Freezing butternut squash

Freezing butternut squash preserves them so you can enjoy the vegetable year-round.

When you get a large crop of winter squash as they are called in America you may be at loss what to do with them. They will keep but not indefinitely and we always find the last few going bad, and then not having them for the rest of the year.

Enter freezing butternut squash so you can enjoy them all year round. They are a rich source of beta-carotenes and fibre; plain good food.

There are two ways to do this; both have their merits.

Roast your butternut squash

1. Cut your butternut squash lengthways and scoop out the seeds with a strong spoon.
2. Coat the flesh with olive oil and in the bowl drop a large chunk of butter and some herbs like thyme.
   
3. Stack them in a large oven dish with a tight fitting lid.
4. Place into a hot preheated oven for an hour, and then remove the lid so they can brown and cook right through. It will depend on the size of your squash. Test it with a sharp knife.
5. Allow the squash to cook completely and then scoop the flesh out into a blender. Process it until smooth.
6. We like to freeze it in one litre yoghurt containers, pop them out after a day and keep in well-sealed translucent bags.
7. They will keep in the freezer until the new season crop is ready.
   

I like to put some in smaller containers too. I just love a butternut smoothie for breakfast now and then. Just add a quarter of a banana, some kefir, a squirt of fresh lime juice and a teaspoon of honey and you already have a meal! It's all about getting those mandatory ten colours a day into your food, for those who want to live long in the land.

That of course is a biblical phrase, associated with honouring your parents. You may enjoy this newsletter about why blue zone people go to bed slightly hungry. Old age homes are an anathema to them.

Celery soup, in this case with a little stock from our eisbein bones, a slice of real bread with perhaps avocado and a scoop of hummus is the perfect light supper that will leave you satisfied, yet very slightly hungry. Resist the temptation of finish with a sweet treat.

It's all about satiety; a little extra fat and plenty of fibre is the solution.

You could easily add a small cup of your frozen butternut instead of, or in addition to the carrots. Enjoy a wide variety of coloured foods.

Perhaps take a tip from the blue zone folk; don't put your parents in an old home. It is so rich living close by our grandchildren; only a door separates our homes. We help them with a 101 things and they stimulate us and give us a reason to live, right to the end. 

Pressure cook your butternut squash

The second way to preserve your butternut squash is to pressure cook them. It is much quicker, the flesh is easier to scoop and it is said that the glycemic index is lower than roasted vegetables.

In this photo they are with sweet potatoes on the way to make a beta-carotene miracle soup. As always let your food by your medicine; in supplements that raise the risk of cancer especially in smokers^[1].

Freezing butternut squash

Freezing butternut squash is just about roasting them in the oven and then blending before you put the concentrate up. Wonderful to have it readily available for your quick meals all year round.

The perfect butternut smoothie with a few green kale or spinach leaves, and I like to add kefir instead of yoghurt; it has over 30 different friendly bugs to keep the tum happy. Did you know there are over two kilograms of bacteria, virus and others little creatures in the normal colon? But they are greatly diminished because of the chemicals added to our food, and regular exposure to antibiotics. Absolutely avoid artificial sweeteners.  

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Newsletter

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Here are the back issues.

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1. Bernard Preston
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2. Beta carotene deficiency
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3. Freezing butternut squash

1. Beta carotene supplements
   

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