How Long Does Spinach Last?

Wondering how long does spinach lasts so you can store it longer? You have come to the right place! Here are tips, tricks and storage hacks for keeping this healthy leafy green fresh for days!

Spinach isn't just for Popeye and you don't have to eat the stuff from the can like he did.

Fresh spinach is a leafy green vegetable that is so easy to add in to so many recipes.

One of our favorite ways to hide some extra spinach for the kids is in a few tasty green smoothies.

You can also use spinach in a classic spinach artichoke dip. So easy and delicious.

Spinach can be one of those vegetables that people love to hate and it's not always necessary, especially with raw spinach. It is so nutritious and can be used in so many fantastic recipes, it is hard to see why people want to hate on it.

Why Eat Spinach?

Eating some spinach is a great way to get some extra nutrients that your body needs.

Here are some of the health benefits (source) you can get from adding some it to your diet:

• Helps curb your appetite
• Improve your eye health
• Prevents heart disease and can lower your risk for cancer
• Lowers your risk for anemia and helps prevent osteoporosis
• Boosts and strengthens the immune system and improves hydration
• High in fiber that's great for your digestive health
• Great source of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, potassium, and iron

Tips To Wash Your Spinach

Wait to wash your leafy greens until you're ready to use them.

Remember that wet spinach wilts and spoils very fast.

When you went to wash your leaves, place them in a colander or the bowl of a salad spinner and run it under cold water or ice cold water to rinse it.

Pat the leaves dry with paper towels promptly before using or storing them.

How Long Does Raw or Fresh Spinach Last In The Fridge?

1. If stored properly, raw or fresh spinach can last 7-10 days. Best way to keep spinach fresh is to place it in the refrigerator in the crisper drawer.
2. Store your spinach in an airtight container or a ziploc bag with a few dry paper towels. Loosely wrap spinach with the paper towels which will help absorb any excess moisture within the container.

Like many other leafy vegetables, raw spinach should not be stored at room temperature for long periods of time for food safety purposes.

If you plan to use it that day in the next few hours, you can leave it on the counter until you are ready for it.

Spinach starts to spoil and wilt the second it gets wet and isn't thoroughly dried off. So, to keep it fresh until you're ready, be sure the bag of spinach doesn't get wet.

Raw spinach also shouldn't be stored in high temperatures or in direct sunlight.

Pick out any bad leaves and remove them so they don't spoil the rest of the bag of the leaves.

How Long Does Cooked Spinach Last In The Fridge?

Cooked Spinach can last up to 5 days if stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container or a ziplock bag.

Spinach can be used in various recipes, pasta dishes being one of the most common ways to use it.

Add chopped fresh leaves into your manicotti for a fantastic and delicious variation.

It would also be a great addition to some red sauce with your Italian style impossible meatless meatballs.

Can You Freeze Spinach?

You can freeze your spinach for up to 4 months. It is also a great way to preserve the flavor.

You may need to blanch it before you freeze it depending on when you plan to use it.

If you plan to use the frozen batch within a few weeks, you don't need to blanch it first.

However, if you plan on keeping it in the freezer for up to 4 months, you should blanch it first, otherwise, it will change texture, flavor, and will discolor.

Don't forget to check all the leaves and make sure they're still good quality before freezing them.

To blanch, use 2 quarts of water to every pound of leaves.

First boil a pot of water and place your leaves in the boiling pot of water for one minute before quickly removing them and transferring them an ice-water bath for 1-2 minutes.

Once the spinach has finished the ice water bath, drain the water and squeeze the leaves in a few paper towels to pull out any excess water and dry out the leaves before freezing.

Alternatively, you can puree your spinach and place the puree in ice cube trays to freeze for individual size servings. Once they're frozen, pop the ice cubes out and store them in a freezer-safe bag.

How To Tell When Spinach Has Gone Bad?

There are a few telltale signs of spoilage that will pop up once your spinach has gone bad.

1. Turns yellow and eventually brown or black.
2. Becomes soggy and turns into slimy leaves.
3. Has an unpleasant smell or funky aroma.
4. If your bag of spinach is still in the original packaging, when spinach turns bad, an easy way to tell is that it will cause the bag to expand and look like it is been blown up with air.

Helpful Purchasing Tips

Here are some helpful tips when picking out your fresh or raw spinach:

• When buying prepackaged at the grocery store, always check the expiration date on the bag and make sure that you're not buying with an expiration date that's too soon.
• If choosing store-bought spinach in a sealed plastic bag, keep an eye on the packaging.
• If you're buying your fresh spinach with other salad greens at the farmer’s market, get it home for proper storage as soon as possible to reduce your risk fo bacteria growth.

Fun Facts: California is the biggest producer of spinach in the United States, followed by Arizona, New Jersey, and Texas. Raw spinach actually comes in three varieties but most people don't realize that. You can find varieties that's savoy, semi savoy, and flat-leaf.

Conclusion

Now that you know everything there is to know about storing your tasty leaves properly, you should always have some one hand for whatever you want to make. Don't forget you can leave your spinach on the counter for just a few hours then it should be stored in the fridge for longer periods of time if you need to.

And, you can always freeze your leaves in a plastic zipper bag with the air removed, in the freezer for even longer shelf life.

What did you think about this article? Let us know in the comments section below if you used any interesting ways to store spinach!

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