PRESERVING SQUASH???

[BUBSDAD]

IS THERE ANY GOOD WAY TO PRESERVE SQUASH ANY OF YOU CAN RECOMMEND? MY WIFE AND I ARE FIRST YEAR GARDENERS AND HAVE SQUASH RUNNING OUT OF EARS THAT WE DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH.

ANY HELP IS APPRECIATED.

BUBSDAD

[sissy]

If you have a dehydrator you can dry it. They make good chips to snack on. I do squash & zucchini. You can also can or freeze it. I only dry mine because the only way I eat it is fried or as chips.
Sissy

[sbemt456]

There are lots of things you can do with squash. You can use the small zucchini and yellow summer squash, cubed small, freeze on a cookie sheet till solid, remove from sheet, then place in bag and freeze for stir-fry. The same kind of squash can be made into "mock pineapple" and canned, which make great pineapple up-side down cake and no one it the wiser. You can also make zucchini bread and freeze it or it can be preserved in jars. Also may be canned alone for casseroles and what not. Hope this gives ya some ideas.

Have a great day!

stella

[Thyme]

You can also cube it & do squash pickles. The recipe is in the ball blue book it does not use salt like regular pickles it uses tumeric. They are very good & very simple to do.

[NCLee]

Here ya go!

Canning Instructions
http://canningusa.com/IfICanYouCan/SquashSummer.htm
Bunches of pickled squash recipes here:
http://www.cooks.com/rec/search/0,1-0,squash_pickles,FF.html

Dehydrating
http://www.oklahomafood.coop/bobsblog/?p=62
(This also has info on other methods)

and
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/food_preservation/42037

For more ideas check here
http://www.suite101.com/reference/summer_squash

Hope these help get you started. If you google the term - summer squash - along with what you want to do with it, such as dehydrating summer squash you'll turn up a lot more info. There's even one for making dog treats.

Lee

[sissy]

I make dog food with it also, then freeze it. I take out 2 days at a time. My doggie loves it. She does this cute little dance for it.
Sissy

[Mom5farmboys]

I use really big squash or zucchini to make my homemade pickle relish (for canning) when cucumbers are in short supply. I quarter them longways and scoop out the seeds and fiberous center. Then grate and use in place of cucumbers in my favorite recipe.

I also grate them and freeze in 1 cup packages. Its great to use for zucchini bread (it has been my experience that the yellow summer squash is completely interchageable with zucchini) or I will put a cup into a basic chocolate cake recipe or box mix. Makes a very moist bread or cake.

[Mom5farmboys]

OH I just remembered one more thing we do when we are being overrun by squash or zucchini is we deep fry the blossoms.

I make a basic pancake type batter and add some cumin to it.

Pick the blossoms first thing in the morning and give them a good rinse, and drain well.

When your ready to eat, simply dip the blossoms in your batter, and deep fry until the batter is cooked. They are delicious.

[poisonivie]

I make casseroles out mine. I grade it julion style then freeze it in 2 cup batches then I can pull out just enough to add it to 2 cans cream soup and few other frozen veggies put rice in bottom of pan pour on veggies and soup add 1/4cup water cover with foil cook for 30 or so mins kids and hubby who don't eat squash tell me its the best.Just don't tell them its squash .