How many minutes to blanch spinach

Everyone is very familiar with spinach, especially in the winter in the north, when spinach is available in large quantities. But we all know that before eating spinach, it needs to be boiled or blanched in hot water because spinach contains oxalic acid and cannot be eaten directly. But how many minutes is appropriate to blanch spinach? It will take about five minutes, but of course it depends on the amount of spinach you use each time.

Do you need to blanch spinach?

It is recommended to blanch spinach before eating. Because spinach is rich in oxalic acid, it has the highest oxalic acid content among green leafy vegetables. 200 grams of spinach contains about 1500 mg of oxalic acid. Oxalic acid will combine with free calcium ions in the body to form calcium oxalate crystals, which not only have a bitter taste and affect the taste, but are also prone to cause urinary stones and affect calcium absorption. Oxalic acid is easily soluble in water, so we generally recommend blanching spinach to remove the oxalic acid before eating it.

Do you need to blanch spinach before cooking it in soup?

Although oxalic acid is easily soluble in water, it will not be decomposed by heating. Therefore, blanching spinach in boiling water does not decompose the oxalic acid, but rather dissolves and dilutes it. Therefore, when making spinach soup, if you cook the spinach directly and drink the soup, it is equivalent to not reducing the intake of oxalic acid. The oxalic acid is still in the soup, but it is dispersed to two places and enters the human body. After blanching, pour out the water used to blanch the spinach, and the oxalic acid content in the spinach will be greatly reduced.

Therefore, you should blanch the spinach before cooking it. However, because the spinach has been blanched, after putting it into boiling soup or wok, the heating should be stopped within 1 minute to avoid overcooking and making the spinach leaves soft and mushy.

How long does it take to blanch spinach to remove oxalic acid?

Wash the spinach, remove the roots and set aside. Put a pot on the stove and boil the water. Add spinach and blanch for about 1-2 minutes. Take out the spinach, soak it in cold water, drain it and you can eat it. In this way, about 80% of the oxalic acid will dissolve in the water. At this time, take out the spinach and cook it. This can not only remove the astringency, but also greatly reduce the bad effects of oxalic acid without too much loss of nutrients in the spinach.

Can you eat spinach without blanching it?

Of course, in real life, some people find it troublesome and it’s no big deal if they don’t blanch the vegetables. For people with normal digestive ability and good health, the absorption rate of oxalic acid in the intestine is not high, and a small amount of oxalic acid generally does not have much impact after being absorbed. As long as you drink more water to dilute the concentration, you can prevent the occurrence of urinary stones. Dietary oxalate intake is not a major risk factor for kidney stones. Studies have found that the diet of patients with kidney stones does not contain more oxalate than the diet of healthy people without stones.

Moreover, the oxalic acid content of spinach varies greatly depending on the variety, cultivation method and cultivation time. For example, winter spinach often has a lower oxalic acid content and is less astringent, so it does not taste unpalatable even without blanching. Summer spinach contains more oxalic acid and has a stronger astringent taste. It tastes astringent if it is not blanched.

However, people who already have urinary stones have a higher utilization rate of oxalic acid than normal people, so be vigilant. The oxalic acid contained in spinach is a taboo for patients with urinary tract stones and may aggravate the condition. Therefore, if you suffer from urinary tract stones, it is best to eat spinach in moderation.

Notes on blanching spinach

1. Keep the lid open during the blanching process, because when the spinach is first exposed to high temperature, the green color will increase and become emerald green. If you continue to heat it, the green will turn into yellow or brown. This is because the chlorophyll undergoes demagnesiumization, especially in an acidic environment. Demagnesiumization is more likely to occur, and organic acids will be released during the heating process. This organic acid is the main substance that causes vegetables to change color. However, leaving the lid open will allow the organic acid to evaporate with the steam, thereby reducing the degree of magnesium desorption in vegetables.

2. The blanching time cannot be too short, otherwise the vegetables will not be blanched thoroughly, and the purpose of inactivating phenolase will not be achieved. Instead, it will promote the browning of vegetables. Similarly, the blanching time should not be too long, otherwise the vegetables will become dull and lose their luster, and the chlorophyll will decompose excessively. The blanching time must be controlled and shortened.

3. When blanching, you may want to add an appropriate amount of oil to the boiling water. This way, the oil will quickly wrap around the vegetables, preventing water from contacting the vegetables, reducing nutrient loss, and preventing the vegetables from oxidation and discoloration for a long time.