How and how much to cook spinach?

Before cooking, spinach should not only be thoroughly rinsed, but also sorted out. Yellowed or withered leaves should be set aside and not used for cooking. If there are spots on the leaves, then such spinach should also be removed. You can lay the leaves in cold water, and then bring it to a boil, or immediately in a boiling liquid. There will be no difference in taste, but the temperature of the water will affect the overall cooking time of the ingredient.

Spinach cooking process:

• rinse and sort spinach;
• pour water and bring to a boil;
• drain the water;
• rinse the spinach with cold water;
• squeeze spinach in a colander.

Spinach leaves can be boiled whole or pre-chopped. This nuance does not affect the cooking time, and the taste does not change. If spinach is used for cooking cabbage soup, then it is better to put it in a saucepan a few minutes before cooking. There is no need to cook the leaves separately.

If the spinach is frozen, defrost it before cooking. This can be done by pouring cold water or waiting for natural thawing at room temperature. If you throw a frozen spinach briquette into boiling water, its taste will change and the leaves will lose their rich aroma and color.

Nuances of cooking spinach:

• the stems at the base of the spinach leaves must be cut or torn off before cooking;
• it is not worth cutting the veins from the leaves (during the cooking process they will become soft and will not spoil the consistency of the intended dish);
• it is recommended to soak spinach in cold water for a few minutes before cooking;
• it is necessary to fill the spinach with water not only completely, but also so that the liquid is with a margin of several centimeters (at least 3-4 cm);
• if you oversalt the spinach, then its aroma and taste will be completely lost (if the spinach is salted, then it can be rinsed more thoroughly in water, and in the main dish, use less salt);
• so that the spinach does not lose the brightness of the leaves, after cooking it can be sprinkled with crushed ice (when the ice melts, the remaining liquid is drained, and the spinach itself is slightly squeezed out);
• it is necessary to cook spinach over high heat, and the cooking time is recorded from the moment the steam appears.

If the spinach is digested, then a minimum amount of vitamins will remain in it. In addition, the leaves will lose their shape and will only be suitable for use as additional ingredients in meals. Overcooked spinach looks unattractive as a separate dish.

How much to cook spinach

The spinach is cooked for 3-5 minutes. If it was previously frozen, then the cooking time should be increased by 2 minutes. The countdown must be carried out from the moment the water boils.

In a double boiler, spinach is cooked for 2 minutes. Before placing in the container, the leaves can be immediately salted or sprinkled with spices. After steaming, spinach retains its shape, so it can be used for stuffing or making rolls.

In a slow cooker or microwave, spinach is cooked for 3 minutes. In the first and second cases, the leaves must be filled with hot water. The liquid should be exactly hot, but not boiling water.