How to Dehydrate Spinach

Here is a plate full of dehydrated spinach, a multipurpose staple for our dehydrated meals for camping or homemade dehydrated backpacking meals. Lightweight and shelf-stable, we can store it for long-term use knowing it will keep for up to a year or more with proper storage.

This is our step-by-step guide on how to dehydrate frozen spinach. Spinach is one of the best foods to dehydrate for long-term storage, offering a quick and convenient way to add greens to your dehydrated camping food or homemade backpacking meals. It’s pre-washed,pre-blanched, and ready to dehydrate, saving you time and effort compared to working with fresh spinach. Once dehydrated, it becomes lightweight, compact, and shelf-stable, making it a great ingredient option in our Dehydrator Chef recipes. Properly dehydrated and stored, dehydrated spinach should keep for at least 12 months in your pantry.

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Print Recipe

Prep Time 30

Dehydrating Time 1

Total Time 1 30

Course Dehydrated Food Ingredient

Cuisine Backpacking, Camping, Dehydrated Food, Hiking

Servings from one 16-ounce bag

Calories 25 kcal

Equipment

Food dehydrator
Removable fruit roll sheet insert (one for each dehydrator tray)
Common kitchen tools (including cutting boards, chef's knife, spatula, etc.)
Canning jars with tight-fitting lids
Wide-mouth canning jar funnel
Desiccant packets for moisture control (optional)

Ingredients

frozen spinach

Instructions

Process the Frozen Spinach

Empty the contents on the fruit roll sheets. Break apart the larger frozen pieces of spinach into smaller fragments.
frozen spinach
Inspect the frozen spinach pieces for anything that shouldn't be there.

Prepare the Dehydrator

Spread the frozen spinach in a thin layer on the removable fruit roll sheet to promote even drying; one 16-ounce bag will fill two Nesco 13.5-inch round dehydrator trays.

Dehydrate the Spinach

Set the dehydrator thermostat temperature to 135 °F (57 °C). Dry for 18 to 24 hours until done.
Check on the spinach every few hours and break apart the bigger pieces into smaller fragments to help prevent case hardening.

When is the Dehydrated Spinach Done

When done, the dehydrated spinach will be crisp and brittle and will crumble into smaller pieces when crushed. There should be no wet or mushy pieces.

Equalizing and Conditioning Dehydrated Spinach

After a short cooling period, loosely pack the dehydrated spinach into a clean, dry canning jar with a tight-fitting lid, leaving some headspace.
Every day, for 7 to 10 days, check the jar for moisture. Roll the jar contents around and note any clumping or sticking. If seen, put it all back on the dehydrator for several more hours.
If you notice any mold at all, even the slightest bit, throw it all out.

Storing the Dehydrated Spinach

Use appropriate-sized canning jars for storage. Depending on how well you dehydrate the hash browns and your pantry storage conditions, it should keep for at least 12 months.
An optional food-safe desiccant packet will aid with moisture control.
Attach or include a label describing the jar contents and the date the product was dehydrated. The label identifies the canning jar contents, and the date helps with the rotation schedule. A first-in, first-out rotation helps us to use items that have been on the shelf the longest, so we're using the oldest food first.

Notes

Drying times will vary depending on your dehydrator and environmental conditions. Refer to your dehydrator owner’s manual for recommended temperatures and times for dehydrating specific foods. Remember to use drying times as a guide.

Nutrition

Serving: 10gCalories: 25kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 3gSodium: 65mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1g

Nutrition information is only an estimate and may differ depending on the ingredients you use.

Keywords dehydrating food for long term storage, how to dehydrate frozen spinach, how to dehydrate spinach

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