How to Preserve Your Summer Squash in the Freezer (Preserve the Harvest)
Every year I think I get a handle on the amount of summer squash we grow and harvest. And at the end of every summer, I am shown to be so wrong. Our summer squash (yellow crooked neck and black beauty zucchini) are so prolific every year. And forget it when we get an inch or more of rain in a night. They get so big that I think I should enter some of them in the state fair for the world’s large squash competition.
But even so, every June we are more than excited to start harvesting these beauties. We love eating the fresh vegetables that have been craving all winter long. By July, we are starting to drown in summer squash. There are only so many zucchini recipes to make and eat before the family starts a mutiny against me. So one of the ways to preserve my summer squash is to prepare it for the freezer. This method works great to keep my squash on hand for the upcoming fall and winter seasons. I typically bake into bread and casseroles or throw the thawed shredded squash into soups and stews.
How to freeze summer squash properly.
The first thing to do is to harvest good-sized squash. The picture to the left shows some of mine that got too jumbo in size after a rain. They say that large size squash doesn’t taste good but I find them good even so. Make sure you clean and cut off all the top.
Now cut each one in half lengthwise and spoon out the seeds. Next, shred each of the squash in a large bowl using a grater. Squeeze out as much water from the shredded squash as possible.
Lastly, measure out the amount of shredded squash you want to store. I, personally, freeze one pound amounts at a time. Typically, my recipes require 1-2 pounds of squash, so this amount makes it very easy to pull out the proper vegetable amount from the freezer and thaw to make such recipes. The amount to freeze is solely up to you. Wrap up your measured amount in freezer bags, parchment paper, or heavy plastic wrap. Your frozen squash will last you until your next garden season starts.
