# Options for storing excess squash



## 98aggie77566 (Jul 7, 2009)

Picking 15-25 squash per day....I canâ€™t eat it all!

Neighbors and family are helping and even they canâ€™t keep up.

I want to package up enough to last the year...figuring about 40 quart size vacuum bags is more than enough.

What options are their for freezing/vacuuming?
- I hear you have to blanch it to stop the enzymes from continued ripening 
- we have tried to batter and freeze for frying...didnâ€™t work
- we will mostly use the frozen stuff for casserole and grilling with onions/peppers 

Thanks!

PS - our local grocery store had squash for $3 a lb yesterday!


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## fish4food (Feb 11, 2011)

A friend cuts them in rings, and freezes them. 

Donâ€™t think they do anything special. 

Not sure how long they keep it frozen for either though.


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## jtburf (May 26, 2004)

If it was me I would blanch and vac seal.

The possibilities are endless â€“ enjoy these step-by-step instructions on how to blanch and freeze summer squash (and zucchini).
Wash your squash. ... 
Cut the squash into rounds about 1/4-inch thick. ... 
Blanch the squash by steaming or boiling them for about 3 to 5 minutes (less time if grated). ... 
Cool the squash.

JOhn


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## Gilbert (May 25, 2004)

I do the blanch and vac.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Squash is one of the very few veggies I don't preserve long term....much better to eat fresh and give away IMO. However, I know some gardeners clean, slice, blanch and freeze and like it....and keep it up to a year.

We make "pseudo pasta", casseroles, and bread out of it, in addition to stir frying tons of it. The bread and casseroles freeze fine for short term storage. 

Its a great time to be a gardener!


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## 98aggie77566 (Jul 7, 2009)

Thanks guys!

Trust me....I am eating all I can....gave a ton away to family, friends, neighbors already and will continue to do so.

I just want to store some away to last until next spring.....fresh is the best for sure!!

I'll go with the blanch/vacuum method.....probably dry them off as much as possible before I seal and freeze


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Please do a follow up post to let us know your results...especially as relates to next year. Thanks.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

98Aggie77566,

There is a great old thread here "How is your canning season going" that you might find interesting.

An excellent recipe for chow chow ...and the spicy garlic baby squash is great. 

I had forgotten about those and will dust them off now.


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## nikki (Apr 14, 2011)

excess could go to one of the Bread Partners or what other group in your area to go to food kitchens


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## WildThings (Jan 2, 2007)

"How's your canning season going"  <---click


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## karstopo (Jun 29, 2009)

I bought a canning set up for water bath canning. Following this thread. Plan on doing some lacto-fermentation preservation also. Bought a book on that. 

Did pick 6 cup of blackberries today, those freeze wonderfully without issue. They were foraged from a wild patch. So sweet, I had to alter my cobbler recipe to lower the added sugar.


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## 348473 (Apr 12, 2017)

In New England people would put excess veggies in strangers cars. Didn't have to lock the doors up there so you would come out of a store and find a bushel of fresh vegetables in your back seat. Probably get shot down here if you tried that.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk


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## travekiana (Apr 23, 2020)

nikki said:


> excess could go to one of the Bread Partners or what other group in your area to go to food kitchens


I just want to store some away to last until next spring.....fresh is the best for sure!!


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## travekiana (Apr 23, 2020)

travekiana said:


> I just want to store some click speed test away to last until next spring.....fresh is the best for sure!!


Plan on doing some lacto-fermentation preservation also. Bought a book on that.

Did pick 6 cup of blackberries today, those freeze wonderfully without issue.


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## 98aggie77566 (Jul 7, 2009)

For the squash...I ended up blanching and vacuum sealing 26 lbs/26 bags.

And I cut/froze fresh another 26 vacuum bags.

Thatâ€™s squash once per week for a year....still picking and giving away squash.

Unfortunately, I havenâ€™t picked a ripe tomato yet! Planted seeds on Jan 19th and tons of green ones. My plants look amazing...too amazing...I think I am growing bushes and not fruit.


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## karstopo (Jun 29, 2009)

Iâ€™m just now getting ripe tomatoes. 2 Cherokee purple and one carmello, plus some grapes. Iâ€™m about to get slammed with tomatoes, have a lot of all sizes on most every plant. 

Squash, Iâ€™m just getting enough for a meal once or twice a week. Have I think 5 yellow squash plants, 2 zucchini, 2 more of those planted much later. I donâ€™t think they get quite enough sun where I have them to be very productive. Or maybe something else isnâ€™t quite up to par. Have had trouble with pollination, but the tiny paintbrush pollination seems to be helping. 

@98aggie77566, whatâ€™s your favorite squash varieties to grow. I see you share my zip code so our climate is the same.


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## 98aggie77566 (Jul 7, 2009)

karstopo said:


> Iâ€™m just now getting ripe tomatoes. 2 Cherokee purple and one carmello, plus some grapes. Iâ€™m about to get slammed with tomatoes, have a lot of all sizes on most every plant.
> 
> Squash, Iâ€™m just getting enough for a meal once or twice a week. Have I think 5 yellow squash plants, 2 zucchini, 2 more of those planted much later. I donâ€™t think they get quite enough sun where I have them to be very productive. Or maybe something else isnâ€™t quite up to par. Have had trouble with pollination, but the tiny paintbrush pollination seems to be helping.
> 
> @98aggie77566, whatâ€™s your favorite squash varieties to grow. I see you share my zip code so our climate is the same.


Im growing crooknecks....nothing special...buy my seeds from Reifels Feed Store. I'm actually in between Sweeny and Brazoria...lived in LJ when I joined the site.

Made my first 6 quarts of bread and butter pickles.....have enough cucumbers for another 10-12 quarts ready for this evening.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Speaking of bread and butter pickles...if you have access to some 1015 onions or other sweet onions, they make a terrific addition to B&B pickles. We add them in as "rings".


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