Spinach, this little green guy, occupies an indispensable place in our daily lives. It is rich in nutritional value, especially for our female friends, regular consumption can play a role in blood replenishment, making our face more ruddy. But when we go to the wet market to pick spinach, we are often faced with a problem: how to distinguish round-leaf spinach from sharp-leaf spinach?Today, let's take a look at this question to help you choose the freshest spinach that best suits your cooking needs.
Spinach is a nutritious vegetable that is rich in vitamins C, K, A, and B, as well as minerals such as iron, calcium, and magnesium. Among them, spinach has a high iron content and has a good effect on blood replenishment. In addition, spinach also contains a lot of dietary fiber, which helps to promote intestinal peristalsis and improve constipation.
When picking spinach, the first thing to focus on is its freshness. The leaves of fresh spinach are tender green, with no obvious yellow leaves or dead leaves, and the stems are pale red. If the leaves show significant yellowing or wilting, or if the stems have shrunken, they may not be fresh.
When picking spinach, we should also pay attention to its tenderness. In general, the more tender spinach has thinner leaves and thinner stems, which gives it a better taste. If the leaves are thicker and the stems are thicker, it may taste slightly worse.
In order to ensure food safety and health, it is best for us to choose varieties with organic certification when buying spinach. Organic spinach is grown without the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, which is healthier and more environmentally friendly.
Round-leaved spinach is one of the most common varieties, with round, thick leaves, dark green in color, and short stems. This spinach has a tender taste and high nutritional value, making it suitable for stir-frying, making soups and other cooking methods. When buying round-leaf spinach, you should choose plants with intact leaves, no yellow leaves, and dead leaves.
Spinach has slender leaves, dark green in color, and long stems. This type of spinach has a relatively tender taste but is slightly less nutritious than round-leaf spinach. Spinach with pointed leaves is suitable for use in coleslaw or stir-frying. When buying spinach with pointed leaves, you should choose plants with intact leaves, no yellow leaves, and dead leaves.
Round-leaf spinach is suitable for stir-frying or making soups. When cooking, you can first blanch the spinach with hot water and then stir-fry it with eggs, tofu and other ingredients. In addition, round-leaf spinach can also be used to make soups such as egg drop soup.
Spinach with pointed leaves is suitable for use in coleslaw or stir-frying. You can wash the spinach and blanch it with hot water, then add vinegar, minced garlic and other seasonings to mix cold. When stir-frying, spinach can be stir-fried with other ingredients, such as garlic spinach, etc.
Wrap the purchased spinach tightly in a plastic wrap bag or plastic wrap and refrigerate it. This preserves the freshness of the spinach and prolongs its shelf life. However, it should be noted that the refrigeration time should not be too long, and it is best to consume it within a week.
Wash the purchased spinach and blanch it in hot water, drain it and put it in a plastic bag to freeze. This method allows for long-term preservation of spinach, but it is important to note that the taste may change after thawing.