Dehydrating Spinach + How to Make Spinach Powder
Dehydrating spinach is really easy to do if you want to take your camping meals up a notch! You can have it on hand to incorporate into delicious lunches or dinners with hardly any effort.
You’ll be amazed at how much flavor, color, and nutrition this little powerhouse green adds to your meal. Spinach is truly a very simple vegetable to dehydrate and it is a favorite way of ours to eat greens while backpacking!
Dehydrating Spinach for Camping
Dehydrating vegetables is a great way to preserve them for later use. Veggies lose much of their water content during the process. This not only makes them easier to store but also concentrates their flavor and nutrition.
Of all the vegetables that can be dehydrated, spinach is by far the easiest. It’s a great one to start with if you are new to dehydrating vegetables.
Choosing Spinach to Dehydrate
Besides the obvious must-do, which is choosing fresh unblemished leaves, what type of spinach you choose is a matter of personal preference.
I personally prefer to dehydrate baby spinach rather than big leaf spinach because it is less work (which equals less time) and less tearing of leaves.
My garden provides a lot of big leaf spinach early season. I usually devour the early spinach fresh, though. I wait until the end of spinach season to harvest all the smaller leaves for dehydration before the spinach goes to seed in the heat.
Both baby and big leaf spinach work beautifully for drying but it’s recommended that you tear the big leaves into smaller pieces and remove thicker stems before loading them into the dehydrator.
If you have access to bulk spinach from Costco or another source, it’s really fun to process it all at once and have it ready to make into spinach powder, dehydrated spinach flakes, or just have it stored in mason jars to use for backpacking or camping trips.
How Much Does 1 lb of Fresh Spinach Yield When Dried?
Let’s talk YIELDS because this can be tricky business and is super helpful information to have handy when preparing for a camping trip! Spinach leaves shrink up to 1/4 to 1/3 of their size when dehydrated.
- One cup of fresh spinach equals ONE SERVING.
- One pound of fresh spinach equals 10-12 cups before dehydrating.
- One pound of fresh spinach will reduce to about 1 cup of cooked spinach.
- One pound of spinach will dehydrate into 1/2 pound of dried spinach.
- ONE CUP fresh spinach = 1/2 CUP dried spinach = 1 TBS spinach powder
Working with bulk vegetables is worthwhile when dehydrating food for camping trips, but especially with greens, and even more, if your end goal is a dehydrated powder form.
Preparation: Dehydrating Spinach
Rinse spinach or wash in a bowl of water especially if it is gritty from growing your garden. The large leaves of spinach will have large stems attached to them. It is best to trim off the large stems entirely. Baby spinach stems are not an issue and can stay put.
Dry spinach in a salad spinner or use terry cloth or paper towels. Lay washed spinach on a clean towel to dry. Lay another towel over the top to pat the spinach dry as best as possible. It doesn’t need to be 100% dry before loading it into the dehydrator.
Should You Blanch Spinach Before Dehydrating?
Blanching spinach before dehydrating is not necessary although some choose to do this. Some have concerns regarding oxalates in spinach but if you plan to cook with the dried spinach, anyway, blanching is an extra unnecessary step.
One benefit of blanching is it helps slow or stop the enzyme activity that can cause undesirable changes in flavor and texture during storage. I eat my dried spinach relatively soon after making it so I don’t experience such storage issues.
If you would like to blanch your spinach do so by putting it in boiling water for 4 minutes, drain, rinse with ice cold water (or toss in an ice bath), and lay on towels to get rid of excess water, and then follow instructions for dehydration.
How to Dehydrate Spinach
After following the preparation instructions above, load spinach onto dehydrator trays in a relatively thin single layer. Admittedly, I am not too fussy about this. Below is what my spinach looks like in our dehydrator.
Drying Spinach in a Dehydrator
In my Brod and Taylor Sahara Dehydrator, spinach takes about 7-9 hours at 125 degrees in a higher humidity setting. I use our dehydrator on our porch to minimize sound and heat in the house so I notice the time it takes changes based on the weather, especially when it rains.
Begin checking spinach for doneness after 7 hours. Add on more time if needed.
👉 THE BEST DEHYDRATORS for Camping Meal Prep
Different dehydrators have unique features you may prefer, depending on your needs, but I recommend one with a thermostat and a timer. Many folks enjoy the top-rated Excalibur dehydrator.
You can also check out my 11 Best Food Dehydrators post for a comparison of all the dehydrators I recommend!
Drying Spinach in the Oven
- Follow the preparation instructions above.
- Place on cooling racks placed on top of sheet pans.
- Dry the spinach in an oven at the absolute lowest setting it has (mine is 170 degrees) with the door cracked open. This allows moisture to escape but also keeps the temperature a bit lower which is preferable.
- Another option IF your oven has a bread-proof setting is to utilize this and keep the door closed. Most ovens stay around 95 degrees at the bread-proof setting which is a great drying temperature option as well for greens.
- Keep a close eye on the progress of drying leaves, checking every 10-15 minutes after the initial moisture is lost to prevent browning.
How to Tell When Spinach is Done
All dampness will be completely gone from the leaves when the spinach is finished being dehydrated. The leaves, when still not done drying, will be saggy and simply obviously damp to the touch.
Spinach is crispy and easily crumbles when adequately dehydrated. Test a few dried leaves in your hand by crinkling them up. If they don’t snap into pieces the process is not finished yet.
How Do You Use Dried Spinach for Camping?
When car camping you can choose to keep your dehydrated spinach leaves whole, flake them, or make them into a powder, simply due to having more storage options. Follow the instructions for rehydration, below, and use in any dishes such as soups, burritos (see below), your favorite stir fry, or pasta.
For backpacking purposes, it is sometimes preferable to make your spinach into flakes rather than keeping them whole. This is easily accomplished by using gallon size ziplock bag, filling it lightly with the leaves, sealing it, and rolling the bag or using your fist as a mallet to crumble the contents.
Spinach flakes and powders can be mixed into backpacking meals such as scrambled eggs, chili, beans, mashed potatoes, pancake batter, or simply sprinkled on top of anything, in a pinch.
You’ll truly be amazed after you try using dried spinach for the first time in your meals and likely agree this is the best way to eat your greens while adventuring outdoors!
How to Rehydrate Dehydrated Spinach
Backpackers know that water is precious on the trail so plan accordingly and only use what you need to rehydrate when necessary. For example, it is not necessary to rehydrate vegetables prior to using them in a recipe that requires cooking with liquid.
However, if you are adding dehydrated spinach leaves to a dish without liquid, you definitely must rehydrate them beforehand. You can add them to a small pan of boiling water and cook until the desired doneness. Strain.
Typically, to rehydrate vegetables, you can combine 1 part vegetable with 2 parts hot water. Then, simmer for about 10-15 minutes, or soak for 15 min-1 hour. Leafy greens take only 5-15 minutes, depending on the variety.
As an alternative, you can place dried spinach leaves in a shallow heat-proof bowl and pour boiling water on top with a bit of lemon juice. The lemon helps the spinach turn a brighter green.
Place a lid over the bowl to hold the steam if you are outdoors in cool weather. Spinach will turn dark green and be ready to use in 5 minutes.
Is Dehydrating Spinach Healthy?
Dehydrated greens are a popular health food trend, but many people wonder if they are actually good for you. The short answer is yes!
The main difference between dehydrated and fresh greens is the water content. Fresh greens are about 90% water, while dehydrated greens are only about 5% water. This means that dehydrated greens are more concentrated in vitamins and minerals.
Dehydrated greens are a great source of antioxidants and phytochemicals, which have been linked to various health benefits. However, it is important to note that vitamins and minerals are heat-sensitive, so some of the nutrients may be lost during the dehydration process.
Basically, it’s important to make sure you don’t expose the greens to too much heat during the dehydration process in order to preserve their nutrients.
How to Store Dehydrated Spinach
The easiest and fastest way to store dried spinach is simply in Ziploc bags but use it within a month if you do this for the best results.
For an upcoming camping trip, this is the least fussy way to store them and bring them along. You can store the bags in the freezer to preserve the dehydrated spinach longer.
I store my dehydrated spinach in mason jars (or glass canning jars) in a cool space away from direct light.
For longer shelf life, there are accessory hoses for a food vacuum sealer that let you create an airtight vacuum seal on regular-mouth and wide-mouth mason-type jar lids.
How long will dried spinach last?
Dehydrated spinach will last in ziplock bags for a month or two. If you dehydrate spinach and store it in an airtight container out of direct sunlight, it will last for at least 6 months and up to a year. A cooler less humid storage space is best.
What is Spinach Powder?
Spinach powder is simply ground dehydrated spinach. It is definitely one of the most incredibly delicious and vibrant food powders incorporated into camping or backpacking meals. It is mild in flavor yet completely green-tasting in a very delightful way.
Moreover, the amount of spinach powder for one serving will blow you away! You only need one tablespoon of spinach powder to satisfy the equivalent of one serving of spinach. So this is great news for people who struggle to enjoy their greens.
It’s also a magical and ridiculously easy method for consuming greens while camping and backpacking. Simply mixing in a couple of teaspoons of spinach powder into soups, scrambled eggs, or over any dish that seems appropriate to you will be an excellent alternative way to add more nutrients to your camping meals.
How to Make Spinach Powder for Camping
🌿 Place one cup of crisp dehydrated spinach into a spice or herb grinder. I use a coffee grinder that came with a separate grinding cup for spices and herbs.
🌿 At this point, you can (but this is optional) lay your powder out on a fruit leather mat and put it back inside your dehydrator for 45 minutes at 125 degrees to ensure you have 100% dried powder. Imagine putting a slightly damp powder inside an air-tight jar and having it mold!
🌿 Grind by pulsing and occasionally stop to shake the contents. Let the dust settle before opening the lid even though this is exciting! The spinach powder is quite fine and you want it all to stay inside the grinder rather than letting it float into the air.
🌿 Using a funnel, put the spinach powder into a mason jar carefully and slowly (remember the dust).
🌿 Store in a dark cool place for up to 6 months. If you are anything like me it will be gone much sooner.
Final Words on Dehydrating Spinach for Camping
If you’re looking for a super lightweight, nutritious vegetable to take on your camping trips, definitely consider dehydrating spinach.
It’s so easy to do and the spinach can be stored in small paper-thin packages that don’t take up a lot of space, making it the perfect addition to your next outdoor excursion.
Enjoy your leafy greens, go explore with newfound nutrition in your meals on the go and have fun!
For more food-on-the-go ideas check out our other popular posts: The Ultimate Camping Food List For 2022: FREE Printables and 45+ Best Portable Snacks for Skiing
RECIPE: Dehydrating Spinach and How to Make Spinach Powder
Dehydrating Spinach and How to Make Spinach Powder
Ingredients
- 1 lb spinach
Instructions
- De-stem large pieces of spinach
- Wash spinach
- Strain and lightly blot dry on a towel.
- Place in a dehydrator set at 125 degrees for 7-9 hours until dry and crisp.
- At this point cool and store in an airtight container* OR blend into a powder.
Making Spinach Powder
- Place spinach into a spice grinder, a bullet, or a food processor.
- Pulse until spinach blends into a fine powder.*
- Store the powder in an airtight container.*
