Summer squash has a way of getting ahead of us. Zucchini is notorious for hiding behind a leaf until it is a massive creature ready to take over the world.
We love yellow squash and consider it a real treat. Our favorite way to eat it is what my mom called "creamed squash." We boil it until it is tender, drain it thoroughly, then add a tablespoon of butter and stir until it's creamy. Mom always added a dash of milk, but it doesn't need it. We also stir fry it, batter and deep fry it, put it in soups and stews and use it in casseroles.
I planted two dozen Early Yellow Crookneck plants and they are producing well. Sometimes we actually get tired of squash.
I also planted several Black Beauty Zucchinis. Both are from open-pollinated heirloom seeds I ordered from Seedsnow.com.
The squashes were starting to stack up in my produce basket and it was time to do something, specifically, freeze some squash.
After rinsing with cold water (isn't organically-grown produce great?) I sliced the squash into 1/4 inch thick slices. I put a large pot of water on to boil and prepared an ice water bath in a large bowl.
I put the squash into the boiling water for three minutes in batches approximately the size to fill a quart freezer bag.
Using a slotted spoon I transferred the squash from the boiling water to the ice bath for three minutes, then into a colander to drain. After draining for several minutes, I loaded the squash into quart freezer bags, gently squeezed out the excess air, sealed the bags, and placed them into the freezer.
References I've found on the internet explained how heating is done to stop the breakdown of the squash by it's own self-contained enzymes and the ice bath cools the squash so it stops cooking. As for me, I do it this way because this is how my mama did it and it always seemed to work for her.
This process is fairly quick and easy and can be done with small batches, so it isn't necessary let the squash stack up in huge piles on the counter before freezing it.
Stephen
We love yellow squash and consider it a real treat. Our favorite way to eat it is what my mom called "creamed squash." We boil it until it is tender, drain it thoroughly, then add a tablespoon of butter and stir until it's creamy. Mom always added a dash of milk, but it doesn't need it. We also stir fry it, batter and deep fry it, put it in soups and stews and use it in casseroles.
I planted two dozen Early Yellow Crookneck plants and they are producing well. Sometimes we actually get tired of squash.
I also planted several Black Beauty Zucchinis. Both are from open-pollinated heirloom seeds I ordered from Seedsnow.com.
The squashes were starting to stack up in my produce basket and it was time to do something, specifically, freeze some squash.
After rinsing with cold water (isn't organically-grown produce great?) I sliced the squash into 1/4 inch thick slices. I put a large pot of water on to boil and prepared an ice water bath in a large bowl.
I put the squash into the boiling water for three minutes in batches approximately the size to fill a quart freezer bag.
Using a slotted spoon I transferred the squash from the boiling water to the ice bath for three minutes, then into a colander to drain. After draining for several minutes, I loaded the squash into quart freezer bags, gently squeezed out the excess air, sealed the bags, and placed them into the freezer.
References I've found on the internet explained how heating is done to stop the breakdown of the squash by it's own self-contained enzymes and the ice bath cools the squash so it stops cooking. As for me, I do it this way because this is how my mama did it and it always seemed to work for her.
This process is fairly quick and easy and can be done with small batches, so it isn't necessary let the squash stack up in huge piles on the counter before freezing it.
Stephen
All photos are copyright 2017, Stephen P. Scott
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