How to Store Spinach: 4 Tips for Storing Spinach

Due to its high moisture content, fresh spinach is only good for up to a week. Pre-washed spinach has an especially short shelf life, so aim to use it immediately. Luckily, spinach also freezes well with proper preparation—frozen spinach can last for up to six months.

It’s essential to keep spinach dry and chilled to maintain its freshness and tenderness for salads. Here’s how to store spinach properly:

1. 1. Check for quality. Raw spinach is prone to spoilage. Before storing, it’s important to sort through the spinach leaves for yellow or brown discoloration, as well as any indication of wilting or rot. Discard any damaged or old spinach leaves.
2. 2. Dry if necessary. If you purchased a loose spinach bunch from the grocery store or farmers’ market, remove any twist ties and pat it dry if it appears wet. If your spinach came prepackaged in a plastic bag or airtight container, check for moisture inside the container. If so, remove the spinach and dry the container and the veggie. If your spinach came straight from a farm or garden covered in dirt, don’t wash it until you’re ready to use it.
3. 3. Package (or repackage) your spinach. If loose, wrap the spinach in dry paper towels or clean dish towels, place it in a sealed freezer bag or plastic container, and put it in the crisper drawer. If the spinach came in a package of its own, you can simply put a towel or cloth in the container, seal it, and put it in the crisper.

Freezing a surplus of spinach is a great idea when you plan to use the veggie in a dish where it doesn’t need to be fresh—for example, in an omelet or a purée. Here’s how:

1. 1. Wash and sort. As with storing fresh spinach, you’ll want to remove any damaged or bad leaves. Rinse the spinach to remove any dirt or sand.
2. 2. Boil. Blanching—the process of boiling fruits or vegetables in hot water and then immediately chilling the produce in ice water—helps intensify the coloring of your produce and preserves its flavor. To do this, prepare a pot of boiling water and a bowl of cold water with ice cubes to serve as an ice bath. Place your spinach in the boiling water for thirty seconds to two minutes, depending on the heartiness of the leaves.
3. 3. Drain. Pour the pot of water with the spinach into a colander or fine-mesh strainer to drain.
4. 4. Cool and re-drain. Immediately plunge the leaves into the ice-cold water to lock in the spinach’s flavor. Drain the spinach a second time by wrapping it in a clean towel and squeezing the water out.
5. 5. Store. Before freezing spinach, ball it up in your hands and either wrap each ball tightly in plastic wrap or put them in an airtight bag with the air removed to prevent freezer burn. Finally, place the spinach in the freezer for up to six months.

Consider the following tips when deciding how to best store and use your spinach:

1. 1. Know your spinach. Add raw, young, tender spinach to salads and smoothies since it’s mild in flavor and doesn’t hold up to heat as well, whereas heartier, thicker-stemmed spinach is better for a quick sauté. Learn how to make sautéed spinach.
2. 2. Use your nose. It’s easy to spot wilted and soggy spinach, but a quick smell is also a great way to determine whether the veggie is inedible.
3. 3. Moisture is the enemy. Too much moisture is the primary factor that makes spinach go bad in your fridge. The key to preventing wilting is reducing excess moisture, so store fresh spinach unwashed and only rinse it right before using it if you plan to eat it fresh.
4. 4. A quick soak can work wonders. You can refresh fresh or blanched spinach by placing it in a bowl of ice water for a few minutes before using it.

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