Summertime means squash season. Even in a drought, it seems like squash is the cockroach of the vegetable garden – it can survive anything. This time of year, we’re all up to our ears in it, throwing squash and zucchini on the grill every other night, making squash casseroles, baking zucchini bread, and pawning it off on our friends and neighbors.
So this year, I decided to take a lesson from my mom and try freezing squash. “Putting up” vegetables, as we say here in the South, always sounded so intimidating to me, but it’s actually quite simple!
See more: Squash Overload: 5 Ways to Use Up Summer Squash and Zucchini
I’ve always had a freezer stocked with squash from my mom’s garden. I use it in pasta sauce, vegetable soup and general sautés, but it can be served by itself with some olive oil and garlic for an easy side dish, or use it in squash casserole or dressing. The possibilities are endless – enjoy these step-by-step instructions on how to blanch and freeze summer squash (and zucchini).
- Wash your squash. I had several different varieties from my mom, but the instructions are the same for any type of squash, whether it’s crookneck, zucchini or something else.
- Cut the squash into rounds about 1/4-inch thick. If you plan on using it for zucchini bread, you could grate it instead.
- Blanch the squash by steaming or boiling them for about 3 to 5 minutes (less time if grated). I use an inexpensive metal steamer, but you can also just plop it straight into boiling water. This destroys the enzymes and bacteria that would, over time, remove nutrients and flavor from the squash.
- Cool the squash: Once it’s done steaming or boiling (should be tender when poked with a fork), immediately throw the squash into a prepared bowl of ice water, adding additional ice if needed. Moving the squash quickly from heat to cold ensures the squash aren’t overcooked.
- Drain the squash: This will remove excess moisture and prepare the squash for freezing.
- Put it in a zip-close freezer bag (I used pint-sized bags), and get out as much air as you can. Then stick it in the freezer for use any time of the year!
See more: Preserving and Freezing Fresh Produce
Just tried out these instructions for freezing yellow and green squash from my garden. Looks like ziplock bags of summer in the freezer!
We have worn one vacuum sealer out already..lol So good for putting all of your food in the freezer. It allowed us to keep food for a couple of years in the freezer. Also depending what you’re freezing, like meat, it will keep a lot longer, like up to 3-5 years. We have done it!
Just want to understand correctly…after boiling let cool my question how long of cooling time after cool then put in ice water again for how long pleass?
I take her words to mean: Cool the squash by putting it in the ice water. (Not let cool, then ice bath). That is how I do it. Hope this helps.
Yes, you’re correct… you take from pot & plunge directly to cold ice bath to stop the. Poking process. Then you dry it well and bag it to freeze!!
[…] Drain the squash: This will remove excess moisture and prepare the squash for freezing. Put it in a zip-close freezer bag (I used pint-sized bags), and get out as much air as you can. Then stick it in the freezer for use any time of the year! via […]
Tip: Take a straw and insert into your ziploc bag at the end and suck all the air out as best possible and close if you don’t have a storage system!!
[…] Blanch the squash by steaming or boiling them for about 3 to 5 minutes (less time if grated). I use an inexpensive metal steamer, but you can also just plop it straight into boiling water. This destroys the enzymes and bacteria that would, over time, remove nutrients and flavor from the squash. via […]
[…] Drain the squash: This will remove excess moisture and prepare the squash for freezing. Put it in a zip-close freezer bag (I used pint-sized bags), and get out as much air as you can. Then stick it in the freezer for use any time of the year! via […]
It takes 2 or 3 minutes for the water to start boiling again when you put the in the squash. When do you start timing the cooking time?
Hi Helen,
You can start timing as soon as you put the squash in. Hope this helps!
Thanks for reaching out,
Rachel Graf
Digital Editor, Farm Flavor
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After draining, I lay the squash on a large towel for a few minutes. It help with the drying, then put in freezer bags. It has least water when taken out of the freezer. We love squash all winter.
This works well. After draining, I put it on parchment paper lined cookie sheet in single layer and freeze them first…
THEN put it in the baggies, or I use seal a meals.
Summer all year long
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All this work in unnecessary. Lay parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Cut the yellow squash and lay in single layers. Place sheet in freezer. Freeze . Then remove from parchment and insert in a food server bag. Suck air out with food saver and place back in freezer. It works perfect each time. Remove from freezer any amount u need , add water, snp, onion sliced, and bacon grease if u like. Boil just to tender. It’s wonderful.
This is basically what I do, but use silicone mats so I can do 2 or 3 layers. Takes 1 – 2 hours to freeze up. Also, many times I will drench my squash in flour/corn meal with seasoning before freezing. Pop these out of the freezer and pan fry, bake, or deep fry (calories don’t count if it was home grown). The only other tip is using regular freezer bags and lay the slices flat in the bag, also in layers. Then you can stack your flat bags in the freezer (I set mine in an old canning jar box). This keeps them from getting broken.
Can Squash put up this way be fried or is it used only for boiling and casseroles? Seems it would be to wet to coat and fry.