If you love bright and tasty pumpkin dishes, then you just definitely need to freeze it for the winter, especially if you don’t have a cellar or basement in which it can be stored. Freezing pumpkin for the winter is good for those who live in apartments and have a spacious freezer.
The pumpkin is not frozen whole, but sliced or chopped, so that after defrosting you do not have to work with the cold product. In this recipe, we will look at the preparation by cutting into cubes and crushed mass. You can use pumpkin cubes for making stews, soups, compotes, for baking, etc. Chopped mass - for casseroles, pancakes, pancakes, making purees for babies.
Let's choose a pumpkin by smell and color - the aroma of a ripe pumpkin is similar to melon. We will purchase either a whole fruit or an excellent piece of it.
If you have a whole pumpkin, then cut it and clear it of seeds and internal pulp, and then peel it. If separate fragment, then just cut off the peel from it. Wash the peeled pumpkin pulp in water.
Cut half of it into plates, and the plates into medium-sized cubes.
Grind the second half of the pumpkin on a coarse or fine grater - whoever likes the size of the mass!
Let's prepare bags or containers and place the diced pumpkin and the crushed mass in them separately. Tie the bags tightly or cover the containers with lids and place them in the freezer for storage.
Freezing pumpkin for the winter is complete. The shelf life of frozen pumpkin is about 6 months. We will get it as it is created. delicious dishes without defrosting.
Seasonal vegetables are usually frozen while they are ripening. These include: green peas, tomatoes, sweet pepper and others.
But pumpkin or zucchini can be frozen in winter time. Often such vegetables grow large and are not always completely used for preparing a dish.
They don't last long in the refrigerator, so it's best to freeze them. This must also be done in order to freeze pumpkin for complementary feeding, and in winter the child will have natural pumpkin porridge in his diet.
Pumpkin is a very healthy vegetable.
Contains a variety of vital organic low-molecular compounds:
- vitamins A, C, D, E and group B;
- a very rare vitamin T, which helps digest food and fights obesity;
- vitamin K, responsible for healthy blood and bone tissue, absent in other vegetables.
It also contains: microelements, sugar, carotene with pectins. That is why it is so useful for young children.
If the pumpkin is grown on your own garden plot, you can be sure that they were not used for this chemical fertilizers, unsafe for health.
When buying fruit in a store, you should understand that not all varieties are nutritious and tasty. There are also those that are grown specifically for decorative purposes.
When choosing, you should pay attention to the color of the pulp; it should be bright orange, with a hard and matte skin. If you try to crush it, nothing will work. The tail must be completely dry. The vegetable should not be too large, the optimal weight is 2-4 kg.
The best varieties for cooking are: Acorn, Bylinka, Muscat, Harlequin, Butternut, Divo, Gribovskaya, Khersonskaya, Gileya.
Preparation
If you approach the wrong way preparatory stage preparations, then the final result of the prepared dish may not satisfy taste qualities consumer.
Pumpkin cut into pieces may become watery and will only be suitable for making creamy soup.
Therefore, to save useful characteristics and the culinary quality of the vegetable, you should not neglect the basic recommendations for the processing of preparations.
To freeze, you need to take a whole pumpkin, and not the cut piece that has been lying on the counter or in the refrigerator for some time. Even if it is cut off by the hostess herself.
The pumpkin should be without damage, spoiled barrels or a rotten (even slightly) tail.
The pumpkin selected for freezing is thoroughly washed.
Required when long-term storage Any vegetables must be marked on the packaging indicating the date of freezing.
Cleaning
The pumpkin must be peeled from seeds and outer peel, divided into equal parts, which are then cut into small pieces.
So, it will be more convenient to use it.
In order to cope with the thick and very tough peel, you will need a large kitchen knife and a cutting board.
After cutting the pumpkin into 2 parts, you need to remove the seeds from it.
Freezing methods
To diversify your child’s diet with natural pumpkin dishes, it is convenient to store the fruit frozen. When properly frozen, the product does not lose its natural qualities and nutritional characteristics.
Puree
This freezing method takes longer than others, but it's worth it.
This method is guaranteed to get rid of the snowiness and wateriness of the pumpkin, since it is pre-baked.
Another plus is that once defrosted, the puree is easiest to use; it simply comes out of the refrigerator and is ready to use.
There are several options for preparing pumpkin for puree.
- Pumpkin cooked in the oven:
- The peeled pumpkin needs to be cut into cubes about 3*3 in size. The resulting cubes are laid out in one layer on a baking sheet. The pumpkin must be placed in the oven, preheated to 140 degrees for about 50 minutes until soft. This is the time needed to bake the pumpkin. You need to cook without adding water. You can check the softness of the pumpkin with a toothpick. If the toothpick sticks easily into the pumpkin, it is ready.
- The unpeeled pumpkin should also be cut into 3 cm slices and placed on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil in one layer. The cooking time is the same as for peeled pumpkin. After cooking, cool the slices and peel the skins. At proper preparation it is easy to clean.
- Pumpkin prepared in other ways:
- The peeled pumpkin must be cut into slices, placed in a microwave-safe bowl and added a small amount of water. Prepared in microwave oven approximately 10-15 minutes.
- Boiled pumpkin. The vegetable must be cut into cubes and placed in boiling water, boiling until soft.
- Steamed pumpkin. Vegetables cut into cubes are placed in the steamer basket as soon as the water boils. Cooking time is about 30-40 minutes. You can also use a pressure cooker or multicooker with a steam function.
The finished pumpkin must be transferred to a bowl to make puree from the pumpkin in any convenient way.
This can be done using:
- meat grinders;
- sieves;
- food processor;
- blender.
At the time of pureeing, you need to pour a little water to get the desired consistency. The puree should be thicker than what is fed to children. Thickness is needed so that more can be added when defrosting. warm water, so the puree will defrost faster.
Ripe pumpkin
The finished puree must be cooled to room temperature and then, once cooled, divided into portions. It is recommended to use ice cube containers as they are small in volume. This is very convenient for defrosting small amounts of puree that the child eats. You can also use reusable plastic containers. They come in round, square, rectangular shapes.
To prevent the pumpkin from overheating, it is better to choose molds with lids or wrap the dishes with cling film, foil, or in extreme cases, simply place them in a tightly tied plastic bag.
It is important not to forget that when frozen, the puree will certainly expand, so you should leave a little free space in a container. It’s also not a good idea to stuff it tightly under the lid.
It is best to prepare pumpkin for subsequent freezing in a double boiler. After all, such processing is considered the most in a useful way cooking.
Cubes
For this freezing method, the pumpkin must be cut into cubes. Proportions can be adjusted based on personal preferences.
The pieces definitely need to be dried; excess moisture can be removed with a regular paper towel.
Once the pumpkin is cut, you need to grab a tray, board, or whatever goes into the freezer.
Cover them on top with cling film or a bag.
Already frozen pumpkin must be placed in a plastic bag and tied tightly. You can even put it in two bags for safety. Next, the portions must be sent to the freezer for further storage. Cooking this way will prevent the pumpkin pieces from sticking to each other.
Grated pumpkin
Pieces of pre-peeled pumpkin must be cut into smaller pieces.The pumpkin can be chopped using a meat grinder with a vegetable attachment (with small holes) or simply grated.
It is important to let the air out of the bags and close them tightly. Freezing this way saves space in freezer. You can put 500 grams in bags.
This amount will fit into a flat freezer tray. Frozen briquettes can be placed one on top of the other in a large freezer drawer.
Another advantage of this method is that freezing is done in small parts. In this case, you do not need to defrost an entire plastic container or a large frozen bag; just remove one briquette. And if this turns out to be a lot, the briquette can simply be broken.
To do this, you need to take it out of the freezer for 5 minutes, this time is enough for it to become fragile, and you can break off a piece and put the rest back into the freezer.
Frozen pumpkin retains all its beneficial properties. This is very suitable for the first feeding of infants. Among other things, pumpkin is easily digestible and stimulates peristalsis. digestive system, has a pleasant taste.
A bright orange, sweet and appetizing vegetable decorates our table every fall. At proper storage this fruit retains its mild taste for a long time. Is it possible to freeze pumpkin in the freezer, because fresh large pumpkin takes up a lot of space. Of course yes. Save it when room temperature not easy. That's why perfect solution for those who want to enjoy sweet pumpkin in winter, it’s freezing it. Our recipe will tell hardworking housewives how to freeze pumpkin for the winter.
You can create various preparations from this healthy vegetable. They make jam from it (adding various fruits and berries), make candied fruits, marshmallows, use it as a filling for pies, prepare porridges and even pickle them.
There are three ways to freeze pumpkin.
The first one (ground on a culinary grater) is perfect for creating pancakes and casseroles. Grated frozen pumpkin can be added to pancake batter, muffins, or sprinkled on casseroles. If you add it to the soup, the color of the broth will become soft orange and the taste will be pleasant.
The second (chopped into cubes) is for vegetable sautés, porridges with rice, salads and purees. This method of freezing allows storage for up to 12 months.
Pumpkin can also be frozen as a puree. This method is perfect for young mothers who are puzzling over the question of how to freeze a pumpkin for the winter for a child so that the fruit does not lose its beneficial properties.
Easy
Ingredients
- ripe pumpkin;
- Ziploc vegetable bags;
- kitchen napkin.
Preparation
For freezing, choose only juicy, ripe, bright and aromatic pumpkin. Best time for harvesting sunny fruits - from September to November. At this time, the pumpkin is very juicy, sweet and tasty.
We prepare the necessary ingredients, rinse the sunny fruit under water, remove excess moisture, and remove thick skin and seeds.
The first version of the recipe talks about how to freeze pumpkin in pieces. 
Using a knife with a sharp blade, cut the fruit into small cubes or bars. To begin with, it is recommended to freeze the pumpkin pieces by placing them on a baking sheet so that they do not touch. 
We put the mixture into a special bag and close it tightly, trying to get all the air out of it. In this case, the plastic bag should not be completely filled. Pumpkin expands when frozen and therefore requires more space. Instead of a bag, you can use a plastic container, also without filling it to the brim. 
For the second option for freezing pumpkin, grind the vegetable on a culinary grater.
We put the resulting mass in a bag and put it in the freezer.
Use frozen pumpkin at your discretion. In this case, the frozen fruit is immediately dipped into the dish being prepared; the pumpkin most often does not require defrosting. You can add it to vegetable stews, soups, make filling for pies, and add it to manti. Pumpkin is a useful addition to cereals to diversify children's diets. Grated pumpkin mass can be added to the dough for pancakes or pancakes.
Let's briefly talk about the third method - how to freeze a pumpkin for the winter for a child. In this case, the vegetable is prepared for feeding infants. To do this, you need to puree the pumpkin. Vegetable pieces are boiled for 15 minutes or brought until soft in the microwave. Then all that remains is to puree the pumpkin using a blender or potato press, cool slightly, distribute into portioned containers and place in the freezer. Be sure to leave room for expansion.
Frozen pumpkin puree can be used to prepare complementary foods for very young children, puree can be added to pancake batter, yeast dough, add to casseroles and porridges.
Keep pumpkin puree You can keep it in the freezer for a long time - 10-12 months.
step by step recipe with photos
Pumpkin - source useful vitamins and minerals. This vegetable is traditionally baked, pickled, stewed, boiled and fried during its ripening season - autumn. But if you save the pumpkin for the winter, for example, freeze it, then you can use this preparation to create tasty and healthy colorful dishes for a whole year. Pumpkin cream, pumpkin pancakes, stew with pieces of pumpkin, etc. are very tasty - be guided by your culinary imagination.
In addition, freezing pumpkin does not require additional blanching or baking. You can grate the vegetable pulp on a coarse grater and place it in containers or bags, or cut it into portions.
Compound
- 300-400 g fresh pumpkin
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’s even suitable for stewing for babies’ first feeding.
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 pepper, smoked or garlic, onion products!
Note to the hostess
1. B large quantities Pumpkin should be frozen 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 linseed oil, you will soon be able to get rid of the 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 immerse your feet 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 pulp melon culture, 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 pumpkinFrozen 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 convenient.
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 using a vegetable peeler or standing the pumpkin upright and cutting sharp knife thick peel.
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 ones for these purposes. plastic cups and ice trays.
Place the pumpkin puree in the freezer until completely frozen. I then take the ice cubes out of the ice trays and store them in a large plastic container, and cover the top of the mashed potatoes in cups with food foil 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 break them down into cutting board and in this form, send the pumpkin to the freezer for 1-2 hours at a temperature of minus 18 degrees and below.
