Since spinach is one of the items that spoils/wilts fastest in my fridge, I tested a new way to preserve spinach for longer lengths of time. It failed. Apparently freezing spinach is no better at preserving it than refridgerating it. Actually, I'm not sure if it's the freezing or the thawing out part that is most damaging. I'm not totoally satisfied with the experiment though. The problem with my freezer is that my roommate buys a lot more frozen food than the average person, and on top of that he buys his food 1 month at a time. It's possible that the spinach underwent more than one compression under the weight of overlying layers of frozen meats. The compression of the spinach clearly doomed prospects of preserving of individual leaves.
To date, the best spinach preservation method is found to be wrapping the spinach in a double layer of paper towels and placing this bundle into a tupperware.
Posted by tdupuy at October 14, 2005 5:20 AMDon't try the experiment again eliminating the compression variable...it won't change a darn thing. My 'crisp' box in the fridge is a little too crisp and the spinach froze. It was the only thing in the box and still came out disgusting. Not even the dog would eat it.
Posted by: Amber at October 14, 2005 3:13 PMPS. The damage is done in the freezing process (water expanding)however you can't taste/smell it until it thaws. The frozen spinach doesn't taste that bad...but it really ruins a salad.
Posted by: Amber at October 14, 2005 3:16 PMFYI: Don't ever try eggplant either. When it thaws you realize that it's just mush.
Posted by: Diana at October 16, 2005 5:56 PMI hate the fact that spinach is so high-maintenance! It's my favorite vegetable. And it's such a bitch to cook since 92 lbs of it fresh only yields approx. 1/16th of an ounce.
Posted by: Bess at October 18, 2005 2:13 PMIt's one of those things they don't teach you in school. Fresh spinach is excellent, but is easily tainted by too much wiltiness. I have always been shocked by how much fresh spinach I can add to alfredo without noticing any change in volume of the sauce. Somehow it feels as though spinach must be lacking in substance, but when fresh it seems quite substantial. It's a mystery.
Posted by: Trent at October 20, 2005 5:41 AMHere's another mystery, and then I'll quit adding late comments:
What is the one fruit/vegetable that's never served any way but fresh? i.e., never frozen, sauteed, baked, compoted, sauced, etc. Just fresh. Guess.
Posted by: ae at November 3, 2005 11:18 PM