freezing cooking greens

[snugglebug14]

How well do things like swish chard and spinach freeze? do I need to blanch them first? how long? thanks

[Llyra]

I know spinach freezes really well. I've never tried chard, but I'm sure it would be fine. I also freeze kale, turnip greens, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and lots of other green veggies.

I blanch briefly in steam (boiling water is fine, too, but you'll preserve more vitamins in steam), and then freeze quickly in an airtight container-- put the container right against the back/bottom of the freezer to make sure they freeze fast. I don't know the exact recommended blanching times, but you can google those I'm sure. I think I probably do it about a minute and a half, just until the color darkens a bit. If you don't blanch, you'll still get a safe product, but the texture and color won't keep as nicely. And when you do eat them, cook them while still frozen. If you thaw, they get kinda mushy.