# preserving "summer" squash ...



## motdaugrnds

Our vines are loaded with nice large squash, more than what we can eat at daily pickings.

I have considered freezing them; but I've never done this. I guess I would cut into large cubes, blanch for a few minutes, then cool quickly and freeze in ziplocks. (I tried slicing them one year to freeze and they were terribly watery when I defrosted them for cooking; but we love fried squash so would like to know how to preserve them for frying.)

How do you all put up your summer squash?


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## po boy

Blanche and freeze.................................... and you can use a bread and butter recipe....add onions, garlic follow ecipe...


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## PixieLou

I shred and freeze. Add to soups, pasta sauce, or make bread. Or our favorite - saute the shredded squash with a bit of garlic, salt and pepper and serve over noodles.


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## windblown

I lay the sliced squash on a plate nuke for a couple of min scatter out on lg tray to cool can be frozen on this itay then put in bags


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## Sonshine

I usually blanch and freeze, but you're right, they end up pretty mushy. My Mom actually fries hers before freezing it. I'm thinking of trying that this year.


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## motdaugrnds

Windblown, what are those squash like when you go to use them? Are they "watery" when you go to fry them or do you just put in stews or mash, etc.?

Sonshine, frying "before" freezing .... never considered that. Can you use stone-ground yellow cornmeal to batter them before frying; then have that all freeze safely for eating?


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## Mountain Mick

Hi.

We make a few different relishs with Summer Squash with we doiwn under call Zucchini or courgette, this was one of my Dad's.

ZUCCHINI RELISH (Summer Squash)

1kg (2.2Lbs) zucchini, grated or shredded
1 large onion, chopped
1 tbspns salt
1 teaspoon mustard
1 teaspoon Black mustard seeds
1 teaspoons Yellow mustard seeds
1 teaspoon turmeric
Â½ teaspoon curry powder
Â¼ teaspoon chilli
2 cups white vinegar
2 cups sugar
2 tbspns cornflour
Cover the zucchini, onion and salt with water and stand for two hours. Drain well. Mix together remaining ingredients, except for cornflour.

Add this to the drained zucchini. Stand for one hour.

Boil for 30 minutes and then add cornflour that has been mixed with a little vinegar. Boil for 10 minutes then bottle and seal jars. 

Please enjoy MM


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## hippygirl

I slice, blanch, and freeze crookneck squash in quart freezer bags. To use, I'll take them out of the freezer the day before, thaw in the fridge, drain well, and then saute with onions, salt, and pepper...that's the only way we eat it.

Zucchini, however, is another story.


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## freegal

MM, the zucchini relish sounds good! I'm going to try it! Thanks!


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## derm

For a lightning fast way to put up a ton, just slice a quarter inch and dehydrate. I dont even blanch it. It gets crisp and light and you can turn a huge pile into chips in no time.


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## motdaugrnds

Derm are you saying you eat them "raw" as chips?

I decided to go ahead and experiment. I slicked them 1/4-1/2" thick and blanched them for 3 minutes "in salty water". After I cooled them in ice water, I laid the slices in single form out on wax paper that had been covered in yellow corn meal. Then put more corn meal on top of those slices, then another piece of wax paper. I had enough sliced squash for 2 levels of those slices. (I used the 2" high box containers David's ensure comes in for this.) As soon as the slices are all frozen, I will place them in zip locks. Hopefully, we can enjoy "fried" squash through the winter. [By the way, these are "straight neck" yellow squash, which are one of our favorites.]


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## Canning Girl

We used this recipehttp://www.food.com/recipe/zucchini-in-tomato-sauce-canning-134151 last year and it turned out well. It makes a great vegetarian spaghetti sauce or you can pour it over chicken and bake.


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## motdaugrnds

Thanks canning girl. I should try that


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## Sonshine

motdaugrnds said:


> Windblown, what are those squash like when you go to use them? Are they "watery" when you go to fry them or do you just put in stews or mash, etc.?
> 
> Sonshine, frying "before" freezing .... never considered that. Can you use stone-ground yellow cornmeal to batter them before frying; then have that all freeze safely for eating?


I don't see why not. That's what I do with my okra. I parboil them, then bread them and spread them out on cookie sheets and freeze them. Once frozen I put them in zip lock bags. Works out well for okra so I don't see why it wouldn't for squash.


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## motdaugrnds

I'm certainly going to try slicing/breading for okra as I'm expecting a large production this year. (I, also, love the baby okra stewed in tomatoes with Italian seasonings as it takes away all the slime; so I'll just blanch those and freeze whole.)


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## happygardener

I just slice my squash (yellow crook neck) with peelings on and seeds intact and fill up my canning jars. When packed full add water and can. When you go to use it, drain the water and use like canned pumpkin or sweet potatoes and the seeds dissentigrate. Makes a quick pie. Winter squash makes a great pie to, I didn't can that cause it has a shelf life of several years


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## windblown

motdaugrnds to answer your question the squash are not as watery when you nuk he as they are when you blanch them in water and they fry nicely and not soggy


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## minifarmer

I am happy to find this. We've had the same issue and my kids are begging me not to make any squash dishes for at least a week. I plan to make the Squash in tomato sauce as suggested by Canning girl 

I will also try to pressure can the squash as Happy Gardner suggested. All the 'reading' I've done has led me to believe that it isn't safe to can summer squash. How long do you process the squash? At what pressure? 

On a different note: Here are some of the zucchini dishes we have been overeating:
Zucchini boats (overripe squash with the seeds and some flesh out stuffed w/meat/chz
Zucchifries (julienne and baked with seasonings and parmasean cheese to crisp)
Zucci-browns (shredded and fried w/onion and bell pepper)
Mock Apple pie filling
Zucchini bread
cubed and sauteed in butter
and the list goes on and on...


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## VT Chicklit

I slice them 1/4 inch thich and then dehydrate them. I will add the dehydrated chips to soups or partially rehydrate them to add to casseroles. They will keep several years when processed this way and are a good storage "filler" type food.


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## motdaugrnds

Windblown, what do you mean "...squash are not as watery when you nuk he as they are when you blanch them..."

Yes dehydrating would be nice. Still need to get some kitchen tools though and a good dehydrator is one I need.


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## mekasmom

You can dehydrate in the oven or even in the sun if absolutely necessary. I know my BIL, SIL prefer their oven to a dehydrator. They sold that on Ebay and just use the oven now.


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## MaggieJ

I love to make "chips" of thin slices of yellow zucchini. You could season them with salt, pepper, herbs etc. but they are good plain too. The green ones work too, but are not quite as nice, to my taste anyway.

I just dice zucchini and freeze it in bags. No blanching or cooking. It's always worked great for me and it stays firm when cooked. Sure is great for winter stews, soups, stir fries etc.


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## Guest

I'm real partial to pickled squash. The seem a great deal firmer than regular pickled cucumbers.


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## motdaugrnds

WOW I'm gonna slice some of these thinly and see if I can get them dry in the oven without burning them up.


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## lonelyfarmgirl

When I had giant zucchinis gave to me last year, I shredded them all, like carrots, then laid the shreds on the trays and dehydrated them. They peeled off in one big fiberglass looking sheet. I cut them in squares and stored in a quart ziploc. I take the 'sheets' of dried shreds and use them as layers in lasagna, or on pizza between the sauce and the toppings. Or I cut the sheets smaller with scissors into soup.


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## NostalgicGranny

I just slice and freeze them. Don't bother to bread them until I pull them out of the freezer. Then I bread them and fry them while they are still frozen.


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## motdaugrnds

Nostalgic wouldn't the hot grease pop a lot? I cooked some chicken livers tonight which had been frozen. I dried and breaded them and still they kept throwing splashes of grease onto me.


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## NostalgicGranny

They pop a little but you have the breading on them so it's not like throwing water in. Make sure your oil is good and hot so they fry up quickly.


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## farmerpat

I use half zuchinni, half yellow squash, some chopped onions, and chopped tomatoes (or tomato sauce), and then I pressure can it up in pints or quarts. Then, when I go to serve it, I top it with shredded cheese and bake it in a casserole dish.


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## motdaugrnds

Farmerpat, that sounds delicious.


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## Our Little Farm

MaggieJ said:


> I love to make "chips" of thin slices of yellow zucchini. You could season them with salt, pepper, herbs etc. but they are good plain too.


This is what I do. My kids eat them for snacks and love them! We like Cajun seasoning on them.

I have 40 yellow squash plants, so my excaibur will be running flat out! LOL
Will be making relish, grating some, freezing some, eating a lot and feeding the pigs.


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## beaglebiz

OLF...what yellow squash did you plant....DH thinks the skin on crookneck is too thick...he likes zucchini and kousa (gray zucch) and pattypan for summer squash.
Maybe next spring I'll bum a couple seeds from you


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## Our Little Farm

Yellow crook neck and straight! I like zuchinni too and YES you can bum some straight neck seeds from me later, remind me!

As for the skin....pick smaller. It makes a difference


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## Our Little Farm

Do u want me to send some now? I might still have some.

It's not too late to start them.


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## beaglebiz

Our Little Farm said:


> Do u want me to send some now? I might still have some.
> 
> It's not too late to start them.


Heck yes!! dont wipe out your supply...three or four will do it...THANKS 100%


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