This tutorial for How to Freeze Yellow Squash is simple and effective at preserving those beautiful golden veggies from the garden this summer!
Over the last 4 years since we moved out to the country, my husband and I have planted a vegetable garden in our backyard. Planting a garden is a true labor of love, but the fruits of the labor always make the effort SO so worth it. If for nothing else, I love summer because of all of the delicious fruits and vegetables that are so abundant during this time of year. One of my very favorite vegetables is summer squash. Two years ago we planted extra squash in our garden so I could make baby food for our daughter. Our squash plants always tend to do very well, and by the end of the summer it usually feels like we have squash growing out of our ears!
Unfortunately, this year we decided that to skip planting a garden because so much of our focus is being put on our home building project. (Fingers crossed for it’s completion in September!) I was pretty sad to come to the decision to not plant, but I knew raising a garden would require a good bit of our time…and I’d be even more sad knowing we planted a bunch of squash plants only to have then wither away. I don’t want to be a squash killer!
So imagine my surprise and delight when one of our neighbors, (an elderly gentleman who plants a really large garden every year) showed up at our door with a grocery sack FULL of beautiful yellow summer squash. Oh, my heart was SO so happy! I went straight to work putting up about half of the bunch so I could savor that sweet squash flavor all year long. Freezing fresh squash is a really easy thing to do, so I thought I’d share a little tutorial on How to Freeze Yellow Squash – just in case you were wondering how to do it yourself! 🙂
First, thoroughly wash and scrub each squash to remove any dirt that may be lingering on it. Next, remove each end of the squash using a knife.
Carefully slice each squash into slices that are about 1/4 inch thick.
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Then carefully drop the squash into the pot and blanch for 2-3 minutes max.
While the squash is in the boiling water, go ahead and prepare your freezer bags to put the squash in to freeze. Don’t forget to write the date on your bags!
Immediately remove the squash from the stove and drain. Then pour the squash into a bowl of ice water to quickly stop the cooking process.
Next, transfer the squash onto a dish towel on the counter to help drain any excess water. You don’t want the squash to be really wet and soggy when you bag it!
Once the squash has sat on the towel for a little while and most of the water is drained off, go ahead and bag it up!
Easy peasy, huh? There’s really nothing to it! Blanching the squash helps preserve it a little so you can freeze it and enjoy it throughout the year. From my personal experience, this squash is best when eaten within a year after you’ve put it up, but no need to throw it out if it’s a little bit older than that.
Do you grow a garden during this time of year? What types of veggies do you like to grow? Do you have a favorite summer squash recipe you’d like to share? Drop a comment below and share the love!
Looking for a new recipe to use your summer squash in? Check out my recipe for Lemon Poppy Seed Summer Squash Bread!
Here’s a few other recipes using yellow squash you may love – all right here on Southern Made Simple!
Squash & Onions | Squash Fritters | Sweet Heat Squash Pickles | Yellow Squash Chicken Alfredo | Banana Nut Squash Bread | Squash and Cheddar Hush Puppies
Perfect. I love to make a small amount of caramelized squash with Smart Balance butter and sugar and water. About 1 tsp served with fresh cooked garden peas (any kind) I prefer zipper peas…..is so good.
I cut mine in large chunks, seems better than small slices.
SO great. I get fresh squash sometimes, and it’s always too much. It’s great to know what to do with it.
I freeze squash each years I slice them put on a cookie sheet with
tin foil spray with Pam and let them freezer about 1 hour. Then put in freezer bags. They will last all year frozen. S also do my orka that way.
does this way work
Do you blanch it first?
Does this freezing method work well when roasting the squash after frozen? I worry it might make them “soggy”
Hi Diana!
If you plan on roasting the squash after it’s been frozen, I’d make sure that you really let the squash dry out on the counter for a good while before bagging it up. The squash will thaw and be soft, but I’ve tossed thawed sliced squash onto a pan with other veggies and roasted them in the oven and they came out great – though of course not as crisp as if they were freshly sliced. I hope that helps!
How does frozen squash do if you want to bread and fry it?
Hi Sara! You could certainly try it, but frozen squash that’s been thawed really works better sauteed, in a casserole or roasted. Blanching and freezing does change the texture of it a bit compared to when it’s cut up fresh.
I slice mine about 1/4 inch,I blanch,, let dry for a very long time, meal them, then put on flat pans individually sliced with parchment paper and put in freezer; after freezing, place in bags and fry immediately after thawing.
I shred my zucchini/yellow squash then place it into a cheesecloth or kitchen towel and squeeze as much water as you can. I then measure one cup of the shredded squash and put that into individual bags.
Hope that helps.
Hi Theresa. When you shred your squash/zucchini, do you do so after blanching – or just from fresh? Thanks
I do mine from fresh. Use for breads.
I do a summer squash relish. It’s amazing! (Squash, onion, bell peppers and pimientos) Soak in salt water over night in fridge. Drain, rinse, put aside. Boil vinegar and water with spices then add relish and bring to boil for 10 mins. Add to hot jars. Water bath 15 minutes. Simple! Everyone loves it!
Jeri,
That sounds heavenly! I’d love to try it sometime!
I make the squash relish too. Just love it and so many of my friends do too? I always can it but I was wondering, can you just freeze it in the jars after it cools instead of the water bath?
How long will squash keep in freezer
Hi Sherry!
For best results, it will last up to a year if properly blanched and stored. However, it is still perfectly fine to eat past that point. Hope that helps!
How long do you keep the veggies in cold water?
Hi Mae!
The ice bath is just used to sort of “shock” the squash, or to stop the squash from continuing to cook. Just leave the squash in there long enough for them to cool completely down.
What it seems I see all over the Internet is that you put the veggies in ice water to cool down for the same amount of time you blanched them.
Thank you so very much Laura! I love the preservation process of things to be that simple.
One good use for yellow squash – use it in a smoothie in place of a banana! It really works. A little different in taste – not so cloying as banana, a little “brighter,” for lack of a better word. AND you won’t get the sugar spike that you would from banana. Ideal for diabetics or people with pre-diabetes (or anyone who wants to control overall sugar). It doesn’t have a strong flavor, so won’t affect the overall taste if you use berries or pineaple or orange in the smoothie.
Use raw, well washed and with two ends cut off. Use skin and all! Now I’ll freeze it so I can have more available without worrying about it going bad before I can use it!
Lynn,
I love those ideas! I wouldn’t have thought to put yellow squash in a smoothie. Thank you so much for sharing!
I’m curious how to you make the summer squash baby food? Thanks!
Hi Rachel,
To make baby food with squash I just simply cook the squash and puree it. I don’t add anything extra to if if I’m using it for a first food. As the baby gets a little older you can add a seasoning to if if you’d like, but it’s really just as simple as cooking and pureeing! Hope that helps!
You don’t have to blanch the squash. Just slice it and put in freezer bags. You get the same results but save time. It’s actually better that way because it doesn’t get as soggy.
After blanching and patting dry I put the single layer in a freezer bag once frozen can I vacuum bag the squash?