Freezing chunk or spaghetti squash?

[Guest guest]

Of course I know how to freeze homemade winter squash puree (BTVC page 149), but

does anyone know how to freeze spaghetti squash after cooking enough to get the

strands, or other squash-- such as butternut-- in chunks?

I've been buying microwave-ready butternut squash chunks in cellophane-type bags

at Trader Joe's (very convenient but perishable and expensive in quantity) and

would like to make and freeze my own. Once my daughter tossed a bag of squash

into the freezer and it survived okay in a stew fairly soon thereafter, but I

don't know if they blanch them first or just peel and dice, or if it would

survive for many months. If they blanch first, I wonder if spaghetti squash in

little piles would need the same treatment? Blanch and strain?

Seems this is the time to find fresh squash in the grocery produce section and

plan ahead for unsold Halloween pumpkins....

Lorilyn

[Guest guest]

Along those same lines, I have not made the squash fries because I would

want to make quite a bit to freeze for a time when everyone else is going to

be eating French fries. I haven't done it because I didn't think that they

would freeze well whether cooked and frozen or just pealed, cut, and frozen.

Any thoughts on that?

Meleah

Freezing chunk or spaghetti squash?

> Of course I know how to freeze homemade winter squash puree (BTVC page

> 149), but does anyone know how to freeze spaghetti squash after cooking

> enough to get the strands, or other squash-- such as butternut-- in

> chunks?

>

> I've been buying microwave-ready butternut squash chunks in

> cellophane-type bags at Trader Joe's (very convenient but perishable and

> expensive in quantity) and would like to make and freeze my own. Once my

> daughter tossed a bag of squash into the freezer and it survived okay in a

> stew fairly soon thereafter, but I don't know if they blanch them first or

> just peel and dice, or if it would survive for many months. If they blanch

> first, I wonder if spaghetti squash in little piles would need the same

> treatment? Blanch and strain?

>

> Seems this is the time to find fresh squash in the grocery produce section

> and plan ahead for unsold Halloween pumpkins....

> Lorilyn

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I'll have to admit I've never just blanched and frozen squash chunks, or frozen

spagetti squash. I think if I were going to try this, I would partially cook

it... if it was butternut squash, I would peel it, cut it into the size chunks I

wanted and steam them until partially done, but not all the way soft.... then

freeze the chunks on a baking sheet and bag them later.

I think the steaming action would be similar to blanching.... but they'd be a

bit more cooked than " just blanching " would do, so less time to cook when you

were ready to use them.

I suppose I would try the same with spagetti squash. Partially cook it, chop it

into sort of manageable sections, setting them on a baking sheet to freeze...

with enough space between so that they wouldn't stick together... then into

ziplocks once the blobs were frozen solid.

Patti

Freezing chunk or spaghetti squash?

Of course I know how to freeze homemade winter squash puree (BTVC page 149),

but does anyone know how to freeze spaghetti squash after cooking enough to get

the strands, or other squash-- such as butternut-- in chunks?

I've been buying microwave-ready butternut squash chunks in cellophane-type

bags at Trader Joe's (very convenient but perishable and expensive in quantity)

and would like to make and freeze my own. Once my daughter tossed a bag of

squash into the freezer and it survived okay in a stew fairly soon thereafter,

but I don't know if they blanch them first or just peel and dice, or if it would

survive for many months. If they blanch first, I wonder if spaghetti squash in

little piles would need the same treatment? Blanch and strain?

Seems this is the time to find fresh squash in the grocery produce section and

plan ahead for unsold Halloween pumpkins....

Lorilyn

[Guest guest]

Hi,

Can anyone tell me if we sell spaghetti squash in Australia? I have never seen

it at the fruit and veg shop.

Tracey

Freezing chunk or spaghetti squash?

Of course I know how to freeze homemade winter squash puree (BTVC page 149),

but does anyone know how to freeze spaghetti squash after cooking enough to get

the strands, or other squash-- such as butternut-- in chunks?

I've been buying microwave-ready butternut squash chunks in cellophane-type

bags at Trader Joe's (very convenient but perishable and expensive in quantity)

and would like to make and freeze my own. Once my daughter tossed a bag of

squash into the freezer and it survived okay in a stew fairly soon thereafter,

but I don't know if they blanch them first or just peel and dice, or if it would

survive for many months. If they blanch first, I wonder if spaghetti squash in

little piles would need the same treatment? Blanch and strain?

Seems this is the time to find fresh squash in the grocery produce section and

plan ahead for unsold Halloween pumpkins....

Lorilyn

[Guest guest]

I freeze spaghetti squash after cooking in ziploc-type quart freezer

bags. I just put a half-bag portion in, fold the bag in half to make

a nice " brick " -shape package, and stack them in the freezer.

It thaws easiy in hot water or the microwave.

Suzanne

>

> I'll have to admit I've never just blanched and frozen squash

chunks, or frozen spagetti squash. I think if I were going to try

this, I would partially cook it... if it was butternut squash, I

would peel it, cut it into the size chunks I wanted and steam them

until partially done, but not all the way soft.... then freeze the

chunks on a baking sheet and bag them later.

>

> I think the steaming action would be similar to blanching.... but

they'd be a bit more cooked than " just blanching " would do, so less

time to cook when you were ready to use them.

>

> I suppose I would try the same with spagetti squash. Partially cook

it, chop it into sort of manageable sections, setting them on a

baking sheet to freeze... with enough space between so that they

wouldn't stick together... then into ziplocks once the blobs were

frozen solid.

>

> Patti

> Freezing chunk or spaghetti squash?

>

>

> Of course I know how to freeze homemade winter squash puree (BTVC

page 149), but does anyone know how to freeze spaghetti squash after

cooking enough to get the strands, or other squash-- such as

butternut-- in chunks?

>

> I've been buying microwave-ready butternut squash chunks in

cellophane-type bags at Trader Joe's (very convenient but perishable

and expensive in quantity) and would like to make and freeze my own.

Once my daughter tossed a bag of squash into the freezer and it

survived okay in a stew fairly soon thereafter, but I don't know if

they blanch them first or just peel and dice, or if it would survive

for many months. If they blanch first, I wonder if spaghetti squash

in little piles would need the same treatment? Blanch and strain?

>

> Seems this is the time to find fresh squash in the grocery

produce section and plan ahead for unsold Halloween pumpkins....

> Lorilyn

>

>

[Guest guest]

>> Can anyone tell me if we sell spaghetti squash in Australia? I have

never seen it at the fruit and veg shop. <<

Tracey,

http://www.foodsubs.com/Squash.html

has a nice set of pictures of various squashes. Scroll down a bit to find

the spaghetti squash, and then you can determine if it's anything you've

seen.

I did find assorted sites which indicated that it is available in

Australia/NZ, but the one site which said you could order seeds was down.

If you can't find it, you can make " zucchini noodles " by peeling strips off

zucchinis with the peeler (not to be confused with a London policeman!)

until you reach the core. I've found that sticking a skewer through the

center keeps it firm as I peel, and gives me something to hang onto while

I'm peeling.

-- Marilyn (New Orleans, Louisiana, USA)

Undiagnosed IBS 25 Years, SCD Five Years

Darn Good SCD Cook

No Human Children

Shadow & Sunny Longhair Dachshund