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Fresh spinach loses half its vitamin C
Frozen vegetables hold on to the good stuff for much longer. A bag in the freezer can keep more of its nutrients than a bunch in the fridge that has been sitting around.
Why does spinach lose vitamin C so fast?
Vitamin C dissolves in water and breaks down when exposed to oxygen, light, and warmth. Leafy greens like spinach have a large surface area and keep respiring after harvest, so they lose vitamin C steadily during transport and storage. Studies of stored produce have found that losses of vitamin C in leafy vegetables can reach well over half within a week or so at room temperature. Cold storage slows the loss but does not stop it.
How does freezing preserve nutrients?
Vegetables destined for the freezer are usually picked at peak ripeness and processed within hours. Most are briefly blanched in hot water or steam, which deactivates the enzymes that would otherwise break down nutrients and color. They are then frozen quickly, and the low temperature halts most chemical change. A 2017 study from the University of California, Davis, led by Diane Barrett, found that fresh and frozen produce had comparable nutrient levels, with frozen sometimes higher after several days of fridge storage.