Spinach, although low in calories, has nutritional components essential for a healthy diet. Spinach contains a number of vitamins  (especially Vitamin K) and minerals and so is well worth dehydrating.

Once dehydrated it cannot be rehydrated to its original state, but you can use the flakes to add nutrition to many dishes, and you can reduce the flakes to make spinach powder which is great for making your own greens powder.

INFO

Fresh Weight	100 Grams	Uses Can be added to most dishes (e.g. burgers) yet be hardly noticeable- a good way to boost nutritional intake Mix with sour cream or kefir cream cheese Add to dehydrated ready meals Use to make spinach powder Use to make baby food
Dried Weight	9 Grams
One Daily Portion (Dried)	7 Grams
One Daily Portion (Powder)	5 Level teaspoons
Preparation Time	20 minutes
Drying Time	4-8 hours
Drying Temperature	125 Fahrenheit/ 52 Celsius
Health Benefits	Circulation, vision, bone health, brain function and weight reduction
Main Harvest Period	Spring

 

EQUIPMENT

• Plastic bowls
• Colander/ Salad spinner
• Food Wash

PREPARATION

Discard any leaves that are damaged or wilted. Wash the remaining leaves in a fruit and vegetable wash.

Drying time will depend on the initial dryness of the leaves. To cut down on the time required, dry well with paper towel after washing. If you have a salad spinner this can get rid of most of the moisture.

DEHYDRATING

Spread the Spinach out on the trays and dry at 125 Fahrenheit/ 52 Celsius for between 4 to 8 hours.  The leaves are ready when they feel like thin paper and crumble easily between your fingers.

You should be able to crush the dried spinach into flakes with your fingers. Sometimes the leaf spines may not dry completely so when you crush the dehydrated spinach remove any soft spines.

This is what 300 grams of fresh spinach looks like when dried and crushed .

STORAGE

Store in sealed containers in a dark area and add oxygen absorbers to help keep the contents dry.

CONDITIONING

Conditioning is a process of making sure that whatever you have dried has as little moisture as possible in it. It’s a simple process and involves mixing or shaking to redistribute the Spinach and make sure it is completely dry. do this over a few days.

Tip: If I am making Spinach powder I usually do this immediately after the Spinach comes out of the dehydrator as I find that is when it is at its crispiest.