best way to store/preserve summer squash?

9 years ago

I'm asking this in advance, I don't have squash in the ground yet, let alone harvesting it.

But I'm wondering what's the best way to store/preserve summer squash. Primarily for one recipe, a baked casserole I make. It's based off a southern summer squash casserole recipe- and part of making it is slicing into 1 inch slices, then simmering the squash till tender before assembling the casserole.

I've used zukes and yellow squash for this.. but by far it's superior to use ball squashes- and I grow them in part specifically for this family favorite. So I grow ball summer squash every year this recipe- I would like to take advantage of my summer harvest if I can, but I'm unsure as to what the best way to preserve the harvest is.

I've read you can blanch and shock summer squash and freeze it- but I've also read that the result is kind of watery and not so good. I've also read to bake the slices or grill them before freezing- but not much about how the defrosting of them turns out.

So.. any advice about this?

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Comments (7)

KatieC
9 years ago
I'm not a fan of frozen summer squash, but I do freeze a few pint bags of shredded zucchini for breads and chocolate zucchini cake.

Can you freeze your casserole? Last summer I picked up some disposable dollar store pans and made a bunch of tians with the last of my green and yellow zucchinis, Asian eggplants, tomatoes and lots of garlic. I stacked thinly sliced vegies upright in a spiral. Baked them halfway done to freeze, then thawed them and tossed some parmesan and/or crumbs on top to finish baking.

You can make decent bread and butter pickles, relishes and even a fake crushed pineapple with them, too. I know this because my first garden I thought you planted the whole packet of seed, waited until the end of the season, and then harvested. We had turnips the size of soccer balls that year, lol.
lascatx
9 years ago
I make a casserole like that, and I do think the casserole would freeze just fine -- even before baking as long as you make sure to cool it down before you put it in the freezer. I also think you could freeze it as you were thinking. Freezing can break down the cellular structure a bit and make things watery, but I drain the squash off and sometimes pour off some of the water as I mash it even with fresh squash -- and I've been known to adjust with another egg, egg white or breadcrumbs if the water content of the squash is particularly high (a rainy season).
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beesneeds
Original Author
9 years ago
I don't know if freezing it off would work or not- there's dairy in the casserole too, and sometimes dairy just does not come back from the freezer well.

It's a layer of stuffing mix mixed with a stick of butter on the bottom. And a topping of a sleeve of butter or ritz crackers mixed together on the top.

The middle layer is a can of cream soup, a cup of sour cream, raw onions, raw grated carrot, a couple cans of drained mushrooms, water chestnuts, a bunch of herbs and spices, and my "simmered till tender" and well drained squash slices. Oh, and when the green beans are going good, I toss in a pound or so of raw beans into the mix. I usually layer in a pound or so of chunked chicken between two layers of the squash mix.

Maybe I could freeze it after baking? But then, I don't have a lot of freezer space to store whole casseroles either, and that's part of the reason why I am kind of hoping there's a way to freeze just the squash slices.
lascatx
9 years ago
Mine is different -- no creamed soup or sour cream. The only dairy is some butter. Here's a link to the recipe I have used (originally obtained from The Houston Chronicle) if you want to try it I have adapted a bit -- usually making half the amount of squash for just us, one egg, little or no sugar, half the butter, breadcrumbs to make it seem right and ten S&P to taste. I have also added Hatch chilies or chilies and corn to the mixture. It's really good -- and more veggie than other stuff, which appeals to me as a side -- though when you add chicken, green beans and more veggies, you've got a meal going.

I think freezing the parboiled squash would work to -- you might not need to cook it beyond thawing it and bringing it up tp heat if you want it hot to mix with everything else. If it seems too watery at that point, drain off some water.
sleevendog (5a NY 6aNYC NL CA)
9 years ago
Do you have a foodsaver? The shrink thing. I think i would just concentrate on your veg for freezing. Sautéing onions, adding herbs at the last few minutes....a pot of simmering water to quickly blanch the squash and packing them together 'flat pack' for the freezer. That way you can pull out your frozen veg throughout the fall/winter, and construct your family recipe with your summer harvest. I have just a few left from last season of baby bok choy, onion, garlic, garden herbs, squash that i froze flat pack and add to soups and chowders. They have been so good all winter. I just label them as the fall harvest is so varied and i freeze different combinations as i feel may be useful...some have fresh corn off the cob and some beans.

If you just make a few packets while making a meal late summer, ...say on a sunday afternoon over a few weekends, you will have a few dozen flat veg mixes in the freezer that don't take up much room.

You could freeze in qrt freezer zip-locks also. Just press out all the air and push them flat. Worth a trial this gardening season. Experiment. Just pick your squash small and young for the best flavor.
carolb_w_fl_coastal_9b
9 years ago
I'm wondering if the result from freezing would basically mimic the result from parboiling for the casserole?
beesneeds
Original Author
9 years ago
Yes, I have a foodsaver- When the time comes I will have to try a couple of things and see what works best.

best way to store/preserve summer squash?

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KatieC

lascatx

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best way to store/preserve summer squash?

Comments (7)

KatieC

lascatx

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sleevendog (5a NY 6aNYC NL CA)

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