How to Make Blanched Squash

Any type of squash can be blanched.

If you freeze squash without blanching it first, months later you'll pull out a bag of colorless mush with little flavor. The process of blanching, which involves brief cooking followed by immediate cooling, stops the enzymes in squash from breaking down. You don't have to send blanched squash to the freezer, however; this process is also ideal if you want to add the squash to another dish, such as pasta or a salad. It will be cooked through enough to eat, but will have a crisp texture. Does this Spark an idea?

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Pot
Water
Knife
Box grater
Wire mesh colander
Timer
Glass bowl or pot
Ice water
Paper towels or cloth towel
Freezer bag

Instructions

- 1
  
  Fill a large pot with water. Place the pot on the stove, turn the burner on high and bring the water to a boil.
- 2
  
  Rinse each thin-skinned squash under warm water. If the squash has a thick, inedible rind -- such as that on acorn or butternut squash -- use a sharp knife to cut the peel off of the flesh. Cut the squash into slices or cubes or use a box grater to grate the entire vegetable.
- 3
  
  Choose a mesh colander. It must be large enough for the rim to sit on top of the pot, but deep enough for the basket part of the colander to be submerged in the water.
- 4
  
  Scoop the squash into the colander. Gently lower the colander into the boiling water. If you've cut up more than 4 cups of squash, divide it up and blanch no more than 4 cups at a time.
- 5
  
  Let the water come back to a boil. Set a timer for three minutes.
- 6
  
  Take out a second pot or large glass bowl. The bowl must be large enough for the colander basket to fit inside. Fill the pot up to the halfway point with cold water. Add a few handfuls of ice.
- 7
  
  When the timer goes off, pull the colander out of the boiling water and plunge it into the bowl of cold water. Let the squash sit in the water until it feels cool to the touch, which should take no longer than a minute.
- 8
  
  Pull the colander out of the water and dump the squash onto a clean kitchen towel or several layers of paper towels to drain. Once it's dry, add the squash to recipes or scoop it into a freezer bag. Push out any excess air, seal the bag and store it in the freezer.