Spinach Harvest

The clocks moved forward today–time to start saving some daylight. It’s also a signal that the heat of the Australian summer is on the way. Our vegetable garden is looking great and it’s time to get into harvest mode. Today’s mission is spinach. We have lots and lots and there is nothing handier then a bag out of the freezer. The next best thing to fresh from the garden.

Laundry Basket Bounty

Spinach Splendour

In the past we have blanched the spinach with boiling water; however, I have just come across this process from Colorado State University. My daughter Kaleigh would not approve but I like the simplicity.

The best way to preserve spinach for winter use is to freeze it. Rinse the leaves well, place them in a resealable plastic bag and blanch them in the microwave (600-700 watts) for 1 minute, then place in the freezer. Spinach loses too much of its vitamin content if you blanch it in boiling water.

Some more research and I like what this video shows. Nothing like the less is more method. Will call this the Kaleigh Spinach storage strategy–less is more and NO NUKE.

All done–in less then an hour we picked, processed and froze about 10 kg of spinach. Feeling hungry now. Time to cook up some spinach /Eggs Benedict.