Can You Freeze Butternut Squash: If you would like to extend the shelf life of the butternut squashes that you bought from the store in the sale? Then freezing will be the best option. Preparing the smoothies with fresh butternut squash can be time-consuming sometimes when you have relatives at home.
At that time this frozen butternut squash will help you a lot. And by freezing you have another advantage, that is you can eat butternut squash all over the year. In this article, we are going to discuss, whether can you freeze butternut squash or not, how to freeze them in different types, and many more. Sounds Interesting, right then read on to know!!
- Can You Freeze Butternut Squash?
- How To Freeze Butternut Squash?
- Freezing Raw Butternut Squash
- Freezing Halved Butternut Squash
- Freezing Mashed Butternut Squash
- Freezing Blanched Butternut Squash
- How Long Can You Freeze Butternut Squash?
- Can You Freeze Butternuts with Skin on?
- How To Defrost Butternut Squash?
- Can you refreeze the butternut squash?
- How do you freeze the squash without becoming mushy?
- Does butternut squash freeze well?
Can You Freeze Butternut Squash?
Absolutely yes, you can freeze the butternut squash and it will become more versatile after freezing. And this frozen butternut squash can be used in all the dishes like the fresh ones. And as it is a fruit you can also eat it raw. The best thing about this butternut squash is it can be used as a vegetable and as a fruit.
How To Freeze Butternut Squash?
For freezing the butternut squash we have many methods. And freezing the squash is also very simple. You can freeze the way you like and the way you use it. Let us look into the processes one by one.
Freezing Raw Butternut Squash
To freeze the raw butternut squash you need to take the fresh fruit and then we will see the steps below. Follow them carefully.
- The first thing you need to do is, wash the fruit and then peel the skin and cut it into two parts.
- Then remove the seeds that you have in it, and chunk up the squash flesh into bite-sized pieces.
- After that, take the cookie sheet with aluminum foil or wax paper on it, then put all the slices onto the sheet.
- Then, put the tray into the freezer and freeze them for an hour.
- Finally, you can remove them from the freezer and transfer them to air-tight freezer bags or containers and then keep the bag in the freezer.
Freezing Halved Butternut Squash
This is another method of freezing butternut squash and it is a very simple process than others. In this method, you can directly freeze the butternut squash into two halves. Look into the steps that were discussed below.
- Just cut the squash in half and then scoop the seeds from the fruit.
- Place each half of the butternut squash into a freezer bag.
- Then label with name and date and then place it into the freezer.
Freezing Mashed Butternut Squash
Freeze the butternut squash by mashing it. Most people like to eat that by mixing brown sugar into it, if you are one of them you can try this method.
- To mash the butternut squash you need to cook the butternut squash pieces which you have put aside by peeling the skin, removing seeds, and cutting them into pieces.
- After you cook them upto fork tender, strain the water using a strainer.
- Then place all the chunks into a large bowl and add your favorite seasonings to it.
- Mash the pieces using the masher or blender until you get a smooth and creamy deep mashed butternut squash.
- Now, portion the mashed butternut squash into the freezer bags.
- Label it with the name and date on the freezer bag.
- Then freeze the freezer bags in the freezer.
Freezing Blanched Butternut Squash
Actually, butternut squash will be fine even if it is not blanched. But if you like it you can use this method too. We have provided the steps below.
- Peel the skin of butternut squash, remove the seeds, and then cut the fruit into pieces.
- Take a bowl full of water and boil them.
- Throw the pieces into the boiling water and wait for 3-5 minutes.
- Then take another bowl full of cold water with ice cubes and after 3-5 minutes transfer the pieces into this cold water bowl.
- After some time, strain the pieces and wait until they dry.
- Pre-freeze them for a few hours and transfer them into the freezer bags by labeling them with names and dates.
- Finally, throw the bags into the freezer.
How Long Can You Freeze Butternut Squash?
You can freeze the butternut squash for upto three months for the best quality. And if you use the blanching technique they will stay fresh for upto one year. But for raw if you freeze for more months more than three they will be good to eat but we will lose their quality and taste. The blanching process will stop the growth of the enzymes which will affect the flavor of frozen squash.
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Can You Freeze Butternuts with Skin on?
Yes, of course, you can freeze the butternut squash without peeling the skin, this will work when you freeze them in two halves, and when you roast them in the oven after freezing. If you don’t peel the skin of sliced butternut squash while freezing, after roasting them it will be a big challenge to peel off the skin.
How To Defrost Butternut Squash?
To defrost the butternut squash also we have three methods. Just have a look at the three methods below.
When you would like to eat or use the butternut squash, just you can transfer the freezer bag into the refrigerator overnight. And you can use the defrosted butternut squash in the morning. If you are defrosting half the butternut squash it takes more time to defrost than overnight.
If you are using the butternut in soups, stews, and any cooking dish, you can directly use the frozen butternut and cook the dish for a few more minutes than normal. So that it will defrost and cook well.
If you like to eat the roasted butternut or if you need roasted butternut in your dish, try to keep the frozen butternut in the oven and roast them. If it is for cooking, it will be good, but to eat it like that before freezing the squash add some seasonings to it then it will be good.
FAQs on Can you Freeze Butternut Squash
1. Can you refreeze the butternut squash?
No, it is not recommended because when you refreeze the fruit there will be a change in texture and taste. If it is mashed butternut that can be used in soups then you can refreeze it. Even though you cannot feel its flavor and taste there will not be much change.
2. How do you freeze the squash without becoming mushy?
You can freeze the butternut squash without becoming mushy by blanching it before freezing.
3. Does butternut squash freeze well?
yes, butternut squash will freeze well and the great thing about frozen squash is that you can freeze the butternut by cooking it and uncooking it.
Nutshell
The best information about can you freeze butternut squash is provided in this article by our team and we hope that you have got some useful information. If you like this information share it with others. And by following any type of method you will get the best results. For more interesting articles you can just check out our canyoupreserve.com website.