Freezing Squash

There are times during the season where squash seems to produce like crazy in the garden. It’s these times where you just can’t eat enough squash to keep up with the plants and you’re not ready to throw it all out that you look to for the best way to store it for later.

For me, the best way to store squash is to freeze it. Travis loves squash casserole during the cooler months, and frozen squash is perfect for that.

I like to freeze yellow squash and zucchini together in the same bag. That way I’m not worried about keeping everything separate once the processing gets under way.

Wash the squash. I like to use a brush just to loosen up the dirt.

Then chop off the stem and blossom ends. The skin can get a little tough, so I like to take a peeler and “stripe” the squash so there’s not so much peel.

Slice into thick slices. My slices averaged 3/4”.

Blanch in boiling water for three minutes.

Drain and place into an ice bath to stop the cooking. I like to stir them around to make sure they all cool quickly.

After they’re cool, drain them from the ice water and place onto a towel to drain.

I like to dry them off a little more with another towel before I bag them.

Label your bags…

And fill…

Remove all of the air and seal. Then (for lack of a better word) squish the squash flat in the bag.

When they’re flat, they freeze faster and store in the freezer neater.

Freezing squash is a great way to use up some of your garden’s bounty and still have home-grown food in the freezer for winter!