How to Substitute Fresh Spinach for Frozen (2024)

FAQs

How much fresh spinach equals frozen spinach? ›

One package (10 ounces) of frozen spinach leaves yields about 1-1/2 cups after cooking. Therefore, you can substitute 1 package (10 ounces) frozen spinach leaves for 1-1/2 pounds of fresh spinach.

So 10 oz. = 0.625 pounds. The volume of that weight of fresh spinach varies based on a number of factors, but would be more like 6 cups.

4.92 milligrams in one cup canned spinach. 3.72 milligrams in one cup frozen spinach. . 81 milligrams in one cup raw spinach.

Plus, 1 cup of frozen spinach has more than four times the amount of nutrients—including fiber, folate, iron and calcium—compared to a cup of fresh spinach, so if you want to power up, do it with frozen spinach.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about spinach is the magic trick it pulls when you cook it. When cooked, spinach reduces to less than 10% of its original volume when fresh. That means over ten cups of fresh spinach will cook down to one cup.

Educate Your Eye: 1 Pound of Spinach

One pound of spinach (with the stems still attached) is about two large bundles or bouquets, each only slightly too large to wrap one hand around. Think about holding the contents of two boxes of spaghetti in your hands; that's about the size of one bundle.

Veggies like lettuce, spinach, watercress, and endive leave empty space in a measuring cup, so 1 full measuring cup is actually a ½ cup serving. Fill your measuring cup to the rim a second time any time you use these vegetables if you want a serving that's equivalent to a full cup.

If you want to extend the life of fresh spinach, store it in the freezer until you're ready to use it. However, when you buy frozen spinach from the store it is already cooked, which is how it gets its texture. For that reason, you'll need to cook the fresh spinach before storing it in the freezer.

Many people think that spinach is a good source of iron, but spinach also contains a substance that makes it harder for the body to absorb the iron from it.

Is it better to freeze spinach raw or cooked? ›

Blanching spinach before freezing helps preserve the colour and taste for longer as it delays the enzymatic process that leads to decay, however, it's not so good at retaining the nutrients. Blanching spinach before freezing also means that it will last a lot longer in the freezer, for up to a year.

Spinach. The leafy green is packed with nutrients, but you'll absorb more calcium and iron if you eat it cooked. The reason: Spinach is loaded with oxalic acid, which blocks the absorption of iron and calcium but breaks down under high temperatures.

Frozen Spinach

A good rule of thumb is fresh spinach cooked down equals about a cup and a half, which is roughly the equivalent of a 10 oz frozen package.

When you are ready to make a smoothie, just drop one or two of the frozen spinach cubes into the blender with your other smoothie ingredients and blend away!

Veggies like lettuce, spinach, watercress, and endive leave empty space in a measuring cup, so 1 full measuring cup is actually a ½ cup serving. Fill your measuring cup to the rim a second time any time you use these vegetables if you want a serving that's equivalent to a full cup.

A 12-ounce bag of fresh spinach contains about 8 1/2 cups of leaves — which, yes, is a lot of spinach — but can be distributed in unique recipes throughout the week for plenty of variety.

On average, two pounds of spinach leaves yield one quart frozen.

One 1/2-cup serving of frozen spinach has 20 calories, 2 grams of dietary fiber, 3 grams of protein and several vitamins and minerals. Though you may purchase fresh spinach for salads, frozen spinach works best with casseroles, sautes, soups and warm, cooked foods.