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Healthy and Sustainable Food
 Spinach
DATES AVAILABLE:
New England: May through June, Mid-September through late November
Mid-Atlantic: April through Mid-June, Mid-August through late November
Spinach is a very hardy vegetable that can survive freezing temperatures and grow even in winter with minimum cover, so it can be available in Mid-Atlantic and New England markets almost throughout the year.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
Spinach (Spinacia oleracea, Chenopodiaceae) is a fast-growing member of the beet family cultivated widely throughout the Mid-Atlantic and New England states. It is well-known for its highly nutritious leaves, which are classified as savoy (puckered or crinkled), semi-savoy, or smooth. It is believed to have originated in Persia and gets its name from the Persian word ‘aspanakh.’
VARIETIES:
Spring Market: Melody, Tyee, Coho, UniPack 151
Fall Market: Fall Green, Melody, Samish, Coho, UniPack 151
Over Winter: Vienna, Coho, Unipack 151, Processing, Melody, Tyee, Vancover
USING SPINACH:
When shopping, look for spinach of good green color, without any indication of wilting or yellowing. Leaves should be well developed with minimal bruises or blemishes, and the stems should be fairly thin; larger, thicker, curled stems may be a sign of overgrown spinach. Fresh spinach should always have a fresh smell, never sour or musty.
Spinach can be eaten raw in salads, side dishes or dips. Baby spinach, which refers to immature spinach leaves, is often used in fresh salads because it is more tender than mature leaves. Spinach stems are often removed when preparing dishes because they are tougher than the leaves and long-stems may not be attractive. Spinach can also be cooked by briefly steaming or sautéing in oil (often with garlic) or chopped with cream sauce. It reduces dramatically when cooked. Cooked and chopped spinach (often with some type of cheese) can be a healthy filling for pasta, meat, or fish, or as the featured ingredient in a soufflé or omelet. Spinach is always a wonderful add-in for extra nutrients and is a great substitute for lettuce on a sandwich.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:
One cup of raw spinach provides about 30 calories and is an excellent source of vitamin A and folic acid as well as beta-carotene and vitamin K. Spinach is also a good source of folate and vitamins B, C and E and is high in antioxidant flavonoids as well as lutein and zeaxanthin.
STORAGE:
General: Upon arriving home with bunched spinach, untie, remove any blemished leaves, trim stems, and wash thoroughly but gently in cold water to get rid of grit and soil. Spin dry in a salad spinner or drain well, then dry with paper towels and pack loosely in plastic bags or cellophane. Store in refrigerator crisper for up to four days.
Just washed spinach can be steamed for 5-10 minutes without any additional water, a preparation method that preserves nutrient content. To blanch spinach to prepare it for sautéing, braising, or stuffing place leaves in a large pot of boiling water and wait until leaves wilt slightly, then drain and squeeze out excess moisture. Alternatively, washed, slightly wet spinach can be placed in a microwavable dish, loosely covered, and cooked very briefly until tender.
Freezing: Steam blanch for 2 minutes. Chill in iced water. Cool, drain and package in an air-tight container. Store in the freezer for up to six months.
Drying: Spinach leaves can be blanched and then dried. Estimated drying time using a dehydrator is 8-10 hours. Dried spinach leaves can be crushed into a powder for use when seasoning dishes.
Canning: Spinach can be canned using a pressure canner.
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