Freezing Your Vegetables and Fruits: The Frugal Life

Don't you just love buying fresh fruits and vegetables, but just a few days later you will have to throw them away because they've already wilted or rotten? I can't consume a bag of spinach for a whole week! Anyway, there's a happy solution to that!

I freeze them and save money!

Prolonged storage in the fridge loses its color and nutrients until it gets rotten. Freezing maintains them. Frozen is always better than canned.
I usually buy one box of organic spinach.
Spinach is one of the "dirty dozen" foods that has a lot of pesticides so its always better to buy organic.

Spinach is a very nutrient-dense food, loaded with vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, anti-inflammatory and an excellent source of iron. It is an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin A, magnesium, folate, manganese, iron, calcium, vitamin C, vitamin B2, potassium, and vitamin B6. It’s a very good source of protein, phosphorus, vitamin E, zinc, dietary fiber, and copper. Plus, it’s a good source of selenium, niacin, and omega-3 fatty acids.

S$6.80 at Fair Price Finest and Cold Storage

Wash them very very (i mean VERY) well. I soak them in water mixed with baking soda. You can also use salt. Leave it for 30 minutes and rinse. I rinse them 3 times. Even if they were already pre-washed 3 times

Yup its a LOT.

Prepare a tray and put some kitchen paper towels. place the leaves and let them dry OR what I do is I press them with another kitchen paper towel. Please do not skip this step as when they freeze wet, they will stick together.

Place them in a Freezer bag. Flatten the bag to remove the air. You may zip it up and leave a little space, insert a straw and suck the air out then close. I wish I had a vaccum sealer though!

and freeze away!

*Another option (a better one) is to blanch. Prepare a pot with boiling water and put the spinach for 20 seconds, drain and place them in a bowl of water with ice.  Drain and then dry.

These will last up to 9 months in a ziplock bag placed in a normal freezer. Mine will last only for about 2 weeks haha. I super love spinach because I can mix it in everything-- I make mine and Simone's smoothies and add a lot of spinach,  and add them in her every meal!

Freezing doesn't end with spinach! My freezer is full of frozen broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, strawberries, blueberries, chickpeas,black beans, even bananas for smoothies or if they are already overripe and can't consume them all.  For broccolis and the like, you have to blanch them first or steam them before freezing. Fruits can be frozen fresh. Yes, so cooking at home is much easier as they are already prepared in advanced. I just have to thaw them. Freezing is not good for salads because when they have been thawed, it's wilted. It is best used for cooking and making smoothies. You may divide a batch into two- one for freezing and one for fridge.

Enjoy!

Shiela

*Nutritional information sourced from http://www.naturally-healthy-eating.com/benefits-of-spinach.html