The season for harvesting squash is here! The garden is not disappointing this year for sure. So we are eating as much as we can fresh, but in order to enjoy this delicious veggie all year, we must put some away in the freezer. I have to say my favorite way to eat squash is straight from the garden, but the second best way is straight from the freezer knowing it was picked and frozen within a day or two. Here are a few easy steps to get that done in a flash.
Begin by putting a stock pot of water on to boil. This part takes the longest, so be sure to do it first. Wash the squash and remove any imperfections from the outside of the squash. Cut the squash in larger slices. This seems to help the squash hold together better in later steps. Once the water is at a boil, place the squash slices in the insert that fits into the stock pot. We use steam blanching, so the squash does not need to be in the water, but if some of it is, that is ok. Make sure the water continues to boil. Place lid on the stock pot and continue at a boil for 3 minutes.
While the squash is blanching prepare a bowl with a couple of cups of ice for the next step. After 3 minutes of blanching, remove the insert from the stock pot and place the squash on the ice. Fill the ice bowl with water and let the ice bath stop the cooking process.
After 3 minutes in the ice bath, remove the squash and place in quart Ziplock bags to be frozen. Make sure you label your bags and remove any air before sealing. Place bags in the freezer to be used as needed.
That’s it. Not hard at all, and using this method ensures that you will have squash all winter long!
What other methods do you use for keeping squash all year?
Do you have any squash recipes you could share? Each summer we bag enough squash to feed an army, so I am always on the lookout for a great new recipe!
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, remembering that as members of the same body you are called to live in harmony, and never forget to be thankful for what God has done for you.
Colossians 3:15
Yummy! Thanks for sharing!