Have you ever tried blending spinach, but ended up with chunky greens inside your blend? That can be downright revolting. You might be thinking; “Maybe it’s a problem with the power of my blender”, perhaps if you got a more powerful blender, you could whip up a smooth blend, right? Wrong!
When blending spinach in a blender, there is a right and a wrong way to do things. In this article, we’ll be sharing with you some tips on how to blend spinach in a blender properly if you want to get the best results, even if you don’t have a very powerful blender.
Best Kinds of Spinach to Blend
Before blending your spinach, the first thing you need to do is to choose the right kind to blend. When it comes to creating nutritious green smoothies or drinks, choosing the right spinach variety is important. While there are numerous options available, a few stand out for their suitability in blending. If you’re looking to add spinach to your juices or smoothies, here are the best kinds to consider.
Blending Tips: How to Freeze Spinach For Smoothies
1. Regiment F1
This type of spinach is perfect for blending due to its large leaves that add substantial bulk to your drinks. With a quick harvest time of just 37 days, Regiment F1 is known for its rapid growth and weight. It’s an excellent choice for the transition from spring to summer, as it resists bolting, ensuring a consistent supply of fresh spinach for your blends.
2. Giant Winter
If you’re in search of large spinach leaves to enhance the texture of your smoothies, look no further than Giant Winter. As the name suggests, this type produces huge spinach leaves that are perfect for blending. Besides their size, these leaves offer all the nutritional benefits and delicious taste of spinach.
3. Verdil
For those interested in overwintering spinach, Verdil is the ideal variety. With a maturity period of only 37 days, it not only thrives during the cold winter months but also emerges strongly in the spring. Its resilience and ability to hold up well in colder temperatures make it a reliable option for blending throughout the year.
When choosing spinach for blending purposes you can consider opting for varieties with larger leaves that contribute to the bulk of your drinks.
How to Blend Spinach in a Blender
How do you blend spinach in a blender even if you don’t have a very powerful blender? Well, the process is quite simple.
It involves first blending your fresh spinach leaves with a small amount of water. Initially, you may need to experiment a bit by jiggling the blender or adding additional water until the first few leaves begin to blend into a smooth pureé.
As you blend, the spinach gradually transforms into a lush, velvety concoction. As you continue the process you’ll witness the leaves gracefully breaking down and merging into a smooth green blend.
Once you achieve the desired consistency—a smooth, liquefied texture—you can then add the rest of the ingredients you need for whatever recipe you are working on. If you have a lot of spinach leaves, then you should blend them in small batches for better results.
This process would work with any blender but will perform better with blenders with very high speeds. Hence we recommend blending in the highest speeds settings of whatever blender you might be using.
How to Make Spinach Smoothie
Want to make a spinach smoothie? Below is a step-by-step method of making spinach smoothies.
1. Start by Adding Liquids
When it comes to crafting a stellar spinach smoothie, let’s start with the essential first step: adding liquids. You can add liquids like filtered water, coconut water, and milk substitutes like almond, coconut, or soy milk.
These alternatives are great because they steer clear of the pitfalls of fruit juices and regular milk. Most fruit juices sneak in unhealthy sugars and unnecessary calories, so it’s best to tread lightly. If you want to add a touch of sweetness, you can opt for a tantalizing half-juice and half-water concoction.
By adding liquids before anything else, you make things easier for your blender. Your blender will be able to effortlessly draw in the fruit and leafy greens, guiding them into the swirling blades below.
But the secret to excellent blending lies in the proportions. The amount of liquid required depends on the kind of smoothie you want to make. For regular smoothies, you can use a liquid dosage of 6 to 8 ounces. But when it comes to the greener side of smoothie bliss or the frosty allure of frozen fruits, about 12 to 16 ounces of liquid would suffice.
2. Chop your Vegetables
The next step is to tackle the task of chopping vegetables. Get your knife and dice your spinach leaves into tiny pieces.
The power of your blender plays a pivotal role here. If you have a blender that lacks motor power, it’s doubly important to chop your ingredients finely. Aim for pieces no larger than 1 inch, or preferably even smaller if your blender hovers around the 300-watt range.
If you have the esteemed Blendtec or Vitamix blender, then you’re in luck! For you, chopping becomes an optional task. These mighty blenders render the task mostly unnecessary, saving you an incredible amount of time.
3. Add Your Fruits
First off, stick to the freshness—fresh fruits only. If you have frozen fruit or ice, save those for last.
When it comes to making a green smoothie, you might want to blend the greens separately before blending them together with the rest of the ingredients to ensure premium smoothness.
But if you have a powerful blender and don’t mind blending it all together, here’s the trick: fruit goes in before the greens. And if you’re planning to throw some yogurt into the mix, add it after the fruit and before the greens. That’s the sequence for ultimate smoothie glory.
Here’s the science behind it. If you add greens before the fruit, you’ll face a bottleneck situation in the middle of your blender jar. But by having the fruit take the lead, you create a powerful vortex—like a tornado of flavor. The fruit puree pulls those vibrant greens toward the blades.
4. Use Your Speeds Settings
If your blender has multiple speed settings, you might want to make use of that as well. Now, here’s the deal. Many people start blending by going all-in at high speed. It seems logical, right? However, they often find themselves stopping halfway through, grabbing a spoon to shuffle the ingredients around, and then revving up the blender again on high to finish the job. That can be a hassle.
But there’s a better approach. After giving it a few pulses, start blending on low speed, and then, after 20 to 30 seconds, crank it up to high. That gradual increase in speed works like magic to blend the fruit and greens effortlessly, with no spoon-shuffling required.
If you still find yourself needing to nudge the ingredients down or around, then stop the blender first. Once you’re done, again, start from low speed and gradually work your way up to high.
Conclusion
Blending spinach in a blender doesn’t have to be so difficult. With the simple technique stated above, you can achieve that perfectly smooth blend without any chunks.
If you’re looking for a blender that can achieve this seamlessly, we recommend opting for Blendtec or Vitamix. With them, blending your spinach becomes effortless. With these tips, you’ll be well on your way to creating nutritious and delicious spinach smoothies.