~Freezing Butternut Squash~

Mashed Butternut Squash
ready to pack into freezer bags
(File Photo)

Sometimes slowly and at other times quickly when the wind blows, the leaves are falling down from the Maple and the Oak trees. It is at this time of year that our purchased Butternut Squash is prepared for our freezer. It has been a tradition for so many years to purchase the Squash and prep them to enjoy this delicious veggie at dinnertime throughout the year. Two pots of cleaned, cut squash is steamed on our stove at a time. Packaged in dated freezer bags these bags can be easily located later in our freezer. 

Ready for our freezer!

It is so easy to open a bag to remove the frozen squash and place it in a microwave safe baking dish. Cover it, leaving a vent and defrost it in the microwave, quickly. Or, defrost overnight in the fridge and heat in the microwave (in a microwave safe covered dish) just before serving.

I also use the Butternut Squash by substituting it for Pumpkin when I bake. This delicious veggie is always at my fingertips whenever needed for a tasty recipe. There are SO MANY recipes!

For my easy instructions for freezing Butternut Squash, click here! No need to purchase the frozen squash in your supermarket.        

Enjoy!
Yummy!

 

Freezing Butternut Squash!

Preparing Butternut Squash
for the freezer!
(File Photo)

It's that time of year!  The new "buy local" crop of Butternut Squash is available in October!  This yummy orange veggie is a great side dish at dinner and we have always enjoyed it!  For that reason we purchase a bushel of Butternut Squash at one of the local farms and prep the squash to freeze.  Yes, they can be purchased individually and sold by the pound at roadside stands and grocery stores, but we purchase a bushel and store it in our garage.  Then, a new project is added to our "to do" list.  Preparing the squash for the freezer.  

In addition to enjoying this vegetable as a delicious side dish at dinner, I use the prepared/ cooked/ mashed Butternut Squash in recipes by replacing it for canned pumpkin.  It works so well!  More on that later.   

The process for prepping and freezing the squash is quite simple.  After the individual squash are washed under cool running water, dry them.  Then, remove the stem, seeds and skin.  Cut into chunks and steam.  There is more to the process, so click here for my process/ recipe.  It works very well and before you know it you will have this tasty vegetable in your freezer, too!

Freezing Butternut Squash 

It will be in your freezer ready to take out whenever you want this tasty veggie to be included with your dinner or you will be using it in baking a treat.  The frozen Butternut Squash is defrosted in the microwave very easily!  Or it can be defrosted overnight in your fridge!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

 

~Freezing Butternut Squash~

Bushel of Butternut Squash

A bushel of our fave vegetable is now sitting in our garage.  Well, a bushel of Butternut Squash minus the two that I already prepared.  A couple of weeks ago we stopped in at Meadowbrook Farm in East Longmeadow, MA.  It's tradition that every year we purchase the bushel of squash (that is in a cardboard box).  It has a special place in our garage.  During the months of October and November this veggie is prepped for our freezer.

In past years I've written my Directions for prepping this delicious orange colored veggie for the freezer.

Click here for my Directions! 

Ready to pack for the freezer!
(File Photo)

The mashed veggie is portioned out and placed in freezer bags that are labelled and dated.  When desired, it's ready to defrost in the microwave.  Just remove a bag from the freezer and place in a covered vented microwave safe container and microwave.  I use my covered CorningWare for defrosting and serving.

No butter/ margarine nor sugar is needed at all.  This vegetable is so tasty!  That's why we always purchase a bushel locally and prepare it.  If you and your family also enjoy this vegetable, prep and freeze some portions! 

Enjoy!
Yummy! 

    

Freezing Butternut Squash

Preparing for the freezer!

It's definitely like clockwork!  In October my DH & I purchase a bushel of Butternut Squash from Meadowbrook Farm in East Longmeadow.  One of our local grocery stores does purchase their supply there, also, but we go "farm to table" ourselves.  The carton is stored in our garage.  It's all part of the plan!    All summer we've dined on locally grown vegetables.  It is definitely a change in the taste when we buy them the remainder of the year at our grocery stores!

A Bushel of Butternut Squash

Butternut Squash is one of my fave vegetables!  You remember my story:  Growing up my family had 2 large vegetable gardens.  We canned & froze the year's supply of our veggies.  The gorgeous Butternuts were one of our last harvests.  Preparing these vegetables & freezing them to enjoy the remainder of the year was definitely a tradition for me.  As newlyweds my DH & I had a great garden when we rented our apartment here in Western Mass.  Our kind landlord plowed a small section of his beautiful lawn, so I could have my garden.   My DH learned about growing veggies & got hooked on the fresh food.  Our corn smelled so good that the local cows visited one day-  much to our surprise.  My DH had grown up in Queens, NY, so it was shocking to see the cows in our garden eating!  Definitely not a common sight in one of the boroughs!    

This past Sunday the Patriots were playing the Broncos & my pots of peeled/ prepared Butternuts were on the stove simmering.  It was time to start tackling that bushel in the garage!  Our weather has gotten colder & the squash needs to be prepared for the freezer.  Even during an exciting football game the tradition lives on!  A good sous chef is an added plus, here!
              
Freezing Butternut Squash

Utensils I use:  Dutch Oven or Pot, Cutting Board, Knife, Spoon, Colander, Ziploc Freezer Bags, Marker for Labeling 

Butternut Squash  

1.  Rinse/ clean the Butternut Squash under cold running water.
2.  Dry.
3.  Using a cutting board & a sharp knife, cut off & toss the stem and rounded top.
4.  The long top portion is cut into slices. The slices are circles.
5.  Cut the peel off & discard.
6.  Cut each peeled circle into 2" chunks and place in large Dutch Oven/ pot. 
7.  The lower portion containing seeds remains.  Remove the seeds with a spoon.
8.  I save as much of the orange vegetable as possible that surrounds the seeds.  Cut off the peel.
9. Cut into pieces & place in Dutch Oven/ pot.
10.  Add cold water to container (so it reaches about 2" up in the pot).
11.  Turn the heat to High.
12. After a Boil is reached, lower the heat and simmer about 12 - 15 minutes, until pieces can be pierced with a fork.
13.  During the cooking minutes, carefully stir the Squash pieces often in the pot, so they soften equally.
14. Drain the squash using a colander.
15. Return the chunks to the large pot and mash.

***

     16.  Cool until comfortable to pack in Ziploc Freezer Bags.
     17.  Pack about 2 Cups of mashed Squash in Ziploc Freezer Bags.
     18.  After labeling, store in freezer.

Do you freeze Butternut Squash?  It's a very tasty veggie at dinner during the colder months. 

The Butternut Squash is defrosted in the microwave easily.  First, remove Butternut Squash from bag & place in a covered microwave safe baking dish- leaving an air vent.  No sugar nor butter/ margarine needed, here!  I also use it very often when cooking rather than using pumpkin.  :)

Enjoy!
Yummy!