Saturday, April 16, 2011

Canning Spinach

Spinach is an acquired taste but if you love it it is worth canning.

I was given two six gallon pails of New Zealand spinach.  It is beautiful with large green leaves, very clean and was grown in a green house.

I was skeptical at first and concerned it would come out mushy.  To my surprise it came out delicious.  Here is the process:
Throughly clean the leaves.  Watch for bugs and slugs.  Trim off all the stems.  Cut the spinach into smaller pieces.  To do this I grabbed a large bunch and ran a knife over it.  Some people like to cut it with a pizza cutter.  Put the sliced leaves into a large pot of boiling water and blanch for 9 minutes.  Fill jars to one inch from rim and add water from the blanching water to the one inch mark.  Burp the jars for air bubbles and wipe off the rims.  Put lids and rings on as directed and pressure cook for 75 minutes for pints.

The jars are very green and full of chlorophyll.

16 comments:

floweringmama said...

I bet they turned out very pretty. I wish I liked cooked spinach. I'm starting to empty many of my jars that I canned last summer so I am definitely ready to get canning again!

AJK said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
HossBoss said...

We LOVE spinach ,,, I'm so glad you posted this, Abby! We have never planted spinach but always have a lot of Swiss Chard. It thrives in the garden at least nine months out of the year down here. We've always eaten it fresh from the garden, but I'd love to trying canning it this year ...for those two months it doesn't grow.

If I add flavorings such as bacon crumbles and those canned french-fried onion bits, would I need to adjust the processing time? I'm thinking not, but you're the guru so thought I'd ask.

canning tomatoes said...

Canning is indeed a good way to save money as well as utilize your food produce. I am sure those spinach tastes good.

Ron said...

Would love to see a pic of the final canned spinach. Don't have a canner yet and don't know how long it lasts in the fridge.

The Frugal Fraulein said...

WWRWH you would not have to make the canning times longer as they are already long for spinach. 75 for pints and 90 for quarts. All sorts of greens can be canned this way.

Morhu said...

Yipee! Great post for a green that is abundant and in season :) Can't wait to try this one this week (if I can find a good deal on spinach).

btw, new to your blog, but loving it :)

billi said...

thanx. I wanted to can mustards this winter, but didn't think it would work.

Kimberly @ We Call Her Momma said...

What does it taste like after canning?

I canned carrots and they turned out mushy even though I cut them in big chunks.

Is the spinach mushy?

Sassi said...

Hi. I love Spinich & it cans very well. To WWRWH.. Please add all meats & other things afterwards. These things would alter your canning times. The Oregon State University Extension Web site is a good place to check about safe canning methods. You can reach a Master Food Presever if you need additional info. Safety is a real issue with home canned foods.
Sassi

Laurie Lou said...

We (my 6 kiddos and I)eat a lot of spinach, but mostly as fresh in green salads or barely steamed in pasta salads or with Asian sauces. Do you have any tried and true recipes that use canned spinach? I can't wait to try new ways of preparing foods that we already enjoy.

Anna Larson said...

I usually have more swiss chard then Spinach. Will Swiss Chard work the same when canned?

Anna Larson said...

I usually have more swiss chard then Spinach. Will Swiss Chard work the same when canned?

Brandon said...

What does it taste like after canning? I canned carrots and they turned out mushy even though I cut them in big chunks. Is the spinach mushy?

sulah said...

Ok.....the tips for canning spinach worked really well. Now, how about canning onions?

Anni said...

Pictures? Did it stay green or did it turn grayish? And I'm assuming it needs to be boiled when opened...