Spinach

2023 Author: Wallace Forman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-27 18:19

Even if it is not the "iron bomb" as originally assumed - spinach has concentrated vitamin power and is a tasty ingredient in many dishes. When shopping, look for fresh leaves without spots or yellow spots. Free range spinach contains less nitrate. Spinach should be processed relatively quickly and should not be stored for long. It can be stored in the vegetable drawer in the refrigerator for a maximum of two days. Spinach is very suitable for freezing…

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Botany
ingredients
Use and preparation
storage

Botany

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) belongs to the goosefoot family. In the case of annual leafy vegetables, a distinction is made between summer and winter spinach according to the time of cultivation. The former has short-stemmed leaves and is more tender. Its “relative”, the Swiss chard, is similar in appearance and can replace spinach in many dishes. In the taste, Swiss chard is a bit more intense. Spinach leaves are triangular to arrowhead-shaped and light to dark green in color. Spinach is commercially available as leaf and root spinach. The difference here is not in the variety, but only in the harvesting method. Spinach leaves are harvested by hand and are therefore more expensive. Root spinach is harvested by machine, including the roots.

Home-grown spinach is available from April to November.

ingredients

Spinach is a low-calorie vegetable that is rich in the vitamins of the B group and vitamin C. It also has a high beta-carotene content (3,250 µg / 100 g) - this is the precursor of vitamin A. The green leafy vegetables also provide the body with the minerals potassium, calcium, magnesium and iron.

Note "Spinach replaces half a pharmacy", as the saying goes.

However, the common assumption that spinach is a true "iron bomb" is wrong. Due to a scientist's miscalculation, it was mistakenly assumed that 100 g spinach contained 35 mg iron. Since dried spinach powder was used in the experiments and not fresh spinach, which consists of around 90 percent water, the actual iron content is significantly lower at 4.1 mg / 100 g. Compared to other vegetables, spinach is still a very good source of iron. Spinach stores nitrate, which is mainly contained in stems and leaf veins. If spinach is warmed up several times or kept warm for a long time, nitrate can be converted into nitrite. This can combine with protein to form nitrosamines that are harmful to health. Spinach should therefore be eaten or taken as soon as possible after preparation.cooled down and not warmed up several times. The simultaneous presence of vitamin C improves the utilization of iron in the body and can inhibit the formation of nitrosamines.

Tip Lemon juice during preparation or a glass of orange juice - this means that fewer nitrosamines are formed and the iron contained is better utilized!

Ingredients spinach	per 100 g edible portion, raw	Ingredients spinach	per 100 g edible portion, raw
Energy (kcal)	16	Iron (mg)	4.1
Fat (g)	0.3	Vitamin A (µg)	795
Protein (g)	2.7	Vitamin B1 (mg)	0.1
Carbohydrates (g)	0.6	Vitamin B2 (mg)	0.2
Dietary fiber (g)	2.6	Niacin (mg)	0.6
Potassium (mg)	554	Vitamin B6 (mg)	0.2
Calcium (mg)	117	Vitamin C (mg)	51
Magnesium (mg)	58	Vitamin E (mg)	1.4
Folic acid (µg)	145

Use and preparation

If the spinach leaves are coarse, the stems and roots should be cut off. By removing stems and leaf veins, the nitrate content can also be reduced. Fresh spinach should only be washed under running water shortly before preparation. Spinach can either be cooked when preparing the meal or blanched beforehand.

Spinach can be used in many ways in the kitchen: A classic is cream or creamed spinach with potato pancakes and fried egg. The spinach aroma goes very well with fish and meat. It is also particularly suitable for filling strudel or pasta, for example. The spinach and sheep cheese strudel, known from Levantine cuisine, has become indispensable in this country and is very popular. Many dishes with spinach can be found in Italian and French cuisine - casseroles, lasagna, quiches and tartes with spinach are popular.

Note Tender summer spinach can be eaten raw in salads.

storage

When shopping, look for fresh leaves without spots or yellow spots. Free range spinach contains less nitrate. Spinach should be processed relatively quickly and should not be stored for long. It can be stored in the vegetable drawer in the refrigerator for a maximum of two days. Spinach is very suitable for freezing - blanch it shortly after harvesting and freeze it in portions.

Note Thawed spinach should not be re-frozen.