How to keep spinach green when cooked?

[Morning Glory]

I've tried various methods for cooking spinach whilst trying to maintain its green colour. I seem to have varying success. It often turns very dark green (almost black). It still tastes OK, of course! I think the method most often used is to blanch it and then immerse in iced water - heating briefly again when needed.

Do you have any techniques?

 

[MrsDangermouse]

I think the blanching it and then into iced water is the only way I know too, but even then it does sometimes go very dark. Maybe the variety of spinach dictates how much green it keeps after cooking? Also maybe baby spinach would stay greener because it doesn't need as much cooking as the older, tougher leaves?

 

[medtran49]

We nearly always use baby spinach. When I saute it, I just let it get to the point that it's mostly all wilted and then pull it off heat to finish cooking/wilting and try to serve ASAP. It turns a bit of a darker green, but certainly not nearly to black. Even last night when it sat for a while after I cooked it, it still didn't turn much darker.

I don't put spinach in water to blanch or shock anymore at all. It just adds too much liquid. I just barely cook as above and let it cool enough to handle if I have to squeeze out liquid for whatever I'm making.

 

[Morning Glory]

We nearly always use baby spinach. When I saute it, I just let it get to the point that it's mostly all wilted and then pull it off heat to finish

Yeah - the best results I get are when adding baby spinach direct to a dish right at the end. I was just looking through my photos and found this example of brown chickpeas with spinach curry.

 

[epicuric]

Yeah - the best results I get are when adding baby spinach direct to a dish right at the end. I was just looking through my photos and found this example of brown chickpeas with spinach curry.

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Beautiful! I'm not sure if it is possible to retain the original colour when cooking down spinach. I usually sautee in butter with a tablespoon of water, then a generous squeeze of lemon juice. It still gets darker, but then so do all green vegetables that I can think of.

 

[Wyshiepoo]

I have been known to add a little food colouring at times to make some food look better. Would a drop of green help?

 

[Morning Glory]

I have been known to add a little food colouring at times to make some food look better. Would a drop of green help?

I don't think it would if its already gone dark. I'm not averse to using food colouring though.