Winter Squash

RECOMMENDED VARIETIES

 

Acorn, Banana, Buttercup, Butternut, Golden Delicious, Hubbard, Spaghetti are recommended for freezing.

 

TYPES OF WINTER SQUASH

 

Acorn squash

is round and dark green or orange on the outside. It is ideal for baking and goes well with sweet, nutty or spicy stuffing.

Buttercup squash

has a hard shell turban-like shape and sweeter than other varieties. It can be baked, steamed and a substitute for sweet potato.

Butternut squash

is pear-shaped and a creamy yellow to tan color. It is perfect for mashing.

Hubbard squash

grows very large and is often sold cut into pieces. After cooking, it mashes well and

can be used in breads, muffins, pancakes, or soups.

Spaghetti squash

is oblong and a creamy yellow on the outside. The inside is stringy and mild flavored. It can be served like pasta.

 

HOW TO PRESERVE

 

FREEZING WINTER SQUASH

Scrub and cut squash into cooking-size pieces and remove seeds. Cook until soft in boiling water, in steam, or in a pressure cooker, or bake in an oven until soft. Remove pulp from rind and mash (do not mash spaghetti squash; leave it in strings). Cool quickly by putting pan with squash in cold water and stir occasionally to speed cooling. Put cooled squash in freezer con-tainers leaving ½ inch headspace. Seal, label, date and freeze. Use frozen squash within 8 to 12 months for best quality.  For spaghetti squash, mashing the cooked pulp is not necessary. Do not freeze more than one quart (2 to 3 pounds) of food per cubic foot of freezer capacity per day.  One cubic foot will hold 30 quarts of food.

 

CANNING WINTER SQUASH

PRESSURE CANNING IS THE ONLY SAFE METHOD FOR CANNING WINTER SQUASH due to its low acid content. Scrub squash, remove seeds, cut into 1-inch slices and peel. Cut flesh into 1-inch cubes. Add to a saucepan of boiling water and boil 2 minutes. Caution: do not mash or puree. Fill clean canning jars with cubes, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Fill jar to 1 inch from top with boiling hot cooking liquid. Remove air bubbles and wipe jar rims. Seal, label and process using the recommended general pressure canner directions and process times

 

 

REPROCESSING

If after 12 to 24 hours the lid is unsealed, replace the jar if defective, use a new lid and a screw band, and REPROCESS. Dump out the squash and liquid into a pan, reheat until boiling, and fill hot jars with squash and liquid, leaving 1 inch headspace.

Recommended process time for Winter Squash in a weighted-gauge pressure canner.

                                                                                                                                               Canner Pressure (PSI*) at Altitudes of

Style of Pack                          Jar Size                         Process Time                                 0 - 1,000 ft                     Above 1,000 ft

       HOT                           Pints                           55 min                                    10 lb                           15 lb
                                         Quarts                           90                                          10                                15