How To Freeze Acorn Squash || Store Winter Squash

Just before the farm stands close for the winter season, they are abundantly stocked with squash. All different types of winter squash. And one is better than the next.

I encourage you to take full advantage of the variety available, by putting some of it up in your freezer to use throughout the winter months.

One of my favorite varieties is acorn squash. It has a creamy texture. And it is more nutty than sweet; making it a good choice for savory dishes. Although, it should not be overlooked for any dish using squash. It’s an all-around winner!

Today, I’m going to provide you with a few easy steps that comprise the best method for freezing this versatile culinary delight for later use. And, before you ask, this method sure can be used to put up any type of winter squash.

So, when you’re at the farm market trying to choose between all of the varied squash varieties … simply buy a good supply of each of them. Then bring them home and get to work preparing them for the freezer.

Choosing Acorn Squash At The Market

There are a few features you can keep in mind when choosing raw squash from the market. Fruit that has these features will also have the best flavor of the bunch.

First, take a look at the acorn squash skin before you put it in your basket. It should have a good mix of green and orange color. Get as close to an even proportion of these two colors as you can.

It should be smooth and have a matte like finish. Leave the shiny skin squash behind.

You want the entire acorn squash to be firm when you press on it. Check it over for soft spots and avoid those fruits. A tiny soft spot on the exterior of the squash, usually indicates a much larger rotten spot on the interior flesh of the squash.

And, finally, you want to choose fruit that is heavy for it’s size. Acorn squash does not have a very thick layer of flesh. If it is lightweight it will have minimal flesh inside; taking a great deal more work to get the same amount of prepared fruit for freezing. 

Cutting The Acorn Squash

It’s no secret that it can be pretty difficult to cut squash. Winter squashes are all notoriously difficult to cut. It causes many people to avoid using them in the kitchen. And that’s really a shame.

These fruits are versatile. They taste fantastic. And they provide a great deal of nutrients as well.

The process for freezing acorn squash that I’m going to share with you today requires minimal cutting. And if you start by choosing a very sharp knife, you will likely be surprised by just how easy it is.

Remove the stem from the acorn squash and set it on a cutting board on that end. If you are not able to pull the stem off the squash, you can slice the tip of the whole fruit off to make a flat surface for it to sit on. Then cut the acorn squash in half.

And, my friends, that is all the cutting that is required when preparing whole acorn squash for freezing with the method in this post. You do not have to cut squash slices or squash cubes. All you need, is to cut the fruit in half. Done.

It is not necessary to peel the squash. But you will want to remove the stringy bits and the seeds from the center of the fruit before cooking it. This can easily be done with a spoon. If you have a melon baller in the house that works even better.

With all of this said … you can cut the fruit into slices and cook it that way, if you want to more fully caramelize the flesh before freezing it. This provides you with a much sweeter squash puree. And I know some people prefer their puree that way.

Personally, I don’t recommend the method. Not only because I don’t want to deal with all that cutting. But because along with the sweeter end result, comes a more caramelized texture. 

And I feel like this limits the ways that I can use my acorn squash puree in the future. However, if you’re going to go for it, just sit the squash flat side down on a cutting board and slice away. 

How To Cook Acorn Squash For Freezing

The very best way to cook winter squash of any kind is to roast it. Even when making a soup … roast the squash first. I understand that there are some squash recipes out there that don’t call for this practice. 

For instance, the fruit must be prepared differently if you’re making a skillet dish that has chunks of winter squash in it.

But, in the vast majority of dishes using this fruit, the squash is pureed. And when that is the case, roasting is the cooking process that makes the most sense.

It doesn’t require you to peel the fruit (which is pretty hard) and it doesn’t require you to cut the fruit into chunks (which, as we’ve already discussed, is pretty hard).

AND … it intensifies all of the sweet, nutty notes of flavor in the fruit. Who doesn’t want that?!?!

There are a few different methods you can use to oven roast squash. I almost always put a little bit of water in a baking dish, sit the squash cut side down in the dish, and then cook it in a preheated oven until it’s soft enough to pierce with a fork. This is the simplest method, and it works GREAT!

If you have more than a few pieces of squash to roast, and you will if you’re putting it up for the winter, you can use a sheet pan.

You’re going to see many methods out there that recommend brushing the cut side of the squash with olive oil and setting it directly on the pan and/or lining the pan with parchment paper to prevent the squash from sticking.

These methods will get the job done. But, for real, don’t make it more work than it is. Placing a little water in the pan works just as well and it’s so easy.

The oven should be set to 350 degrees. It’s hard to say how long it will take for the squash to cook.

It really depends on how thick the flesh of the fruit is. I would start with about 30 minutes and go from there.

Don’t season the squash when you cook it. You will want to season it in the way that best compliments the recipe you’re using it for when you thaw it out.

However, you do have fresh roasted acorn squash sitting in front of you and it would be a shame to let that opportunity to indulge yourself completely slip from your grasp.

So, I encourage you, to put some in a bowl, dress it to your liking, and enjoy it while it’s hot!

Preparing The Squash To Freeze

Once the squash is fully cooked, it will need to cool to room temperature before it’s ready to prepare for freezing. It’s also much easier to work with cool squash than it is to work with hot squash. So, allow it to cool completely.

If you find yourself wanting to expediate the process, you can remove it from the hot baking sheet, set it cut side up on another surface, and it will cool quicker for you.

You will be able to very easily scrape the insides of the squash away from the skin with a spoon. This is the main reason that I recommend roasting as the preferred method for cooking winter squash. 

It eliminates any difficulty that is encountered when trying to remove the skin. And the grooves in the skin of acorn squash can make it even more challenging to remove than other varieties of squash.

The flesh can be frozen just as it comes out of the shell. BUT … it makes more sense to process it now rather than dealing with it when it’s thawed. Unless, your soul purpose is to use it for soup.

For best results, puree the flesh in a food processor. It is the quickest, and easiest, way to evenly blend the flesh. If you don’t have a food processor there are other methods you can use. 

An immersion blender works really well. A standard blender will do the trick. And you can even use a hand held potato masher if that’s all you’ve got. A standard blender and a hand held masher may not fully puree 100% of the flesh. 

But, work with what you’ve got. It’s better to have a bit of imperfect acorn squash puree in the freezer than to have none at all. I can hear all of the squash fans out there cheering as I type that last sentence 😉

At this point, the squash puree you’ve prepared is ready to freeze. So, get the containers you’re going to put it up in and finish the job!

How To Freeze Acorn Squash

You can use airtight containers that are freezer friendly, or you can place the pureed flesh in freezer bags. It will need to be portioned out so that you know how much you have in each bag when it comes time to thaw it out.

You can choose how you want to portion it according to the recipes you intend to use it for over the winter months. I find that 2 cup portions are the best way to go. That measurement seems to fit the bill for most recipes.

And when it doesn’t I simply thaw a bit more than I need and use the leftover to make a simple side dish. Sometimes, a one portion side dish just for myself. Shhhhhhhhhhh! Don’t tell.

After the flesh has been portioned out into freezer-safe containers make sure that you label it with a name and date. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve failed to remember what was in a container in my freezer.

I’ve been so certain when I was putting things in there that I would know what they were when I took them out. And that’s just not the case. Take a minute and label your squash. You’ll be glad you did.

Then you can go ahead and put it in the freezer. If you are using freezer bags, lay them out individually in the freezer and allow them to freeze before stacking them on top of one another. 

Depending on how much room you have in your freezer this may take more than one round of loading them in to place. But, trust me, it’s well worth the effort.

As a young homemaker, I stacked several piles of pumpkin puree in my freezer and had to thaw an entire pile at a time. 

They froze together as hard as a rock! Lesson learned. Just passing on the hard earned tip.

The frozen squash puree will last in the freezer at least 3 months. This is the typically recommended time. Truth is, you probably have up to 6 months before it starts to lose it’s integrity.

How To Use Frozen Acorn Squash

I’ve already mentioned that acorn squash puree can be seasoned and eaten as a side dish. It’s fantastic mixed with honey, brown sugar, or maple syrup and a little cinnamon. Or make it savory with some butter, oregano, thyme, and parmesan cheese. 

You can even add in a little chili powder if you’re feeling like you want to spice it up. Use fresh herbs if you can.

It’s simple enough to prepare squash this way, and you’ll never be disappointed. I’m not sure that you’ll come across very many acorn squash recipes.

It’s more likely that you’ll be able to find recipes for pumpkin or butternut squash. 

But, that’s really no issue at all. When you find a recipe that calls for any winter squash, you can successfully substitute it out with another variety.

And there are plenty of recipes for pumpkin and butternut squash available out there.

I have a few right here on the blog for you. There is a recipe for pumpkin alfredo sauce and a pumpkin maple galette. There’s a recipe to make pumpkin spice latte for your dog friends if you’d like to treat them.

And there’s even a recipe for acorn squash soup. Other great ways to use pureed acorn squash are in muffins, pancakes, and sweet breads. Or try a stuffed pasta recipe; maybe ravioli or stuffed shells. 

There are plenty of ways to prepare this tasty fruit. So, make sure you freeze enough winter squash to work your way through ALL the delicious recipes you can find that feature it’s sweet, nutty goodness!

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