Experts in the field of nutrition recommend including spinach in your diet as a means of preserving youth and promoting health. The plant is simply a store of useful substances that help the body to function 100%.
However, if in the summer period it is not a problem to find spinach greens, then in winter its fresh leaves are a rarity. Therefore, it is better to pre-harvest spinach for the winter. How to do this, we will explain further.
Did you know? Spinach not only supports the body as a whole, but also improves the functioning of the brain, immune, reproductive systems. He is able to fight not only with aging, but also with cancer. And all thanks to its rich composition, which includes a huge amount of vitamins, micro-and macronutrients.
Spinach drying
The ideal way to preserve all the beneficial substances of the plant is drying. Then, if necessary, dried spinach is added to meat, fish dishes, side dishes. At the same time, it almost completely retains its beneficial properties, since it is not subjected to heat treatment.
Important! The spinach harvested in this way must be washed before consumption. Add to the dishes it should be a couple of minutes before readiness.
In order to dry the spinach for the winter, it is necessary to sort out the purchased green mass, select healthy and whole leaves. They are washed in warm water, and then laid out on a clean cloth and dried in the shade in the fresh air. Periodically, the leaves must be turned over so that they dry evenly.
Important! Spinach can also be dried in special equipment: an oven or dryer. But it is desirable that the air temperature does not exceed 30-35 ºะก.Dried plants are stored in cans or containers for no more than six months.
Spinach Salting
Another simple way to store spinach in order to have fresh greens for the winter is to pickle. This method takes little time and helps to preserve the aroma and taste of the plant, not to mention its useful substances. For salting it is necessary to prepare spinach and non-iodized salt in the ratio of 1: 4.
The process begins with washing the spinach and removing the leaves of the stalks: only the leaves of the plant are suitable for salting. After the whole mass must be dried well on a towel. While it is drying, sterilize the jars in which the greens will be stored.
When everything is ready for salting, put spinach and salt in banks. When the container is full, put a load on top of it, so that it crushes leaves to the bottom. After some time there will be a place for another portion of greenery. Fill the jar, close it with a lid and store in the refrigerator.
Important! Do not salt the dish in which you plan to add the spinach harvested this way. Only after adding greens, try the food and, if necessary, dosolite.
Spinach canning
Many wonder how to preserve spinach. To prepare greens for the winter in this way, besides the plant itself, only water and salt will be needed. First, the spinach leaves are thoroughly washed under running water, at the same time turning over them, setting aside damaged and spoiled.
After that, the whole mass should be blanched in hot water with salt. Remember, water should not boil, but be hot enough. The process takes no more than 7 minutes, after which the leaves must be removed with a slotted spoon and dried. Then they stack in jars.
The mass in the bank must be compacted, pressing it with a wooden pestle. Selected liquid is drained, and hot brine is poured in its place. Banks are rolled up and stored for the entire winter. Such canned spinach preserves excellent taste.
Spinach Frost for Winter
Dishes with the addition of frozen spinach acquire summer freshness and flavor. The plant itself reveals its taste more in boiled form.
The easiest way to freeze: washed and dried leaves are laid out in plastic bags, pumped out the air and put in the freezer. But you can freeze it in other ways.
Did you know? Fresh leaves of the plant are suitable for freezing, which are broken before it blooms. The ideal time for this is July-August, when the plant is maximally saturated with juices.
Frozen whole leaves
Preparing spinach for freezing begins with a thorough washing and sorting the leaves. It is necessary to wash them in running water in order to guarantee to remove all the sand from the sinuses of the leaves.
During the sorting process, the damaged leaves are discarded, and from the leaves that go to the workpiece, the stalks are removed. You can blanch the spinach or rinse the leaves with boiling water, after folding them into a colander, so it will be easier to drain off the excess water.
The cooled and dried leaves are put in plastic bags or containers for freezing. It is recommended that they be immediately packaged in portions based on one dish, since it is absolutely impossible to re-freeze the products.
The solution to the problem of how to freeze spinach for the winter has its own characteristics. So, the freezer should be in the mode "Fast (or deep) freezing" when you just put packed spinach in it.
When the product freezes, it can be switched to normal mode. So greens can be stored no more than six months.
Did you know? After blanching, do not pour out the decoction. It will make delicious, fragrant and very beautiful green soup.
Frost in the form of ice cubes
It is very convenient to use spinach, frozen in the form of ice cubes. More specifically, it is not the leaves themselves that are frozen, but the sap of the plant.
After thoroughly washing the leaves in cold running water, dry them on a towel or fabrics made from natural fibers - moisture should be well absorbed. It usually takes about half an hour if the room is well ventilated.
Important! Even juicy spinach leaves can be used to make juice. It is only important to taste them. Some varieties of plants with age acquire a pronounced bitterness.
Dishes and appliances for making juice should be well washed and rinsed with boiling water. The prepared green mass is ground in a blender or meat grinder until a pureed mass is formed.Then the sieve is placed above the container, spread on its bottom in advance prepared sterile gauze, folded in several layers. Spread on it part of the mass and squeeze the juice.
When all mashed potatoes are processed, the juice is allowed to stand for 20 minutes, after which it is passed through cheesecloth again.
Now the juice can be poured into ice forms and sent to the freezer. After about four hours, the cubes are ready, they are taken out of the molds and put into food bags.
In the future, they can be added to dishes as a food coloring. It is only important that the dishes have a temperature not higher than 40 ° C.
Mashed frost
Spinach can be harvested for the winter in the form of mashed potatoes. Having prepared the greens according to the method described above, it is dipped in salted boiling water, in which a little baking soda is added - a tablespoon per three liters of water. Soda will help spinach to keep color.
In this water, spinach is boiled until the leaves are soft. Then they are passed through a sieve and doused with cold water. The next step is to wipe the leaves through a sieve into a saucepan and put on low heat.
It is necessary to boil them, constantly stirring until good thickening, so that the puree does not slip from the spoon. The mass is allowed to cool and only after that it is laid out on the banks. Tightly closed cans stored in the refrigerator.
Spinach is very valuable for its beneficial properties. This product is especially relevant in the winter with a lack of vitamins and other nutrients. Prepare a plant for the winter in various ways: canning, salting, drying, freezing.
Most of these methods allow you to save the maximum benefit stored in the plant. In addition, spinach in the winter will give summer flavor and color to any dish.
