Thanks to all of you on my Facebook page who helped me decide which post went up today. Squash was by far the most voted!
My family loves butternut squash. We always grow three or four plants of it in the garden. Along with eating our harvest fresh, like a true pioneer, I preserve as much as I can. Squash is one of the vegetables you may either store in the garage or root cellar for a few months or it’s an excellent candidate for freezing.
You prepare your squash the same way for freezing or using in my recipe. Peel the skin off using a vegetable peeler. I start from the stem end and chop it into even rounds.
Chop it even bite-sized pieces so it cooks uniformly.
If you’re going to freeze it you need to steam blanch it. Put an even layer in your steamer and cook it for twenty minutes. This stops the enzymes from breaking down the squash, destroying flavor, color, texture, and even nutritional value.
Butternut squash ready for steam blanching
Next, spread out steamed squash on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Put it in your deep freezer.
Steamed and ready for freezing
Once frozen, transfer to a freezer bag or glass container.
Frozen and ready for freezer to enjoy later!
Now for my best ever butternut squash recipe!
Baked Garlic and Butternut Squash
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1 medium butternut squash
3 cloves minced garlic (we grow our own garlic)
1 Tablespoon Basil
1 Tablespoon Parsley
Sea salt to taste
Pioneering Today-Baked Garlic and Butternut Squash Recipe and Freezer Tips
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 1 Tablespoon Basil
- 1 Tablespoon Parsley
- Sea salt to taste
- Parmesan cheese optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Place diced squash in pan. Sprinkle seasonings and garlic over top. Drizzle with olive oil and stir to coat. Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until squash is soft. Stir once during baking to prevent burning and sticking to the pan.
- You can grade any kind of hard cheese (Parmesan is great) when done. It’s tasty with or without cheese.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place diced squash in pan. Sprinkle seasonings and garlic over top. Drizzle with olive oil and stir to coat. Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until squash is soft. Stir once during baking to prevent burning and sticking to the pan. You can grade any kind of hard cheese (Parmesan is great) when done. It’s tasty with or without cheese.
What’s your favorite way to prepare squash? Any tips for storing or preserving?
Featured on The Better Mom.
I made this on the stove top with slightly less sugar and I was amazed at how delicious this recipe was. Will definitely be making again and again. Thank you.
Paul Brown
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“Looks yummy!
You list garlic in the ingredients list, but I don’t see where you add it to the recipe. I would guess that you add it to the partially sautéed onions?
Thanks!”
Yes, sorry about that!
I’m always looking for new ways to cook squash!
Are the seasons fresh or dried?
Dried.
I cook a butternut squash, one acorn squash and one med.yam together in a pressure cooker. Cook 7 minutes and mash in food processor for pumpkin pie filling. Delicious!
Just a quick note to say this is a great recipe! My wife made it the other night, substituting what we had on hand, rotini for the pasta and almonds for the nuts. We will be making this again! Thanks Melissa.
Scott, So glad you enjoyed.
[…] Baked Garlic and Butternut Squash and Freezer Tips – Melissa K. Norris […]
[…] have a thing for winter squash, from acorn, to savory baked garlic butternut, and of course, the darling of fall, pumpkin. My kids love roasted pumpkin seeds and people have […]
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[…] raw, baked, fried, or dressed up in dessert) to butternut (sturdy and a star ingredient in soup or roasted with a bit of garlic), there are so many different varieties, each delicious in its own right! Are you drooling […]
[…] Squash is an incredible nutritious food. Squash is listed as one of the top sources for caretenoids like alpha-carotene and beta-carotene lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-cryptoxanthin. Squash is easy to digest and even though it has a sweet flavor, it is known to have the potential regulate blood sugar. They have varying amounts of sweetness. If you are unsure of the sweetness level of the squash you have, this is a great post from It Takes Time, The Scoop on Squash talking about a few different varieties of squash. Here is how to make your own pumpkin puree from fresh pumpkin, any squash can be made this way, Make Your Own Canned Pumpkin Substitute. And here is a great article on how to properly store squash from Five Little Homesteaders, How to Store Your Winter Squash. And freezing tips from Melissa K. Norris, Freezer Tips. […]
[…] that squash on the right? I bought it to try this recipefrom Melissa’s blog Pioneering Today,but I bought the wrong kind. So, it will also sit as a […]
Rats! Went to the grocery store and bought squash to try this recipe, now I see I bought the wrong one.
I didn’t realize you could freeze squash, that is so cool! Back to the grocery store…
lol, oh, dear. Go ahead and freeze whatever kind you bought as well. Was it an acorn? Acorn is my second favorite.
This looks great! It’s nice to see something other than the same-old, same-old maple/cinnamon/something-sweet ideas when it comes to starchy winter squashes. Thanks for the info on storage, too. I’ll definitely be trying that method!
I do love the sweet versions, but like you, I wanted something different. We love this! I’ve even sliced up butternut squash to look like french fries, baked it with a dash of sea salt and olive oil. My kids loved it dipped in ketchup.