Monday, September 11, 2017

Spinach: Fresh vs. Frozen


I couldn’t resist the 40-ounce bag of fresh spinach at Costco yesterday for $3.99.  I’ve been a fan of fresh spinach since my earliest cooking days.  I like putting it in salads, dropping a few handfuls into soup, a stir-fry, a stew or hot pasta.  I’ve recently taken to mixing some fresh spinach into ground turkey recipes, just to provide some novelty.  I also make an excellent Spinach Quiche.   

Frozen spinach just doesn’t provide the same taste experience, especially the chopped version.  Draining a pot of once-frozen, then-cooked chopped spinach is highly unappealing.  I would never serve it as a vegetable.  Whole-leaf frozen spinach is slightly better in principle, but I can’t remember the last time I offered it as a side dish.  As for canned spinach…I don’t want to think about it.

Here are some facts that might come in handy if you get seduced by a big bag of fresh spinach:

1 pound fresh spinach equals 10 ounces frozen spinach

Spinach stems are edible.  They shrink when cooked.  However, when serving the spinach uncooked in a salad, take the time to remove and discard any really long stems.

Fresh spinach cooks in 2-3 minutes in 1/2 cup boiling water or sauted for 1-2 minutes in olive oil.

Use it fresh spinach whenever you think to use lettuce.  A BLT can easily become a BST.  If you’re dealing with picky eaters, don’t mention that you’re using fresh spinach.  Just say it’s a new kind of lettuce.

When cooked, a huge pot of fresh spinach cooks down to 3-4 servings.

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