Have you ever wondered how to freeze spinach for smoothies? If so, then you are probably looking to achieve that frozen and frothy quality that is typical of a well-made smoothie. Not only does this make for a tasty treat, but the qualities of your spinach also make it incredibly healthy.
This handy guide presents a simple explanation of how you can freeze spinach for smoothies. It also delves into why you would want to do that in the first place. In addition to that, I also put a simple smoothie recipe that you can try.
Health Benefits of Spinach
As Popeye’s favorite treat, Spinach is probably one of the most famous vegetables around. The same can be said for its nutritional value. When integrated into a healthy diet, Spinach can manifest remarkable restorative abilities. By regularly consuming it, you will notice that you have increased vitality and more energy to go around.
This is due primarily to the fact that Spinach is rich in iron. As you are probably aware, Iron plays a major role in enriching our circulatory system. Specifically, it helps red blood cells do their job of delivering oxygen to the different parts of your body. This explains why regularly consuming Spinach makes you feel refreshed and revitalized.
Aside from Iron, the vegetable is also an excellent source of the following nutrients and minerals:
- Folate
- Manganese
- Magnesium
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin K
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin B2
- Vitamin K
Needless to say, mixing Spinach in your smoothie will do wonders for your health.
Read More: Frozen spinach smoothies – 5 delicious recipes
Why Freeze Your Spinach For Smoothies?
The golden rule of making smoothies is to use frozen ingredients. It is the best way to enjoy the flavors that your fruits and vegetables give you. This is because adding ice to the mix will only water down your smoothie and dilute the natural sweetness of your ingredients.
With regard to spinach, in particular, there is another reason you should consider freezing them beforehand – consistency. Ideally, you want your drink to be smooth and easy to drink. Blending unfrozen and raw spinach will do you no favors. This is because it tends to break down during the blending process. In the end, you will end up with a watery and sludgy mess of a drink.
Freezing the spinach does away with that problem completely. By doing so, you will have no trouble making a drink that is truly healthy and refreshing. Moreover, it also helps you get rid of any extra vegetables stuck in the fridge.
Read More: Smoothie Cubes: Easy Way To Preserve Your Smoothies For Later
How To Freeze Spinach For Smoothies
Before anything else, I highly recommend that you make use of baby spinach leaves instead of mature ones. Doing so will help ensure that you are able to extract the best flavor and maintain optimal texture before blending. This is because the mature spinach leaves are known to easily turn rubbery after spending too much time in the freezer.
Be sure to follow the steps outlined below:
- Take a few handfuls of spinach and throw them into a blender
- Mix in a cupful of water
- Blend the mixture and reduce everything to liquid until you reach the desired consistency
- Pour the spinach mixture into ice cube trays
- Freezer until solid
I highly recommend that you store your spinach cubes in thick freezer bags. This way, you can easily grab them whenever you need a quick snack.
Alternatively, it is worth noting that you can also make use of whole leaves for this recipe. This would be great if are not in the mood to make spinach ice cubes beforehand. They would work just as well. Just be sure to thoroughly wash and pat them dry first.
Read More: Can you freeze smoothies?
How To Use Frozen Spinach
Your frozen spinach mixture can serve as the primary component of your breakfast smoothie. If you are feeling up to it, you can prepare everything the night before. In terms of portions, you just need to stick to the basic rules of smoothies.
If you followed the spinach cubes procedure, then I suggest that you take one or two cubes. These should be good enough to hold you over for a single serving smoothie. Be sure to give it a taste before you go, so you can adjust accordingly. After all, the intensity of the flavor and amount of nutrients per cube depends on the thickness of your spinach mixture. As you may have surmised, that may vary on a batch-to-batch basis. Like with everything else, a taste test should tell you whether you need to adjust your recipe or not.
Frozen Spinach Smoothie Recipes
Now that you know how to freeze your spinach, I have prepared a couple of smoothie recipes that you can use them on. Be sure to give these a try.
- Tropical Breakfast Smoothie — This particular recipe gives off a sweet and creamy taste. This is one of my classic and beloved recipes. Every time I drink this, I am reinvigorated. If you are looking for the perfect drink to help you recharge, then you must simply try this. All you need to do is you’re your Frozen spinach and mix it with some strawberries, pineapples, mangoes, and bananas. You can also opt to add some milk or any of its non-dairy alternatives. Blend them and drink.
- Midafternoon Smoothie – While the first smoothie recipe could serve as a perfect breakfast replacement, this one is perfect as a snack. It is incredibly simple and will only take around 2 minutes to prepare. You will be needing some flaxseed, peanut butter, bananas, mixed berries, and almond milk. Don’t forget your frozen spinach, of course. Blending them would result in a healthy afternoon snack filled with loads of fiber. The fact that it is delicious, with the right salty-sweet balance, is an added bonus.
Maintaining a healthy diet is paramount, especially in times like these. A healthy diet that includes leafy vegetables like Spinach will certainly go a long way. In this article, I delved into the benefits and the practical reasons why you should freeze your spinach for smoothies. Be sure to give these a try when you can, you’ll be thankful for it.