Green spinach is a familiar dish to us Vietnamese people. This dish is rich in nutrients such as vitamin A, E, K, calcium. However, if you don’t know how to boil spinach properly, it can easily become dark and yellow, making the dish less appealing. That’s why, to become a competent housewife, remember this secret when boiling spinach to make the green vegetable more attractive.
Tips to boil spinach to make it look fresh and appealing
Add salt to the pot of boiling water
Salt is one of the factors that increases the heat of the water, which shortens the boiling time for the spinach. As a result, the boiled spinach stays evenly cooked, crunchy, and vibrant green without becoming mushy or turning red from overcooking. Furthermore, adding salt when boiling spinach also enhances the flavor and makes the boiled spinach dish more savory and appealing for your family.
The recommended amount of salt for boiling spinach is about 1/2 – 1 small teaspoon, depending on the amount of water in the pot.
You should add salt to the water from the beginning and wait for the water to boil before adding the spinach. When the spinach is cooked, you can scoop it into a bowl of ice water to preserve its green color and ensure its crispiness.
Add vinegar or lemon juice to the pot of boiling water
Adding a little vinegar or lemon juice when boiling spinach will make the boiled dish look greener and more visually appealing. Just a small amount of vinegar/lemon juice helps maintain the color of the spinach without affecting its original taste.
The method is simple, just add about 2 teaspoons of lemon juice or vinegar to the pot of boiling water, then boil the spinach and remove it when it is cooked.
Boil spinach with enough water
To keep the boiled spinach green and crunchy, it needs to be fully submerged in water while boiling. Boil the spinach until it is properly cooked, as undercooked spinach will turn black, while overcooked spinach will turn yellowish.
Soak the cooked spinach in cold water to make it crispy
Prepare a bowl of cold water with ice (you can also add a few pieces of lemon peel to make the spinach more fragrant), and soak the boiled spinach in this cold water until it becomes cool. Then, remove the spinach and let it drain.
Above are some tips for boiling spinach to keep the dish fresh, crunchy, and appealing.
The simplest method is to use a lot of water and a small amount of spinach. In this case, the water heats up quickly and the spinach cooks fast. If there is a large amount of spinach, it will take longer for the water to boil, and the spinach will take longer to cook and may change color. The reason why spinach turns red is that the prolonged boiling time causes the polyphenols to oxidize and turn red, making the spinach look unappetizing and less tasty.
The fourth method is to add a little salt before putting the spinach into the pot of boiling water. This will enhance the flavor of the spinach, preserve more vitamins and nutrients in the vegetable, and ensure that the spinach remains a vibrant green color.
However, salt should not be added too much or too little, as it will not have the desired effect of preserving the green color and the nutrients in the spinach. It may also make the boiled spinach less appetizing and difficult to eat.
The perfect ratio of salt to water is 1 teaspoon of salt to 1/2 liter of boiling water.
Wishing you success!
