This time we will explain how to thaw spinach. For those of you who like spinach, you may have bought frozen spinach at the supermarket. This is spinach packaged in plastic or flat packaging, sometimes with whole leaves or those that have been cut into pieces. Spinach is a very delicious side dish to accompany rice in the morning or afternoon. If you buy frozen, of course before using it you have to thaw it first, how do you thaw frozen spinach? How long does spinach last after thawing?
We will explain several ways to thaw spinach, including using a microwave, leaving it in the refrigerator, using a sink, thawing the spinach with warm water, and how long the spinach will last after thawing.
There are many benefits of frozen spinach, many recipes call for it, it’s just that before using it, it must be thawed first or changed to its original state before freezing. There are also many methods to dilute it and we will see which method is the best.
How to Thaw Frozen Spinach
Thawed spinach can be used in many menus such as salads, cooked foods. If you store it in the refrigerator, spinach won’t last long, it will only last for a certain time. Freezing spinach is the best way if you want to store spinach for a long time, but you have to thaw it before using it. So, how do you thaw frozen spinach? We will give you several methods.
1. Thawing Frozen Spinach in Microwave
One easy way to thaw frozen spinach is to use a cooking tool such as a microwave. This should only be used by those who are in a hurry and want to use up the spinach quickly.
– Remove frozen spinach from the packaging, put it in a bowl or in a microwave-safe container.
– On the microwave, take the defrost option, and it will defrost within two minutes.
– Remove the spinach from the pot, and let the extra liquid drain through the strainer.
– Then, take the spinach and transfer it to a tissue, this is useful for absorbing the remaining liquid and leave it to dry completely.
You can squeeze out the excess fluid and let it drain out the drain.
That’s how to thaw frozen spinach in the microwave, it’s very fast and you might change the texture.
2. Thawing Frozen Spinach in Refrigerator
The method of thawing frozen spinach in the refrigerator takes more time, but you will not alter your spinach, this will minimize the effects of thawing on the puree.
Thawing by leaving it in the refrigerator can take a day or 24 hours or even more. But it is believed that this way the spinach will melt slowly and not damage the texture of the vegetables, and will retain the taste.
When thawing frozen spinach in the refrigerator, you must throw away the thawed ice block so as not to damage the spinach leaves.
3. Thawing Spinach under warm Water
If you are in a hurry and you don’t have a microwave, you can try this method. It’s easy and fast and doesn’t take hours to melt.
– Remove the spinach from the packaging, drain through a colander, transfer the spinach to a colander and spread evenly over the colander.
– Then run warm water over the frozen spinach, you can use a sink faucet, and check that the tap water pressure is not pressing too hard on the spinach.
– Gently turn the frozen spinach with your hands and let it thaw completely. If a block of ice forms, remove it immediately from the spinach leaves.
– It is quite helpful to thaw the spinach with a drainer, this will drain off excess water while allowing the spinach to thaw well.
4. Thawing Spinach in the Sink
There is also a way to defrost spinach using a sink. You should put frozen spinach in the sink and this can minimize dirt on the spinach or you won’t have to do extra washing later. Drain and thaw the spinach blog in a sink colander and while waiting for your vegetables to thaw, you can prepare the rest of the meal.
Is It Possible to Thaw Frozen Spinach on the Kitchen Counter?
Yes, this is thawing frozen spinach at room temperature, you can leave it at room temperature until it thaws completely. However, it is recommended that you put it in a sink with a filter so that you don’t have to drain the water afterwards and your vegetables are clean.
In this way, the water that falls to thaw the spinach comes straight out through the drainage hole, and the spinach also becomes clean because we thaw it in running water.
What Is the Best Way to Thaw Frozen Spinach Overnight?
We have seen several methods of thawing frozen spinach, ranging from the fast method to the slow method. Now that we’ve looked at all that, what is actually the best way to defrost spinach?
The refrigerator is the best method for thawing frozen spinach. Put the spinach in the refrigerator overnight, you can put it at night and check it in the morning, if it hasn’t thawed completely, you can leave it for a few more hours.
Frozen spinach that is left in the refrigerator will thaw slowly and this will provide fresh spinach, without spoiling the taste or texture. But if you want it to be quicker, you can rinse the spinach with warm water, but you have to use it immediately.
When cooking spinach make sure it is fully cooked at 165F to ensure harmful bacteria are destroyed. Frozen food has the potential for bacteria to appear if it is not handled properly.
If frozen spinach is not blanched first, it will not cook quickly. Usually E.coli and listeria bacteria can be contaminated with raw vegetables.
While stored in the freezer, these bacteria are inactive, but once thawed, they will become active again.
What Is the Most Effective Method of Draining Frozen Spinach?
Thaw it in a colander and place it in a container filled with water or you can also leave it in the sink while the ice melts.
If the ice melts, gently squeeze out the water, if the water has disappeared, transfer it to a paper towel to absorb the water and dry the spinach.
If you use a lettuce spinner, be careful drying the spinach there because it can get stuck in it and damage your spinach.
When Frozen Spinach Is Thawed, How Long Does It Keep Fresh?
How long does thawed spinach last? If stored in the refrigerator, thawed spinach can last 2 days. When you take it more than two days, the spinach will usually be damaged, soft and yellow. If it is longer, the potential for bacterial growth is higher.
If spinach is frozen before boiling, it has the potential for microbial infection, so you should thaw frozen spinach only for the portion you need.
For you who don’t use frozen spinach all at once, then you can divide several blocks of frozen spinach and store them back in the freezer. You only take the frozen spinach you need for your recipe. Frozen spinach will last 9-14 months in the freezer if left undisturbed.
What to Do With Thawed Spinach?
Frozen spinach will wilt and feel soft when thawed, and is certainly not as fresh as spinach that has just been harvested. Salads usually use fresh spinach, so frozen spinach is only used in recipes that use cooked spinach.
For example, you can use frozen that has been thawed in soups, stir-fries, sauces, quiches, and lasagna. Spinach smoothies are also an alternative to using frozen spinach, because spinach smoothies are made by blending spinach.
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Some Important Tips when Thawing Frozen Spinach:
- When thawing frozen spinach, don’t use hot water because it can cook your spinach. But use warm water and during the thawing process, if you use hot water, some of the spinach’s nutrients can be lost with the hot water.
- Don’t store frozen spinach at room temperature for too long. If it has been frozen, don’t leave it at room temperature for more than 8 hours, because spinach is very susceptible to bacterial infections.
- If thawing frozen spinach in the microwave, don’t use a high temperature because it can cause the spinach to burn. You can use the “defrost” option listed on your microwave. If your microwave doesn’t have this option, then just use the lowest temperature possible to melt the block of ice on frozen spinach.
- It is forbidden to consume frozen spinach that has not been thawed, this is very bad for your health due to freezer poison. So, after thawing, wash it thoroughly, especially if you want to add spinach to your salad.
- If you have thawed frozen spinach, make sure to use it thoroughly. If the spinach has been thawed and put back in the freezer, this will be very dangerous for health because changes in temperature cause contamination by bad organisms.
Our advice is that if you have to freeze spinach, then freeze it in several boxes or packs, you can take the packs when you need them, while the rest stays in the freezer without being disturbed.
It is also important to put a label on each package of spinach that you freeze, this will remind you of how long the spinach has been in the refrigerator. Frozen spinach lasts in the freezer for only 9 months to 14 months.
