Buzz
Do you have too much pumpkin that you can’t finish and want to store it for later? Why not freeze it? Both summer pumpkins (winter melon) and winter pumpkins (regular pumpkins) can be blanched and frozen. The blanching process helps retain the flavor, color, and even the nutritious vitamins of the pumpkin. You can even freeze raw pumpkin and save it for baking or soups. This way, you'll have plenty of pumpkin all year round!
Steps
Freezing Raw Pumpkin
Peel the pumpkin using a knife or a peeler. Place the pumpkin on a cutting board and trim both ends of the pumpkin. Next, hold the pumpkin with one hand and use your dominant hand to peel the skin away from the pumpkin, moving the peeler away from your body. If you're using a regular knife, stand the pumpkin upright on the cutting board and carefully slice the skin off vertically.
- Once you’ve peeled part of the pumpkin with a peeler, rotate it to peel the rest of the skin.
- If using a knife, try to peel closely to the skin on one side of the pumpkin. Continue peeling along the length of the pumpkin until the skin is fully removed. Repeat the process for the remaining parts of the pumpkin.
Cut the pumpkin into small cubes, approximately 2.5 cm each. Use a serrated knife to cut the pumpkin into evenly sized pieces. You can cut them however large or small you prefer, but a 2.5 cm size works well if you plan to freeze them and don’t have a specific size in mind.
- Always use a cutting board when chopping vegetables.
Freeze the pumpkin on a baking sheet for 2 hours. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the pumpkin pieces in a single layer, ensuring they do not overlap. Place the baking sheet in the freezer and wait about 2 hours for the pumpkin to freeze solid.
- This freezing method prevents the pumpkin pieces from sticking together when stored long-term in the freezer.
Transfer the pumpkin to freezer-safe packaging. Place the frozen pumpkin pieces into plastic containers or freezer bags. Be sure to leave a 1.3 cm space at the top before sealing.
- Plastic food containers like Tupperware and freezer bags are great options.
- If using freezer bags, squeeze out as much air as possible before sealing them shut.
Store frozen pumpkin for up to 12 months. Store the containers or bags of pumpkin in the freezer until you're ready to use them for cooking. Don’t forget to label the packaging with the date it was frozen.
Defrost or add frozen pumpkin directly to soups. When you need to use the pumpkin, you can either thaw it out or toss it straight into a hot stew or soup. To thaw, transfer the pumpkin bag from the freezer to the fridge overnight or leave it on the kitchen counter for about 3–4 hours.
- You can also roast the pumpkin immediately after removing it from the freezer without defrosting it first.
Cooking and Freezing Pumpkin
Preheat the oven to 204°C. You’ll be roasting the pumpkin before freezing it. Set the oven to bake and heat it to 204°C. Alternatively, you can use the microwave if you prefer to skip preheating the oven.
Use a sharp serrated knife to cut the pumpkin in half. Place the pumpkin on a cutting board, holding it securely with one hand. Slice through the pumpkin lengthwise using a serrated knife. Lay the two halves cut side up on the board.
- For larger pumpkins like the butternut variety, take care and proceed slowly as the pumpkin can easily roll. Smaller pumpkins, such as the pumpkin squash, are easier to hold steady.
Scoop out the pumpkin’s seeds and flesh. Use a spoon or your hands to remove all the pulp and seeds from inside the pumpkin. A melon baller is an excellent tool for this job, and a serrated fruit spoon can also work well.
- You can discard the pumpkin's flesh or compost it.
- Regular spoons might not cut through the pulp as easily as a melon baller due to their dull edges.
Place the pumpkin halves on a baking sheet, flesh side up. If you want to season the pumpkin, sprinkle salt and pepper on it. You can also add 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of butter or honey, along with 1 tablespoon of brown sugar.
- If you're planning to roast the pumpkin directly after removing it from the freezer, add the butter and brown sugar now. Otherwise, unseasoned pumpkin will store better, and you can add the seasoning just before roasting.
Nướng bí trong 25 phút hoặc đến khi bí mềm. Đặt khay bí vào lò nướng đã được làm nóng trước đến 204 độ C và nướng trong 25 phút. Sau 25 phút, bạn hãy lấy khay ra và dùng dĩa thử xem bí đã mềm chưa (bí chín là khi bạn châm được dĩa vào bí).
- Để nấu bí trong lò vi sóng, bạn hãy đặt các mảnh bí lên đĩa dùng được trong lò vi sóng lót màng bọc thực phẩm. Nấu khoảng 15 phút với công suất cao và cứ sau 5 phút kiểm tra một lần. Tiếp tục nấu cho đến khi bí mềm đến mức có thể dùng thia múc ra khỏi vỏ.
Dùng thìa múc bí ra. Khi bí đã đủ nguội, bạn hãy dùng thìa kim loại múc phần thịt bí mềm bên trong ra khỏi vỏ. Cho thịt bí vào một bát riêng và vứt bỏ phần vỏ rỗng khi đã múc hết.
- Bạn cũng có thể dùng thìa có răng cưa để dễ múc hơn.
Xay nhuyễn bí đã nấu chín. Bí ngô xay sẽ bảo quản được trong tủ đông nhiều tháng. Dùng máy xay sinh tố hoặc máy xay thực phẩm để xay bí cho đến khi không còn những mẩu bí lợn cợn. Bí đã nấu chín mềm nên cũng khá dễ xay.
- Bạn cũng có thể nghiền bí bằng dụng cụ nghiền, thậm chí bằng chiếc dĩa cũng được.
Chia bí xay thành từng phần nhỏ để đông lạnh. Chờ cho bí nguội, sau đó chia thành từng phần bí cỡ ½ cốc (120 ml), đặt vào khay nướng lót giấy nến, hoặc bỏ vào khay làm đá viên hay khuôn làm bánh muffin. Cho khay bí vào tủ đông để đông lạnh ít nhất 4 tiếng hoặc đến khi bí đông cứng.
- Bí xay được đông lạnh từng phần nhỏ là tốt nhất, nhưng nếu không có thời gian, bạn có thể bỏ qua bước này và cho bí xay vào đông lạnh ngay.
Trữ bí xay trong tủ đông đến 3 tháng. Khi các phần bí xay đã đông cứng, bạn hãy bỏ vào hộp nhựa hoặc túi ni lông đông lạnh được và cho vào tủ đông để dành đến khi cần chế biến.
- Nếu dùng túi ni lông, bạn nhớ lùa không khí ra ngoài hết mức có thể trước khi đóng kín túi.
Thaw pureed pumpkin for cooking or roasting. Move the pureed pumpkin to the fridge overnight or leave it on the kitchen counter for 3-4 hours to thaw. Once thawed, you can heat the puree in the microwave or on the stovetop to add to hot dishes. You can also directly add the pureed pumpkin to soups.
- Pureed pumpkin is perfect for making sauces, dips, lasagna, pumpkin enchiladas, or baked goods like breads and muffins.
Blanch and freeze winter squash.
Slice the pumpkin into rounds thicker than 0.5 cm. Use a sharp, heavy kitchen knife to trim both ends of the pumpkin, then cut it into thin rounds along its length. Each slice should be approximately 0.5 cm thick.
- If you're freezing zucchini for later baking, it's best to shred it. Use a vegetable grater to shred the zucchini into a bowl.
- This method doesn't require peeling the pumpkin as you will blanch it afterward.
Boil 4 liters of water for blanching every 0.5 kg of winter squash. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Place a metal strainer or steamer basket into the pot so that the pumpkin will be fully submerged when placed inside.
- Do not steam the pumpkin in this method. The metal strainer is just to easily remove the pumpkin after blanching.
Place the pumpkin in the strainer and blanch for 3-4 minutes. Do not blanch more than 0.5 kg of pumpkin per batch. Boil for around 3 minutes. Once done, carefully remove the strainer from the pot.
- You can test the pumpkin’s softness by poking it with a fork after 3 minutes; if it's soft, it's ready.
- For shredded zucchini, blanch in small batches for 1-2 minutes until soft.
Soak the pumpkin in cold water or an ice bath for 3 minutes. If you're using an ice bath, use 0.5 kg of ice for every 0.5 kg of pumpkin. If you prefer cold water, run cold water over the pumpkin while continuously turning the pumpkin in a strainer to cool it. Water temperature should be 16°C or lower for the best results.
- Soaking the pumpkin in ice water after blanching prevents further cooking, halting enzyme activity. This helps maintain the pumpkin’s color, flavor, and texture.
Drain the pumpkin in a strainer to remove excess water. Pour the ice-soaked pumpkin into a strainer (or any other type of sieve) to remove the water. This is the preparation step before freezing. Pat the pumpkin slices dry with paper towels after draining the water.
- You can also place the pumpkin slices between two paper towels for about 10 minutes to ensure all excess water is absorbed.
Freeze the blanched pumpkin in a freezer-safe bag for up to 6 months. Place the blanched pumpkin into a plastic container or freezer-safe bag. If using a freezer bag, press out as much air as possible before sealing. Arrange the bags or containers in the freezer and store them until you’re ready to use.
- Blanched pumpkin can typically be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Thaw the pumpkin before cooking or baking. Place the pumpkin in the refrigerator overnight or leave it on the counter for 3-4 hours to thaw. After thawing, you can use the frozen pumpkin in pasta sauces, soups, casseroles, or as a side dish.
- Shredded zucchini is ideal for dishes like risotto, soups, muffin batters, or cakes.
- For a standalone dish, you can sauté the pumpkin in brown sugar with garlic and sage.
Things you will need
Đông lạnh bí ngô sống
- Dao hoặc dao bào gọt rau củ
- Dao bếp có răng cưa
- Khay nướng
- Hộp nhựa hoặc túi ni lông đông lạnh được
Nấu và đông lạnh bí ngô
- Dao bếp có răng cưa
- Máy xay thực phẩm hoặc máy xay sinh tố
- Hộp nhựa hoặc túi ni lông đông lạnh được
Nấu và đông lạnh bí đao
- Serrated kitchen knife
- Large pot
- Metal colander
- Large bowl of ice water
- Baking tray
- Freezer-safe plastic containers or freezer bags
