How to freeze pumpkin for the winter in the freezer

A healthy body is considered a real treasure for a person who leads an active lifestyle.
To constantly maintain it, you need vitamins, and freezing pumpkin for the winter is a wonderful opportunity to stock up on them. As you know, the fruit is well preserved in the basement, provided that there are no scratches, cracks and there is a dry root. But not everyone can afford such luxury. It is quite difficult to store large fruits in a city apartment. And when cut, they quickly deteriorate and lose their valuable properties. What is the best way to solve this problem? Let's find out what the experts say. On this topic:

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Freezing pumpkin for the winter

1. When purchasing a pumpkin, be sure to smell it: a ripe vegetable emits a sweet aroma. Markets or supermarkets sell cut pieces of pumpkin - don’t hesitate to ask for the expiration date and the day the fruit was cut. You don’t have to buy a huge pumpkin to freeze - you can limit yourself to a small part of it. Rinse a piece of vegetable in water. Cut the peel to the pulp with a knife and cut the pulp itself into portion cubes or grate it on a coarse grater if you plan to create creams, purees, etc. from the pumpkin. Keep in mind that pumpkin cubes are suitable for preparing first and second courses, and the crushed mass does not require long-term heat treatment, so it is even suitable for stewing for the first feeding of babies.

2. Place the pumpkin mixture into prepared bags or containers. Tie the bags or seal the containers with lids and place in the freezer.

The shelf life of this product is 1 year. Remember that pumpkin mixture absorbs strong aromas, so it is unacceptable for it to be in the vicinity of bell peppers, smoked or garlic, onion products!

Pumpkin puree for children - product preparation

For baby purees, it is better to choose young, small pumpkin fruits (weighing up to 3-5 kg), since they are less fibrous, very juicy and have a more pronounced, pleasantly sweet taste. In addition, the skin is removed from such fruits much easier than from large fruits.

If the “shell” nevertheless hardens too much during long-term storage, it’s okay. After heat treatment, it will come off the pulp quite quickly and easily.

The pumpkin seeds must be extracted (it is convenient to do this using a regular tablespoon), since they are not suitable for baby food.

Pumpkin puree for children - the best recipes

We suggest you familiarize yourself with Citrus calamondin: can you eat the fruits?

Note to the hostess

1. Pumpkin should be frozen in large quantities for people who plan to use it to get rid of eczema. If you defrost 5-6 cubes, boil them, knead them and apply the resulting puree mixed with flaxseed oil to the ulcerated areas, you will soon be able to get rid of itching and redness. In the acute stage, applications are done daily.

2. Thick, completely tasteless, inedible pumpkin peel will also work. Small shavings from it are poured into a basin with warm water (about 40 degrees) and the feet are immersed there. The swollen mass can be rubbed on your heels and skin between your toes like a scrub. This is one of the most effective preventive procedures that protect against mycoses. Attention: unlike melon pulp, its skin is not frozen. Washed and dried, it is normally stored in a closet, wrapped in a thin cotton rag, gauze or parchment.

3. Housewives who have made homemade marshmallows know that from apples it turns out white, from red berries - pink, from kiwi - light green.
All that remains is to experiment with pumpkin in order to put on the table an airy dessert of a bright yellow hue, pamper your loved ones with it and amaze even those friends whose culinary skills are unrivaled. They will ask for the recipe! How to freeze pumpkin
Frozen pumpkin

The first attempts to freeze pumpkin were not entirely successful. Firstly, after defrosting, the pumpkin pieces resembled a sponge soaked in water: they were flabby and too watery. Secondly, the pumpkin slices took up too much space in the freezer.

The first problem can be solved simply: before freezing, the pumpkin must be “dehydrated” by baking in the oven. It not only loses a significant part of the water, but also becomes sweeter and tastier. And to solve the second problem, I started freezing the pumpkin in the form of a finished puree. It takes up less space and does not need to be processed after defrosting.

For example, I use pumpkin cubes (pictured) when cooking porridge for my daughter: a frozen cube easily dissolves in hot milk and becomes a pleasant vitamin supplement for millet, rice and even semolina porridge. For other pumpkin recipes, I use mashed potatoes in plastic cups - each of them contains 200 grams of pumpkin. Very comfortably.

For freezing, I chose the sweetest pumpkin. This is a butternut squash and is shaped like a guitar. Try to take a whole pumpkin, without black spots or damage to the skin. If your pumpkin has a waxy coating, this is a good sign that the pumpkin is of high quality and not spoiled, since this wax protects the vegetable from damage and spoilage.

It is also advisable to buy a pumpkin with a tail. The fact is that the absence of a stalk may indicate a spoiled pumpkin, since the pumpkin begins to rot from the tail.

First we need to cut the pumpkin.

To do this, it is best to use a knife and brute male strength. A large pumpkin is not so easy to handle, so it is advisable to ask your husband or another bearer of powerful muscles to take part in our preparation.

Peel the pumpkin. This can be done with a vegetable peeler or by standing the pumpkin upright and cutting off the thick skin with a sharp knife.

Remove the pumpkin core along with the seeds. We don’t throw away the seeds themselves, but clean them of the pulp and dry them in the oven.

You can freeze the pumpkin into cubes, grate it or bake it in the oven and freeze the puree.

1 way.

Freeze the puree.

First cut the pumpkin in half and then into slices 3 cm thick.

Place the pumpkin slices along with the peel on a baking sheet and place them in the oven to bake for 1 hour 10 minutes at 150 degrees. We cut off the hard skin from the baked pumpkin (now this is easy to do) and use a blender to turn the slices into a homogeneous puree. There is no need to add sugar, salt or other spices. Place the puree into portioned forms for freezing.

I use regular plastic cups and ice cube trays for these purposes.

Place the pumpkin puree in the freezer until completely frozen. I then take the cubes out of the ice trays and store them in a large plastic container, and cover the mashed potatoes in cups with food foil on top and store them in this form until spring.

Method 2.

Freeze into cubes.

The pumpkin must be cut into cubes of the same size. It can be 1 by 1 cm, or 2 by 2 cm.

Before putting the pumpkin cubes in a bag for freezing, they need to be laid out on a flat surface and slightly frozen. This is necessary to ensure that the vegetable cubes do not stick together.

I have a compartment like this in my freezer, I just lined it with a plastic bag and laid out the cubes in a single layer. You can lay them out on a cutting board and, in this form, place the pumpkin in the freezer for 1-2 hours at a temperature of minus 18 degrees or lower.

Pumpkin, a regular in Russian garden beds, has many advantages. The vegetable is not capricious and easy to grow, even a beginner can master its care, and the fruits collected in the fall are a component of a wide variety of dishes and a storehouse of nutrients for all family members.

The unique vitamin and mineral complex present in pumpkin pulp and seeds helps you gain energy in winter, lose extra pounds and support your immune system. Pumpkin is considered an excellent product for children's and dietary nutrition. For lovers of delicious homemade food, pumpkin provides an opportunity to diversify the menu with aromatic porridges and stews, candied fruits and jam, juice and baked goods.

However, anticipating an acquaintance with gastronomic delights, rejoicing at the end of summer work, the summer resident will have to solve an equally important problem. Pumpkin dishes will be tasty and healthy only when the fruits are provided with proper storage conditions.

How to store pumpkin in winter? Under what conditions will ripe pumpkins not spoil and will their flesh remain as sweet, dense and juicy as in the fall?

Is it possible to freeze pumpkin?

I've been freezing for a couple of years now. I cut it into small (or not very small) cubes and put it in a bag, and then I break off as much as I need and add it to the porridge. Freezing does not affect the taste, the pumpkin remains just as tasty. And if you freeze it in very large pieces, then you can then bake these pieces or stew them with sugar.

You can freeze it. Pumpkin is a vegetable that contains little water, and therefore tolerates freezing well - its taste does not change at all. Before freezing, pumpkins are peeled and seeded. Then you can cut the pumpkin pulp into medium-sized cubes, put them in plastic bags and put them in the freezer. Before cooking, you should not defrost the pumpkin, but cook it immediately.

Interesting: How to Store Lard in the Freezer

Pumpkin is one of those vegetables that you never get tired of and want to eat all the time, at least for me. Therefore, it is very convenient to preserve pumpkin for the winter using the freezer. Pumpkin tolerates freezing quite well; it is not as watery as cucumber or melon, and therefore to freeze it you do not need to resort to any unthinkable tricks just to preserve both its shape and taste.

To freeze, select a ripe pumpkin, cut into several parts, cut off the crust, remove the seeds and cut into small cubes. Less is better. We pack the cubes in bags, you don’t need to add a lot, just enough for one serving, and put the pumpkin in the freezer. You can freeze the pumpkin in portions, placing it evenly on a sheet, so that you can then put it in one bag - this way it will definitely not stick together.

You can freeze it. Pumpkin is a vegetable that contains little water, and therefore tolerates freezing well - its taste does not change at all. Before freezing, pumpkins are peeled and seeded. Then you can cut the pumpkin pulp into medium-sized cubes, put them in plastic bags and put them in the freezer. Before cooking, you should not defrost the pumpkin, but cook it immediately.

How to collect and store pumpkin in winter?

Experienced gardeners, first of all, believe that the key to successful pumpkin storage is the competent collection and preparation of fruits for storage for the winter. Depending on the variety, pumpkins can be stored for 3 to 24 months. But so that during this time the fruit does not lose the nutrients accumulated over the summer, the pulp does not become dry, loose and tasteless, or, on the contrary, does not rot, only ripened healthy fruits without scratches, signs of disease and other defects should be stored.

Today, gardeners can choose from up to a hundred different varieties and hybrids that ripen at different times and bear fruit of all shapes and colors. Therefore, the harvesting period extends from mid-August to November.

The most difficult situation is for gardeners in the middle zone, the Urals, the North-West of the country and Siberia. Here, summer residents are often forced to cut pumpkins from the vine, which require a long ripening period.

But even under these conditions, knowing how to store pumpkin, you can save and use what you grow. A sign that you are ready to take up space in the storage facility and spend more than one month there are:

a hardened stalk that has turned into something like a cork;
withering of the vine on which the fruit grows and the foliage around it;
durable fetal bark that is not damaged when exposed to a fingernail;
the appearance in the color of pumpkins of colors characteristic of a ripe fruit.

When harvesting, experienced gardeners try not to pick or unscrew the fruits, but to carefully cut them off, so that the pumpkin is stored in winter with a stalk no less than 4–6 cm long. If the pumpkin for some reason remains without a stalk, at the place where it is attached Harmful fungi and bacteria immediately settle in, and the fruit begins to rot. A similar process occurs when fruits are stored:

damaged by rodents or garden tools;
with cracks and bruises;
foci of diseases on the cortex.

The best time to harvest is dry, sunny days, when the fruits can be laid out in a ventilated, illuminated place to dry. If the weather permits, the crop is left in the cool autumn sun for a week.

During this time, the bark hardens further, the pulp becomes sweeter, and even small scratches on the peel are slightly healed. Such pumpkins are stored better in winter, and when they are cut, they delight with both taste and juiciness.

Dry pumpkins are rightfully considered the ideal place to store pumpkins in winter. Here, at temperatures from 5 to 10 °C, the fruits enter a state close to hibernation. All processes in them are inhibited, only very slow evaporation of moisture and conversion of starch into sugar occurs.

If the air in the place chosen for storing the pumpkin is humid and there is no ventilation, there is a high probability that over time, pockets of mold and rot will appear on the surface of the pilaf, and spoilage will soon affect the pulp.
Sub-zero temperatures have an equally negative impact on harvested pumpkins. The damaged bark softens and the pumpkin rots.

When wondering how to wound a pumpkin, a summer resident needs to prepare ventilated, dry and clean racks or trays for the fruit. Pumpkins, sorted by variety and shelf life, are placed on them so that there is no contact with the floor or walls, on which condensation may form.

During storage, fruits should not be allowed to become crowded. If necessary, they are covered with wrapping paper or straw. It will be better if the stalks are on top.

By following simple but effective safety measures, as well as by regularly inspecting the crop, a pumpkin that has begun to rot will be quickly noticed and removed. The remaining fruits will remain dry and healthy.

But even if all storage conditions are met, pumpkins cannot always please the gardener who grew them. The fact is that each variety has its own deadline for storing pumpkin without loss of quality. Early varieties, for example, Gymnosperm pumpkin or fruits such as butternut, which are popular today, are best consumed within 3–5 months after harvest. Otherwise, you may encounter a situation where seeds begin to germinate inside the fruit, and the pulp completely loses all its consumer qualities.

Pumpkin storage

The pumpkin harvest has been harvested and it's time to find a place to store it. The optimal place to store pumpkins is a basement or cellar, which requires preliminary preparation. It is advisable to wet clean them and get rid of spoiled vegetables and fruits. Additionally, it is worth ventilating and disinfecting the room.

Optimal conditions for storing pumpkin: air temperature no more than 12-15 degrees, relative humidity within 75%.

Dark rooms in which the temperature should be from +3 to 10 degrees are suitable for storing this vegetable. Pumpkin can be stored for quite a long time. If the humidity is high, the shelf life of the pumpkin will decrease by 2 or 3 months. The room should be ventilated.

This vegetable can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 10 days . To slightly extend the shelf life of the pumpkin, you should wrap it in foil, but before that you need to cut it into pieces. Then it can stay in the refrigerator for up to a month. It is also possible to freeze pumpkin in the freezer. Then the pumpkin's shelf life will last at least 6 months .

How to store pumpkin in the refrigerator

The refrigerator is perhaps the best place for long-term storage of pumpkin. But there is not always a lot of space in it, so they mainly store already cut pumpkin in the refrigerator.

But it is worth considering that the shelf life of cut pumpkin is very short - no more than 10 days . To keep chopped pumpkin longer, it is first peeled, seeds and pulp removed, then dried and tightly wrapped in cling film. It is better to store chopped pumpkin on the top shelf of the refrigerator, since that is the coolest place.

For longer storage, the cut parts of the pumpkin should be frozen.

How to store pumpkin in the freezer

Storing pumpkin in the freezer allows you to preserve not only its taste and beneficial properties, but also saves you time when preparing the pumpkin later.

If you plan to freeze fresh pumpkin, you should initially peel it and then cut it into manageable pieces. Small pumpkins can be cut in half or into quarters. Larger vegetables are cut into small slices, 2-4 cm thick.

To freeze chopped pumpkin, place the pieces on a tray or baking sheet and place in the freezer for 4-5 hours. Then the pieces are taken out, poured into an airtight container or bag and sent back to the freezer, but for long-term storage.

You can also freeze pumpkin puree: grind the pumpkin using a blender or meat grinder, place it in small containers or ice trays and put it in the freezer for 3-4 hours. Then you can pour the cubes into a plastic bag or airtight container and put them in the freezer for storage.

The shelf life of frozen pumpkin is 9 to 12 months .

How to Store Pumpkin at Room Temperature

If you take into account the conditions for storing pumpkins, there are many places in the apartment where you can store pumpkins. For example, a glazed and insulated balcony would be an excellent place to store it. There, the pumpkin can be placed on shelves, in drawers or on the floor. If the floor is not insulated enough, you should lay down straw or a blanket, and only then lay the pumpkin.

When storing pumpkins in an apartment, it is worth considering that their shelf life is significantly reduced, so it is necessary to periodically check the pumpkins for spoilage.

How to store pumpkin in an apartment

A basement or other suitable room suitable for storing crops always helps out the summer resident. But what if the gardener only has a city apartment at his disposal? In addition to the fact that the pumpkin harvest takes up a lot of space, you also need to create comfortable conditions for vegetables. Is it possible to store pumpkin in an apartment, and how to protect the fruits from drying out inevitably in the heat?

The rules for storing pumpkins both in the basement and in a heated room have much in common. Fruits feel best in a dry, dark place with ventilation.

All this can be achieved by placing pumpkins in the pantry. The main thing is that there are no heating devices nearby, the pumpkins are not exposed to negative temperatures, and, if possible, do not touch.

Even a glazed balcony or loggia can become a temporary refuge for vegetables collected from the garden beds. Here they are placed on racks or in boxes, covered with thick fabric to protect them from the sun and possible frost. When it gets colder, the fruits are moved indoors and the pumpkins are stored until it gets warmer outside.

If there is no suitable place to store whole fruits, all that remains is to dry the pumpkin pulp and seeds, and process the harvest into homemade canned food, juice and puree. Are there other ways to store pumpkins in winter? And what should you do if you can’t eat the fruit grown on your plot at one time?

How to store cut pumpkin?

Large-fruited pumpkin varieties last longer than others, but after cutting such a fruit, even a friendly family sometimes finds it difficult to immediately consume it. Shouldn’t you throw away most of the pumpkin if only a small slice is spent on purees or juice for your child? The question of how to store cut pumpkins is also of interest to those summer residents who, when reviewing the harvest, discover slightly spoiled specimens.

Since the pumpkin pulp contains a lot of sugars, a tasty food for bacteria, it will not be possible to preserve the cut pumpkin for a long time. The maximum shelf life of well-washed, seeded and cut into portioned pumpkin is two weeks. Moreover, such a fruit should be tightly wrapped in cling film and stored in the refrigerator. At a temperature of 2–6 °C, the development of pathogenic flora is inhibited, but does not stop, so it is better to eat the sweetest varieties as early as possible.

Instead of film, you can use foil, but since this material does not protect against dehydration, the slices of cut pumpkin intended for storage are pre-treated with refined vegetable oil.

The pulp will extend the shelf life of the cut fruit. Moreover, this method is not at all labor-intensive and simple.

Recipe 1: pumpkin puree for infants (up to 1 year)

Absolutely easy to prepare puree, which is intended for children aged 4 to 12 months. And the dill included in the puree will help strengthen the baby’s digestive system and relieve him of bloating.

Ingredients:

- pumpkin pulp - a whisper of dill (not stems)

- a little mother's milk (or formula) for dilution

Cooking method:

Boil some pumpkin in a saucepan, steamer, or bake pieces in the oven. Then beat in a blender with a sprig of dill. Mix everything until smooth. If the puree is too thick, it should be diluted with a few drops of formula or breast milk. You can also dilute with vegetable broth or regular boiled water.

Is it possible to freeze pumpkin in the freezer?

Quick freezing of vegetables has recently become one of the most popular ways to preserve crops. This is explained by the fact that the fruits do not lose the lion’s share of their beneficial properties; they retain the aroma and taste characteristic of the crop. This fully applies to pumpkins intended for winter storage.

If the juicy pumpkin cannot be frozen without losing its consistency, the dense pumpkin pulp easily tolerates sub-zero temperatures. But it’s better not to put large pieces in the freezer whole. It will take a long time to defrost them, which will inevitably lead to a deterioration in the quality of the product.

It is much easier and more convenient to freeze the pumpkin that goes into the freezer in the form of small cubes. This method saves storage space, but in winter it seriously reduces the time for preparing your favorite pumpkin dishes, because the cubes are completely ready to go into a frying pan or pan.

To prevent the vegetable from losing its consistency when defrosting, when removing the pulp from the freezer, it is important to transfer it to the vegetable compartment. Here, at temperatures close to zero, the pumpkin will defrost, but will not lose moisture.

There is another way you can freeze pumpkin in the freezer. In this case, it is not cubes that are sent into the chamber, but puree made from baked pulp. Before the pumpkin goes into the refrigerator, it is washed, cut into large pieces and the seeds are removed along with the loose fibrous core.

Pieces of pumpkin, flesh side down, are placed on baking sheets, which are placed in the oven for 30–40 minutes, during which the pulp will soften.

Carefully remove the peel from the cooled pumpkin, and grind the resulting pulp in a meat grinder or blender until smooth and homogeneous.

Pumpkin puree, which retains all the properties and taste of the vegetable, is packaged in tightly closed small bags that contain a portion for one use of the product, or in ice cube trays.

Frozen pumpkin can be stored in the freezer for up to one year. It is only important to remember that re-freezing vegetable pulp is unacceptable.

The tasty and healthy product is used for making soups, baby foods, caviar, jam, baked goods and desserts.

Preparing pumpkin compote for the winter - video

– An excellent, unpretentious dietary product that can be stored well and for a long time at home, without losing its original shape and set of nutrients.

You can store the pumpkin in a dark cellar at a temperature of + 15 degrees or dry it - this is a very compact storage method.

But the most popular way to prepare pumpkin for the winter remains freezing. Is it possible to freeze pumpkin in pieces, how to prepare pumpkin for freezing at home and how to freeze it correctly, we will look at this article.

As a puree

This method will take a little longer than others, but it’s worth the effort. Firstly, you will get rid of the snowiness and wateriness of the pumpkin by pre-baking it.

secondly, such a frozen semi-finished product without additional processing will allow you to prepare puree soup, casserole, porridge or pie in a matter of minutes. you just take out the finished puree and add it to the desired dish.

thirdly, puree is much more compact compared to pieces, which means it will take up much less space in the freezer.

Pumpkin has a dense and tough skin, so have a large knife and cutting board ready.

Cut the pumpkin in half and remove the seeds.
prepare puree from baked or boiled (see all methods below) pumpkin using a blender, masher or fork. The puree should be homogeneous, without lumps.
Place the puree into prepared containers. Containers, plastic cups, and ice trays are suitable. To increase the shelf life of the semi-finished product and avoid weathering, choose molds with lids. molds without lids can be wrapped in cling film, foil or placed in a tightly tied plastic bag.

pumpkin puree retains its beneficial properties when frozen

Choose the size of the mold depending on the dishes you plan to cook later. Ideally, the form should be portioned. for example, a 200 ml container is enough to make one pumpkin muffin.

important: do not forget that when frozen, the puree expands, so leave a little free space and do not stuff the puree tightly under the lid.

options for preparing pumpkin for puree:

cleaned in the oven. Carefully remove the peel, cut the pulp into 3x3 cm cubes. Place them in one layer on a baking sheet and place in an oven preheated to 140° for 1 hour. check the pumpkin for softness (it should be well kneaded with a fork), if necessary, keep in the oven for some more time;
unpeeled in the oven. Cut the unpeeled pumpkin into 3 cm thick slices. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil in one layer. Bake in hot oven until flesh is softened (about 1 hour). Cool the pumpkin and peel off the skin; it should easily separate from the pulp;
in the microwave. Peel and cut the pumpkin into slices. place in a microwave-safe bowl and add some water. microwave at maximum power for 10–15 minutes. repeat the procedure several times until the pumpkin becomes soft;
boiled. Peel the pumpkin, cut into cubes, place in boiled water and boil until soft. the finished pumpkin should be easily pierced with a fork;
for a couple. Place the peeled pumpkin cut into small cubes in a steam basket and place in a steamer with boiling water for 30–40 minutes. You can use a pressure cooker or a multicooker with a steam function.

Pumpkin frozen in the form of puree will be a convenient and healthy option for baby feeding. Keep in mind that the baked product has a concentrated taste and consistency, so when feeding a child (especially an infant), it is preferable to use boiled or steamed raw materials.

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Freezing raw pumpkin at home

How to prepare pumpkin for freezing

For freezing, be sure to take a whole pumpkin, and not a cut piece that has been lying at the market or in the refrigerator for some time. The pumpkin selected for freezing is thoroughly washed. Then you need to cut the pumpkin into two halves and cut out some of the pulp along with the seeds, since you can only freeze the hard part of the pumpkin.

Important!
For freezing, it is very important to take a beautiful, well-shaped, strong, undamaged, and not rotten pumpkin.
To freeze pumpkin raw, you must first peel it properly.

. To do this, place the pumpkin vertically on a cutting board. Holding the pumpkin with one hand, use a sharp knife to carefully cut the skin down to the base in one stroke. Continue cutting the skin in strips throughout the pumpkin, turning it.

Next, cut the pumpkin into equal 2-3 cm cubes using a sharp serrated kitchen knife. Arrange the pumpkin cubes on the baking sheet in a single layer so that they are not touching or overlapping.

Since the pumpkin expands in size when frozen, if the cubes touch, they will eventually stick together.

Place the baking tray with cubes in the freezer for several hours so that the pumpkin freezes well.

You can also freeze fresh grated pumpkin. This preparation is well suited for fillings, baked goods and pancakes. You need to prepare the pumpkin in the same way as described above, grate it, place it in a plastic bag with a zipper and freeze.

Put into the bag exactly as much as you need for one time of use. The packages with the workpiece are compacted to a flat shape and sent to the freezer.

Packing and freezing pumpkin

Once the pumpkin cubes are frozen, transfer them to a container for further storage. This can be plastic containers - containers, jars of mayonnaise, yogurt, etc. or plastic bags with a zipper. Place prepackaged containers or bags of preparations in the freezer.

Important!
Before freezing the pumpkin in the freezer, check that you have left a couple of centimeters of free space in the container or bag with the preparation.
Since the pumpkin expands in volume as it freezes, an overfilled bag may burst. Pumpkin frozen this way can be stored for up to a year.

DIY freezing process

To prepare for the winter you will need:

cutting board;
sharp knife;
plastic containers for purees (special containers, dairy product jars or regular plastic cups);
plastic bags (regular or with a slider).

When everything you need is at hand, you need to process the vegetable before storing it for long-term storage.

Preparation of raw materials

To better preserve frozen pumpkin at home in winter, you need to choose ripe fruits of an oblong oval shape of nutmeg varieties with bright orange juicy pulp. The selected specimens should be washed under running water, blotted with a napkin and left to sit until completely dry, then peeled from the hard skin.

The most convenient way to clean it is to cut off the tops, place the vegetable horizontally on the table and remove the skin with a sharp knife. The pumpkin, cut into two parts, is thoroughly cleaned of seeds and inedible core.

It is recommended to chop the pulp into large pieces and dry it in the oven, which will make the mass sweeter, tastier and less watery, which will help significantly save space in the freezer. The seeds do not need to be thrown away, but can also be dried in the oven. The result is a tasty and healthy treat.

Freeze as puree

The vegetable is cut into medium-sized pieces. The peel is not cut off. Place on a baking sheet and place in a preheated oven. Bake on low heat for about an hour. Check readiness by piercing the pieces with a fork. If the pulp is well baked, it becomes soft.

The baked vegetable is easily separated from the peel. The fruit is peeled and blended in a blender until the consistency of a thick, homogeneous puree. Place in portions into pre-prepared containers, cover with cling film (if there are no lids) and put in a freezer for freezing.

This method is useful for those who have small children. Using this method, pumpkin is usually frozen for baby food and even for preparing first complementary foods, combining the product with other vegetable mixtures.

Freezing after blanching

This method will help to optimally preserve the taste of pumpkin and all its nutritional properties. When using this method, the vegetable does not need to be peeled. Selected specimens are cut into pieces, then blanched in boiling water for 3 - 4 minutes. Then they are immersed in very cold water for about the same time. For convenience, these manipulations can be performed by placing the raw materials in a colander. The main thing is to let the water drain after blanching.

Then the semi-finished product is laid out on a tray so that the individual parts do not touch each other, otherwise they may stick together, and the pumpkin is left in the freezer. You can simply lay cellophane on the bottom of the freezer compartment and put the pieces there. After freezing, they are carefully packaged in portions in bags and the pumpkin is sent back to the freezer for winter storage.

Freezing after grating

The vegetable is cut into medium-sized pieces, which are then grated on a large or medium grater. The prepared mass is spooned into bags, leaving a small amount of air. The bags are slightly squeezed to make them flatter and placed in the freezer.

Pumpkin frozen in this way is usually used for casseroles, soups, as a filling for pumpkin pie, and even cooked in jelly.

Freezing in pieces

How to properly freeze pumpkin cut into pieces? It is necessary to cut the fruit into bars and cubes - their size depends on what dish the semi-finished product is intended for:

if you intend to use the blank for filling when baking, cut it into smaller pieces;
if the pumpkin is intended for boiling, use larger pieces.

It should be taken into account that the chopped pieces of pumpkin that are supposed to be stored together should be approximately the same size. Then they are laid out on some kitchen surface and allowed to dry a little from excess moisture. Pre-freeze in the same way as blanched pumpkin. Then they are packaged in bags in single portions.

The bags are lightly pressed, giving them a flat shape, and placed in the freezer. This method is perfect for preparing various milk porridges - rice, millet and even semolina.

Frozen pumpkin should not be thawed before cooking. It is enough to add the required portion to the prepared dish. This will help minimize the loss of valuable substances contained in the vegetable and preserve its taste.

It is recommended that when storing pumpkin in the freezer, write the date of freezing on each package of frozen food. This way you will know when the products expire. You can sign that this is a pumpkin, so as not to be confused with frozen carrots - in the form of semi-finished products, these vegetables are very similar.

How to freeze cooked pumpkin

There are ways to freeze cooked pumpkin: boiled (blanched) or pureed.

Many young mothers wonder whether it is possible to freeze pumpkin for a child and how to do it correctly. So, for use as a first food for children, it is recommended to freeze the finished pumpkin in the form of puree.

Pumpkin is very well absorbed by the children's body and helps with constipation, and also has a sweet taste, which children really like. Frozen pumpkin with your own hands will save mothers from searching for vitamins in the winter and the need to buy baby food of dubious quality.

How to prepare pumpkin for freezing

To freeze blanched pumpkin, you need to prepare it in the same way as for raw freezing in pieces. Wash, peel, cut into equal cubes or slices, place them on a towel and let dry.

The pumpkin is then blanched

.
To do this, place the pumpkin pieces in a colander, lower it into boiling water for 3-4 minutes, and then immediately place it in ice water.
Then remove the pumpkin cubes and dry on a towel. The prepared pumpkin should be placed on a baking sheet and placed in the freezer for several hours.

Now let's look at how to properly freeze pumpkin in the form of puree. Pre-washed pumpkin should be cut into 3 cm cubes along with the peel. If the pumpkin is very small, you can cut it into quarters or even halves.

There are several ways to prepare pumpkin for puree: in the microwave, on the stove, or in the oven.

The main thing is to cook it so that it becomes soft enough and can be easily pierced with a fork.

To cook pumpkin in the microwave

Place the chopped pieces in a glass container filled with about 5 cm of water. Place in the oven and cook for 15-25 minutes at high temperature.

The exact time depends on the oven power and electrical voltage. Therefore, after the first 15 minutes, check for softness with a fork and, if necessary, increase the cooking time. To cook pumpkin in the oven

You need to place the pumpkin pieces on a baking sheet and bake at 150 degrees for an hour and a half.

Did you know?
Experienced chefs prefer pumpkin frozen for the winter in the form of puree, which is cooked in the oven.
This allows you to preserve the best taste and not lose useful components, as can happen during cooking. If you don’t have an oven, you can boil the pumpkin for puree.

. Boil 3 cm of water in a liter saucepan, add the chopped pumpkin and cook for 10-15 minutes until it is soft. Peel it and mash it. This can be done with a fork or using a blender. Once the pumpkin has cooled, transfer it to a freezer container.

Now let's look at how to prepare and freeze pumpkin for feeding your baby. For baby food

The butternut squash variety is best: their flesh is sweeter, juicier and softer than other types. Pumpkin is baked in the oven in the same way as described above.

Puree in a blender and, after cooling, place in a container for freezing, leaving a little free space. You don't need large portions for baby food, so large ice cube trays work well.

Methods for freezing pumpkin after heat treatment

A fairly popular method is to first blanch the vegetable and then freeze it.

They operate according to the following scheme:

Pumpkin is cut into cubes;
Place vegetables in a colander;
The latter is immersed in boiling water for 2-3 minutes;
After this, immediately immerse in cold water for the same time;
Place the pieces on a towel and let them dry.

To prevent the pumpkin from turning into one big lump during freezing, the dried pieces are laid out on a tray and pre-frozen in the freezer. Only after this they are portioned out into bags. It is better to label bags of pumpkin so as not to confuse them with carrots later.

Is it possible and how to properly freeze fresh pumpkin: