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Freezing Acorn Squash

Ingredients:

Acorn squash
baking sheet
freezer bags

Acorn squash can either be frozen raw or cooked. Cooking before freezing is recommended if a longer shelf life is desired. Frozen raw squash can be roasted, steamed or boiled, but do not thaw beforehand. Cooked frozen squash can be mashed, puréed or added to pasta and risotto dishes or soups.

Directions:

Freezing raw squash:

1. Peel the squash by cutting the top and button ends off the squash then cut in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds with a spoon. Cut the squash halves along the “valleys” so that you have wedges of squash. Use a paring knife or a vegetable peeler to remove the skin.
2. Cube the squash into smaller, like-sized pieces and arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Once the squash pieces are completely frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe container or storage bag. Mark the freeze date on the container. Raw squash does not freeze as well as cooked does, so for the best results, use it as soon as possible.

Freezing cooked squash:

1. Follow step 1 above.
2. To prepare squash for freezing, roast, boil or steam it until the flesh softens.
3. Leave cooked squash in chunks or mash it. Place in airtight containers and freeze for up to 10 to 12 months.