Preserving Summer Squash (Plus Recipes!)

July 25, 2017Megan3713 views

It’s that wonderful time of year when my morning routine includes harvesting goods from the garden. Almost every day, a summer squash is in my harvest loot. I always plant WAY more plants than our family needs for the summer, because I like to preserve some for use in the winter months. Squash preservation is my favorite, because it takes very little time and equipment to do. Here’s how to do it:

Option 1: Shredded Squash for use in Baked Goods

1. Thoroughly wash the dirt from each squash and cut off the stem and bottom.

2. If the squash is rather large and has formed seeds, slice the squash in half, lengthwise and scoop out the center.

3. Rub the squash along a hand-held cheese grater until your arm feels like it might fall off.

…………………………..or…………………………

4. Use the food processor attachment of your Bosch blender and let it do the grating for you.

5. Store the grated squash in 1 quart freezer bags and freeze them for later use in baked goods. (See my recipe for.)

Option 2: Spiralized squash (Zoodles) for use in Pasta Dishes

1. Thoroughly wash the dirt from each squash and cut off the stem and bottom.

2. If the squash is rather large and has formed seeds in the center, slice the squash in half, lengthwise and scoop out the center.

3. Use either a hand-held spiralizer or a spiralizer machine to cut and twist out beautiful spirals of squash.

4. Store the spirals (Zoodles) of squash in 1 gallon freezer bags and freeze for later use in pasta dishes.

Why freeze?

In the process of freezing food, little to no nutrition is lost. However, other forms of preservation such as canning kills off many beneficial vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals (antioxidants) in fruits and vegetables. Frozen produce won’t last as long as canned produce, but you will receive much more nutrition from it. So, just remember to label your frozen foods and eat them up within three month’s time.