Freezing Butternut Squash and Pumpkin

Today was the first chilly day of fall and the temp of our house when I woke up was 59 degrees.  Yesterday I purchased butternut squash and pie pumpkins at the farmers market so I thought, "What better way is there to warm up the kitchen than turn on the oven and start baking the gourds in preparation to freeze them?"  This is how I do it:

1.  Wash the outsides of them with a little dish soap and water, rinse well. 






 

2. Cut in half and scoop out the seeds.
Don't forget to save the pumpkin seeds for roasting!!





3.  Place cut side down on a large pan with sides.
For Squash -  I line the pan with foil for easy clean up.
For Pumkins - I add 2 cups of water to the bottom of the pan to prevent them from drying out.


4.  Bake at 350° for 45-60 minutes or until soft.
5.  Remove from oven and allow to cool about 30 minutes.
6.  Remove peel
For Squash: cut as shown and the peel will be pretty easy to remove with your fingers.  Use a small knife for stuck on areas.
7.  Transfer to a bowl.
For Squash: No need to mash or puree it.  Measure the amount you would like to store and place in labeled freezer bags, containers, or jars.
For Pumpkin: Puree it with a hand mixer first; then place it in in labeled freezer bags, containers, or jars.

8.  Place in freezer.
DO NOT PRESSURE COOK OR WATER BOIL JARS OF PUMPKIN OR SQUASH FOR PANTRY STORAGE!!!   The only safe method of long term storage is the freezer.  The jars of pumpkin above are being stored in freezer jars.

I have favorite recipes that I use pumkin and squash for so I freeze them in sizes that match the recipes.  Most pumpkin recipes call for "1 can of pumkin or 2 cups"; pint size freezer jars fit that size.

I use freezer bags for the squash because our favorite recipes use 5 or 10 cups of squash, or 1 squash and none of these measurements fit in a jar.

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