how to blanch spinach
Blanching spinach softens its leaves, intensifies its green color, and heightens its flavor. Be sure to buy lots because a huge amount of fresh spinach wittles down to practically nothing. Here, 10 ounces of fresh spinach shrink down to a wad the size of a small ball.
Wash spinach in a bowl. I do this even with pre-washed greens because they need to be wet.
Allow the leaves to drain for 5 minutes in a calendar.
Place a 10-inch skillet on a stove and turn the flame to medium-high. By the handful, add the spinach right away. Fight the temptation to just dump the spinach in, as extra water will get in the pan and we’re trying to eliminate excessive moistness.
Mix around with kitchen tongs until all the spinach leaves have wilted
but are still a nice, and not ‘murky,’ shade of green. Like this.
Drain in a colander.
Once sufficiently cooled, squeeze any remaining water out of the spinach with your hand. When I’m not photographing the process, I get in there with both hands and really squeeze the bejesus out of the suckers.
Either use right away or, for future use, store in a covered bowl for up to three days.