Freeze Dried Greens - Spinach and Kale

We've all heard that eating your greens is important for your diet.  Greens like spinach and kale are rich in nutrients and vitamins.  They are superfoods and can really help increase your bodies overall health.

But if you are like many in my family, you do not like to eat spinach or kale.  Even in a salad, someone is always complaining they don't like the strong flavor.

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So how do you get these important greens into your families diet?  Why not try freeze drying spinach and kale?

That's right.  You can freeze dry greens and put them in the blender to create healthy powdered greens.  Then just add a spoonful to a smoothie, sprinkle on a salad or in a recipe to up the nutritional value.

Plus, freeze dried spinach makes a fun and crunchy snack for anyone that actually loves to eat their greens.

What is Freeze-Drying?

Freeze drying is the process of freezing an item almost completely solid and then removing all moisture content through a vacuum process.  This allows for foods to become shelf-stable when they might otherwise not be able to be preserved.

If you are new to freeze drying, check out our post All About Freeze Drying and its benefits.  We'll share more about freeze drying and loads of great foods we've freeze dried and love.

What are the Benefits of Freeze Drying Spinach and Kale

Freeze drying is one of the best methods of preserving the nutritional value of foods for long term storage.  Freeze dried foods are not cooked during the freeze drying process.  That means none of the nutritional structure of the foods is broken down, which means you don't lose very many nutrients.

Which is great when you want to add powdered greens to your pantry.  Freeze drying spinach, kale, collards, parsley, etc., will keep the majority of their nutritional value.  You aren't sacrificing health for convenience. 

And added bonus is that freeze dried greens, if properly stored, can be stored for up to 25 years.  Which means if you have a great year in the garden, those greens can last for years to come.

Supplies Needed to Freeze Dry Spinach and Kale

Freeze Dryer Machine:  We use the large Harvest Right Freeze Dryer.  We decided to go with the large because it can hold more, which means filling less often versus running the machine more often.  But they come in small, medium, large and now ex-large.

Vacuum Sealer: A vacuum sealer is a good investment if you plan to store your freeze dried goods in jars.  This eliminates the cost and need for oxygen absorbers.

Mylar Bags:  A Mylar bag is a great choice for storing freeze dried foods.  They come in many sizes and keep light from getting to foods.  They can be stored in tubs or 5 gallon buckets for easy access.  Make sure to purchase thick bags to avoid foods puncturing through and ruining your food supply.

Impulse Sealer: An Impulse Sealer is used to seal Mylar bags.  Heat is applied to the bag layers to seal them together and avoid moisture, air and light from penetrating the bags.

Oxygen Absorbers: Whether you plan to use Mylar bags or canning jars, you'll want to invest in oxygen absorbers.  These will be added to each Mylar bag and short term shortage jars.  This ensures that any oxygen in the packaging is absorbed and keeps the food from spoiling.  

You can purchase these in many places including from Harvest Right and even on Amazon.  We've had success with both, but you may need to try a few brands until you find one that works best for you.

Ways to Use Freeze Dried Greens

You might be asking yourself, "Sure, powdered greens sound great.  But what will I actually use them in besides smoothies?"

Great question.  Here are some ideas on how to use powdered greens.

• In smoothies
• Add a spoonful to muffin or pancake mix
• Whisk into juice or popsicles before freezing
• Sprinkle on scrambled eggs
• Mix a spoonful into protein balls or bites
• Stir into a salad or salad dressing

These are just a few of the ways we've used freeze dried spinach and kale.  But there are so many different ways you can add greens to your meals.

VIDEO:  How to Freeze Dry Spinach and Kale

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How to Freeze Dry Spinach and Kale

Freeze drying spinach and kale is really quick and easy.  In fact, it usually will only take between 12-15 hours to freeze dry.  

Wash and dry spinach and kale.  Cut the stem from the middle of the kale or pull of the leaves. Place on freeze dryer trays.  We suggest pre-freeze trays in conventional freezer, this will bring the freeze drying time down by several hours.

Place trays in freeze dryer. Press start. Allow greens to freeze and go through the freeze dry process.  When prompted, turn release valve and remove from freeze dryer.

Place spinach and kale into a blender.  Blend until a fine powder is formed.

Check for any wet, cold or moist areas on the tray.  If all feels dry, place into Mylar Bags with an Oxygen Absorbers and seal with heat. OR store in an air tight jar or container for immediate use.

Now you've got some great ideas on what it takes to freeze dry spinach and kale, how to make it into powdered greens and how to use freeze dried spinach and kale in everyday meals.  I hope this was helpful for you.  Make sure to download the recipe below.  Go have yourself a smoothie!

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