Raw spinach offers many vitamins and nutrients conducive to good health.
Raw spinach contains nutrients vital for a healthy life, including calcium, iron and vitamins C, A and E. You can purchase the green, leafy vegetable in pre-washed, ready-to-eat packages, but many prefer to buy spinach in a more unaltered form with a still-intact root system. You can also choose between organic or conventionally grown spinach. After preparing raw spinach, include it uncooked in a salad or cooked in a wide variety of main and side dishes. Try adding spinach to homemade lasagna or an omelet with tomato and cheese.
Instructions
1. Squeeze two or three tablespoons of lemon juice into a medium-sized bowl. Fill the rest of the bowl with water. The acidity of the lemon juice will kill any bugs left in the spinach after picking.
2. Run the spinach briefly under a cold, running faucet to wash away dirt.
3. Rip the largest stems off the spinach. You'll come back through later and get the smaller stems. For now, just make sure you tear off the largest ones and any remaining roots.
4. Place the spinach in the the lemon and water mixture. Let the spinach soak in the mixture for about five minutes.
5. Place the spinach in a colander. Run cold water over the spinach, sifting through the leaves with your fingers so that the water hits all the areas. Wash for about 30 seconds, or until the spinach appears clean.
6. Shake the colander to remove excess water from the spinach. If you wish, pat a cloth or paper towel over the spinach to soak up excess water.
7. Pick the spinach up with your hands, two or three leaves at a time, and rip off the remaining stems. Place the leaves on a cutting board as you go and discard the stems. The stems are edible, so it's OK if you don't remove them entirely.
8. Chop the spinach on the cutting board by piling the leaves on top of one another and pressing down on the pile with a sharp knife. Continue until the pieces are the size you want for your recipe.
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