How To Freeze Spinach

Learning how to freeze spinach saves money and helps avoid food waste. You can freeze spinach leaves fresh or puree the spinach for use in soups or stews.

We have all purchased a container of spinach with the intent to use to only find the spinach wilted in the back of the fridge a few weeks later. It is time to end the cycle of spoiled spinach by freezing! In just 2 steps, you’ll have frozen spinach ready to be stored.

For more how-to guides that simplify mealtime, check out How To Freeze Baked Beans, How To Make Microwave Baked Potatoes and How To Cook Thin Steak.

frozen fresh and pureed spinach in freezer bags

Freezing Produce

Freezing fruits and vegetables is one of the best ways to minimize food waste while also packing your freezer with nutrient-dense staples that can be used in smoothies, main entrees, side dishes, desserts and so much more!

As a busy family, we know the challenge of serving fruits and vegetables at meals. Keeping our freezers packed with a variety of options has been super helpful and increased the amount of produce we are consuming.

You can freeze whole spinach leaves as is simply by putting them into a freezer ziplock bag. Once frozen, the texture will not be the same so you can’t use frozen spinach fresh, but it works great in smoothies or baked goods. You can also puree spinach and freeze it. This application works great to use in soups and stews. Here’s how to do both.

We cannot wait for you too to see the difference in your family’s consumption by keeping frozen produce on hand.

Our step-by-step guides on How To Freeze Carrots, How To Freeze Cauliflower, How to Freeze Asparagus, How To Freeze Peaches, How To Freeze Strawberries, and How To Freeze Butternut Squash provide simple instructions to successfully freeze each of these produce items.

Now, we can add spinach to the list! Whether freezing store-bought spinach or freezing spinach grown in a home garden, follow the written directions or printable recipe card below.

Equipment

freezer ziplock bags
blender for pureeing
measuring cups
marker
ice cube tray or silicone muffin cups

Ingredients

8 cups fresh spinach

Gluten-Free Guide: If you’re new to eating gluten-free we understand it’s overwhelming trying to figure out which foods may contain gluten and which ones don’t. All of our gluten-free recipes marked with this symbol ✅ represent foods that need to be checked for gluten.

How To Freeze

Divide the spinach by measuring into 1-2 cup amounts. Place into a freezer ziplock bag removing as much air as possible. Seal shut.

Label and freeze

Label the bags then freeze.

How to Puree

Puree the spinach by adding to the blender along with just enough water to get the spinach blending. Puree until smooth.

water being poured into food processor filled with spinach

Divide then freeze

Divide the spinach among the silicone muffin cups or ice trays. Freeze overnight. Remove from cups or tray and place into a freezer-safe bag. Label and freeze.

frozen spinach in silicone cups on sheet pan

Frequently Asked Questions

How to store spinach?

Store fresh spinach in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

How to thaw frozen spinach?

You do not need to thaw spinach if adding to smoothies, soups or stews. Toss into the recipe from frozen.
If adding to casseroles, quiches or a baked good, we recommend steaming the spinach (whole leaf spinach) so you can press any excess water from the vegetable before adding to the recipe.

How to know if spinach is bad?

If the spinach appears dark green, wilted, slimy or has a sour smell then it has spoiled.

Kids In The Kitchen

Cooking tips and suggestions for kids making this recipe.

Press all the air out of the Ziplock bag by pressing your hand on top of the bag until the bag is flat then seal.
Press the lid on the food blender, making sure it is tight, then turn on the blender to puree.
Puree until you don’t see any chunks of spinach. Add an extra 1 Tablespoon of water at a time if it is difficult to puree.

Frozen Spinach Recipes

Everything from freezing spinach for smoothies to sauteed frozen spinach, you can create a recipe that incorporates spinach as an ingredient. We add frozen spinach to any of the recipes below while also packing into tacos, lasagna, soups and stews.

CKC Features both Gluten-Free Guidance and Kids Cooking Instructions: If you’re new to eating gluten-free we understand it’s overwhelming trying to figure out which foods may contain gluten and which ones don’t. All of our gluten-free recipes marked with this symbol ✅ represent foods that need to be checked for gluten or cross-contamination.

The ⭐️ symbol in the recipe below denotes the steps in which kid cooks may need a helper (depending on age). If there is no ⭐️ symbol, that step (or recipe) doesn’t require a helper.

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