With a delicate texture and unique flavour, spinach is a favourite to eat raw, to use as a filling in a sandwich, or to add to a soup, a pie or a quiche!

How do we make sure we provide top quality spinach?

We only select spinach if the leaves have a good green colour and a crisp, springy texture. We make sure the leaves are not wilted (a sign that they are past their use-by-date), sticky or bruised. We also make sure the spinach leaves have minimal insect damage. 

Where do we source our spinach from?

Our spinach usually comes from a specialist grower just down the road. It grows well the quick-draining, nutrient-rich soils of Bacchus Marsh. 

What is the best way to keep spinach?

Spinach stores best in a paper or plastic bag in the refrigerator crisper (optimal storage conditions are at 1°C and 95%-98% relative humidity). Don’t store below 0.3°C, as this will cause freezing injury. Spinach is highly responsive to ethylene (which causes yellowing) – so don’t store them with bananas, apples, stonefruit or tomatoes.

Spinach nutritional information

Spinach is a highly nutritious vegetable. Among other nutrients, it contains vitamin K (essential for bone formation and mineralisation), folate, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, thiamine, carotenoids (including beta carotene and lutein), quercetin, magnesium, manganese and protein. Although Popeye would have us believe that spinach is the highest vegetable source of iron, cooked broccoli and cauliflower actually have about twice as much iron! The mistaken calculation for iron in spinach was made by a German scientist just before the cartoon for Popeye was created, he misplaced the decimal point!

Spinach serving tips and suggestions

You can increase the nutrient uptake of spinach by slightly cooking it – cooking makes the antioxidant carotenoids easier for the body to absorb. Another way to increase adsorption is to eat it with vitamin C rich foods, such as orange juice, tomatoes or citrus fruit (this weakens the bond of oxalic acid, which is responsible for binding the iron and calcium in a spinach). Spinach is delicious sautéed with butter and grated nutmeg. It’s also a fantastic complement to bacon, smoked haddock and fetta!