sauteed squash – how to freeze summer squash – Cucumbers – Tomatoes! –
This year, we grew a large number of summer squash plants and have been harvesting an abundance of summer squash. I had never cooked squash before, but I had enjoyed it as a side dish at many restaurants. I decided to try cooking it myself. I started with a simple recipe that called for a few basic ingredients: rosemary, garlic, salt, and pepper. I was surprised at how easy it was to cook and how delicious it tasted. I am really enjoying eating the squash we grew this year, and I am glad that I tried cooking it myself.
Sauteed Summer Squash Recipe
This recipe is also suitable for preparing zucchini alone or mixed with summer squash. If you add chopped chicken and top it with grated Parmesan cheese, it can serve as a complete meal.
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp. Olive Oil
- Summer Squash cut into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices
- 1 tsp. Rosemary
- 1 garlic clove (crushed)
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
- fresh cherry tomatoes sliced in half (optional)
Heat skillet with olive oil and add crushed garlic to flavor the oil. Add squash in a single layer and cook for approximately 3 minutes or until al dente. Add rosemary, sea salt, pepper and cherry tomatoes. Cook an additional 3 minutes and serve. Done!
For the original recipe from McCormick, use this link: https://www.mccormick.com/recipes/salads-sides/summer-squash-saute
Freezing Summer Squash
Freezing
Blanching
Summer squash, like most vegetables, must be blanched before they can be frozen. Blanching stops enzyme actions that can cause loss of flavor, color and texture. Blanching works best if you heat 1 gallon of water to boiling in a large pot fitted with a wire basket or colander. Wash and cut summer squash into 1/2-inch slices, or grate flesh for baking use. Add no more than 1 pound of squash (4-6 cups) to the boiling water. If the water does not return to a boil within 30 seconds to 1 minute, then you added too much. Once the water returns to a boil, blanch squash for 3 minutes (4 minutes at elevations greater than 3,500 feet). After 3 minutes, remove the squash, using the basket or colander, and plunge pieces into cold water or ice water. The quicker the slices or grated squash cool, the more crispness they will retain.
Freezing
Fill pint- or quart-size freezer bags close to full. Squeeze out the excess air. Or, tightly pack rigid freezer containers leaving a ½ – 1 inch headspace. For all containers: seal, label and freeze. To freeze squash slices so that they do not stick together, place them in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze solid. Once the slices are solid, place them into freezer bags or rigid freezer containers.
For more about preserving squash use this link https://extension.usu.edu/preserve-the-harvest/research/summer-squash
