Overwhelmed by ever-arriving bunching greens?  Put them by for winter!  These instructions work for spinach, kale, collards, & swiss chard.  It’s the same basic routine for other veggies, too, but blanching times may be different and we always check the book ‘Putting Food By’ or online for blanching times.

• Put a pot of water on to boil, with a colander or steamer in it and with a top that fits.
• Rinse the greens, then de-stem if they have large stems (kale, chard & collards).
• Coarsely chop the greens.
• Fill a sink or big bowl with icy cold water.
• Once the water is at a rolling boil, steam blanche the greens, covered, until they are uniformly bright green (don’t over pack the steamer because the greens will then get matted and not steam blanche uniformly) – approx 2-3 min.
• Submerge the greens in the cold water to stop the cooking process.
• Spin the greens dry in a salad spinner, or roll them dry in a dishtowel.
• Put them into a plastic storage bag, close the bag nearly all the way, suck the remaining air out of the bag, and seal.
• Label the bag and stick it in the freezer to enjoy next winter!

The best bags for freezing, according to Consumer Reports (and us):  Glad brand Freezer Bags.  They may be blue, but they keep odors out and liquids in better than any other brand.