Author: Cyndie Story
Last saved by: michelle.armstrong
Company: Culinary Solution Centers, LLC

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program
Vegetable Preparation Methods and Tips

Segment 36: Spinach

Chef Cyndie: Spinach is a delicious tasting green, leafy vegetable that is so good for you.  Raw spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A, magnesium, and folic acid.  It is also a good source of iron and calcium.

Most school food service operations purchase pre-rinsed, bagged spinach and baby spinach leaves.  This spinach does not have to be rinsed in your facility prior to using.  Be sure to check the best if used by date. 

If you are buying spinach that is not pre-rinsed, be sure to use the immersion method for rinsing.  The leaves must be completely immersed in cold water.  Just running water over the leaves will not remove the sand and debris. Be sure to drain well so that you don’t have watery spinach, or use a commercial salad spinner.

When adding spinach to recipes such as salads, you may want to consider a technique known as chiffonade to disguise your spinach leaves and allow all of the lettuces and greens to blend together.  We do this because sometimes when we add large spinach leaves to our salad, student’s will say “ewe, they are putting weeds in our salad”

To chiffonade, which literally means to make ribbons, roll your pre-rinsed spinach leaves into a fairly tight roll.  Then using your chef’s knife, make ¼ inch cuts across the roll.  Doesn’t that look so much more colorful and nutritious than our original salad?

Mama said for you to eat your greens.  Chef Cyndie says to eat a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables as part of your healthy diet.