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Freezing extra Spinach

If you have more fresh spinach than you can handle, here are complete instructions with photos for how to blanch and freeze spinach. If you love adding spinach to smoothies, soups or sauces, you’ll enjoy having these handy frozen spinach pucks. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Meanwhile, wash the spinach making  sure all fine silt is removed. Remove any large stems and yellowed or blemished leaves. Toss spinach into boiling water. To ensure even boiling, don't overcrowd the, repeat the process several times in small batches. Watch until water returns to full boil, then set timer and boil for 2 minutes. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with freezing cold water. After 2 minutes of boiling, immediately turn off heat and transfer spinach from boiling water to freezing cold water. Let spinach cool in ice water bath for 2 minutes. Remove from water and squeeze out as much water as possible using the back of a spoon and wire mesh or your hands. Chop spinach to desired size. Place spinach in ice cube tray or into freezer bag. Place ice cube tray in freezer for one to two hours then transfer frozen cubes to freezer bag. Remove as much air from bag as possible before sealing. Use a straw inserted into a small opening and suck out air to create a simple vacuum seal. This helps prevent freezer burn. Label and freeze for one year. The blanching process preserves flavor, texture and color. It is worth the little bit of time and effort it takes.

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