bacteria and fungi to proliferate. Or if they are in a hot climate, they will dry out and lose nutrients faster.
In addition, because it is a plant, it will attract the attention of several insects and vermin, which, if they manage to have access to it, will eat it and contaminate the rest with the residues they may have.
How long does spinach last?
| Product | Duration |
| Refrigerated spinach | 5 – 7 days |
| Frozen spinach | 10 – 12 months |
| Cooked spinach in the fridge | 3 – 4 days |
| Cooked spinach in the freezer | 6 – 8 months |
| Dehydrated spinach at room temperature | 1 year |
| Dehydrated spinach in the freezer | 18 – 24 months |
| Canned spinach at room temperature (sealed) | 2 – 5 years |
| Canned spinach in the fridge (opened) | 3 – 4 days |
| Canned spinach in the freezer (opened) | 6 – 8 months |
What is the best way to preserve spinach?
One of the best ways to store spinach is by wrapping it inside the fridge with paper towels.
Another way to preserve spinach is by freezing it, an option to consider when you have a lot.
You can also store cooked spinach in the fridge or freezer for less time than fresh or bleached spinach.
Meanwhile, dehydrated spinach does have a longer shelf life and is the only way spinach can resist being at room temperature for a long time.
To know how to store another vegetable or fruit, use the search bar or simply follow one of the following posts.
[1] https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/bitstream/handle/10919/84264/FST-286.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
[2] https://lee.ces.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/TheFoodKeeper.pdf?fwd=no
[3] https://foodbanksbc.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Food-Storage-Guidelines3.pdf