Spinach holds a lot of dirt and must be thoroughly washed before using. Fill large bowl with cold water and add spinach. Swish around to loosen dirt and grit. Remove spinach from water; empty water. Repeat two or three times, using clean water, until spinach is clean. (Do not soak spinach in water as it will wilt.) Spin spinach dry or pat dry with paper towels. Use immediately. Or place clean, dry spinach between paper towels and wrap in a perforated plastic bag or loosely wrap in a plastic bag and store in refrigerator.

When handling cooked or canned beets, it's easy to stain your hands and cutting board from the juices. To prevent this, wear disposable latex gloves and cut beets on a large glass or ceramic plate rather than a cutting board.