How to Dehydrate Spinach and Make Spinach Powder!

Dehydrate spinach and make spinach powder to extend the life of your garden-grown spinach or the great grocery deals you can get! It is one of the easiest dehydrating projects you can do and is so versatile!

Do I Need to Blanch Spinach?

Blanching isn't necessary.

Spinach, like all greens, contains oxalic acid which can work against your body absorbing the vital nutrients from spinach. We often eat spinach raw in salads, etc., and that's fine.

But because, in most cases, you'll be using dehydrated spinach in foods that you cook, you don't need to blanch as the cooking takes care of it.

Blanching can help reduce the size of large spinach to make loading onto trays easier, but you'll need to separate them more so that leaves don't stick and not dry properly.

When Is Dehydrated Spinach Done?

When your spinach shatters in your fingers it is done. But be sure to check those stems, too. If they are not dry, keep drying!

Equpiment needed:

• Dehydrator
• Grinder
• Mason Jars
• Salad Spinner (this is optional, but I find it helpful.

How to Dehydrate Spinach

1. Wash leaves.
2. Dry off leaves (I find a salad spinner works great to remove excess surface moisture).
3. Place on trays.
4. Dry at 125F / 52 C for 4-8 hours.
5. Condition.
6. Store in an airtight container.

Oven Directions:

1. Follow the instructions above for prep
2. Place on cooling racks on cookie sheets.
3. Dry in an oven at the very lowest setting it has with the door cracked open to allow airflow and moisture to escape.
4. Keep an eye on leave so that they don't burn.

Get more ideas on dehydrating in the oven here.

Dehydrating Frozen Spinach

Frozen spinach can be dried, as well.

Directions:

1. Thaw
2. Spread onto trays the best you can
3. Dry at 95F/35C (recommended is 125F/52C, but the lower the more of the vitamins and minerals you keep)
4. Test - should crumble
5. Condition
6. Store

How to Store

After conditioning, dehydrated spinach can be stored in an airtight container for six months to a year.

How to use Dehydrated Spinach

• Dehydrated flakes, as we like to call them, make a perfect addition to just about any meal you are going to cook.
• We crush them just enough to not be large leaves, but not so much that they are like crushed herbs. It gives spinach bulk to a meal, without being overwhelming.
• Use to color fresh pasta or bread dough
• Sprinkle in scrambled eggs
• Use to make green powder supplement capsules

They will rehydrate naturally in whatever you are making.

• Quiche
• Fritattas
• Casseroles
• Soups
• Meatloaf

• 10 oz package of bulk spinach=
• 9.5 C of fresh bulk spinach=
• 8 C of dehydrated spinach=
• ¼ C of spinach powder

How to Make Spinach Powder

Powdering spinach is easy, and you don't need any special equipment. Simply placing your spinach in a zip-top bag and crushing it with your hands can be enough for a rough powder that looks like the typical dried herbs you get at the store.

I use a large blender because of the bulk, but you can use a coffee grinder or bullet blender, too.

It's a good idea to place your powder back onto trays in order to dry it as heat from grinding can create moisture. Here's how I do it with trays I made from fruit leather sheets.

You can also mix your spinach powder with greens of every sort to create a master mix of Green Powder.

Uses for Spinach Powder or any Green Powder

• Use to color fresh pastas
• Sprinkle in scrambled eggs
• Use to make green powder supplement capsules
• Add to any savory dish to add an additional boost of nutrition.

Want to try More Powders?

Vegetable Powder

Fruit Powder