Home freezing and storing pumpkin for the winter: recipes, recommendations, reviews

Does frozen pumpkin lose its properties?

It is worth noting that when properly frozen, almost all properties and beneficial vitamins are preserved in pumpkin. The main condition is proper storage and defrosting.

Does frozen pumpkin lose its properties:

The vegetable, depending on the method of preparation, can be added to salads, soups, muffins, pancakes, or even prepared as a puree for infants as a first complementary food. The amount of vitamins retained depends on the preparation method.
Most of them are preserved in fresh product, which is washed, cut into pieces and frozen fresh. There are fewer vitamins in pumpkin that is pre-boiled, baked or heat-treated before freezing.
There are many ways to freeze a vegetable for the winter, depending on what you plan to do with it.

Preparation

Dried pumpkin pulp

Drying pumpkin is the most labor-intensive way to preserve the vegetable. The pumpkin needs to be peeled, seeds removed and cut into thin pieces. They should be laid out on sheets and dried in the oven at a temperature of 60 to 70 degrees for at least 9 hours. If conditions permit, you can keep vegetables in the sun, after covering them with gauze. This drying will take several days. The finished product should be stored in an airtight container or linen bag. Before use, the pumpkin is soaked and it restores its original appearance.

Using various methods will tell you how to most correctly store fresh pumpkin in winter in your specific conditions. Experiment and find the best options. Pumpkin deserves its rightful place among food products. Using it in winter will significantly reduce the seasonal lack of vitamins in the body.

How can you freeze pumpkin?

An excellent option is grated vegetables. This option is suitable if you usually do not prepare porridge from vegetables, but use them as additives in baked goods, as well as pancakes. This is a great option for breakfasts and feeding children who don't want to eat pumpkin.

How to freeze pumpkin:

To use this method, you need to wash the fruit, peel it, remove the seeds and grate it. It is best if it is large, then you will get some kind of flakes. Next, the vegetable is placed in a plastic bag.
It is best to choose bags with a vacuum seal. Regular or freezer containers will work.
Remember that there is no need to fill the container to the top with the product, as it may expand a little after freezing. To prevent the jar or container from bursting, leave some free space in it.

Packing

When and how to freeze pumpkin?

Please note that the optimal time for harvesting vegetables for the winter is September-November. It is at this time that the fruits are very juicy, ripe and maximally saturated with vitamins.

How to freeze pumpkin:

In addition, such a vegetable is stored for a very long time, due to its saturation with useful substances and ripeness.
For harvesting, choose fruits that have no green spots on top and the tail is dry. In this case, it is necessary that the seeds are almost dry, and the pulp near the seeds is sluggish.
This indicates the ripeness of the fruit and its readiness for freezing. Grated, frozen pumpkin is usually added to pancakes or muffins. Before use, defrost at room temperature or administer frozen.

Preparing the vegetable

Preparation of the main ingredient

To freeze for the winter, choose fruit that is not overripe. Cut pieces left in the refrigerator will not work - only whole vegetables. Make sure that the pumpkin tail is not rotten.

Preparing a vegetable for freezing involves washing and peeling it:

First of all, the pumpkin is thoroughly washed under running water. This can also be done with special liquid soap for fruits and vegetables.
The vegetable is cut into two parts and the fibers along with the seeds are scraped out. Only the hard part is suitable for freezing.

How to freeze pumpkin cubes for the winter?

Suitable for making porridges and baby purees.

How to freeze pumpkin cubes for the winter:

It is necessary to peel the vegetable, cut into cubes, and blot with a paper towel to get rid of moisture.
Next, place it on a plastic sheet and leave it in the freezer for a few minutes. It is necessary that the cubes freeze a little and become hard.
After this, they are transferred to a sealed bag or a special container for freezing.
You can cook pumpkin in another way, in a ready-made form.

Ripe vegetables

How to freeze pumpkin for a child?

To do this, it can be prepared in several ways.

How to freeze pumpkin for a child:

It is necessary to peel the fruit, select the seeds and cut into small pieces. After this, you need to bake in the oven and grind in a blender or meat grinder. Alternatively, you can boil it in water and mash it using a potato masher.
The resulting mass must be transferred to a plastic container, closed with a lid and placed in the cold. This kind of puree is defrosted in the microwave or heated by boiling, then given to the child.
It is best to pre-boil or boil the prepared puree for several minutes before giving it to your baby.

Preparation

Recipes

Recipes for preparations for children

Frozen pumpkin puree

Required:

Pumpkin - 2-3 kg;
Vegetable oil - 1 tbsp. spoon.

How to cook:

The pumpkin along with the skin is cut into slices like a watermelon, no more than 3 cm thick.
A baking sheet pre-lined with paper is lightly greased with vegetable oil and the pumpkin slices are arranged.
Bake at 160 degrees for 60 minutes.
Remove the pumpkin and cool slightly.
Remove the peel from the slices, using a blender and grind them to a puree.
Place into portions in a container.
As soon as the puree is completely frozen, it is taken out and packaged in bags.

Frozen pumpkin porridge

Millet porridge with frozen pumpkin

Required:

Millet cereal - 1 cup;
Water - 2 glasses;
Milk - 2 glasses;
Frozen pumpkin puree - 0.5 cups;
Butter - 1 tbsp. spoon;
Granulated sugar - 2 tbsp. spoons;
Salt - 0.5 teaspoon.

How to cook:

While defrosting pumpkin puree, cook millet porridge in milk. Millet washed in cold water is poured into a pan.
Pour hot water over the grain and bring to a boil over medium heat, with the lid open.
The foam that forms is removed, stirred, tightly closed with a lid and cooked over low heat for 5 to 7 minutes.
Add the puree to the millet, mix and simmer for 10 minutes under a closed lid.
Pour in milk, stir and bring to a boil.
After the milk boils, add butter, turn off the heat and leave the porridge with the lid closed for 15 minutes.

HELP: For better simmering, wrap the pan with porridge in a towel.

How and how much to cook frozen pumpkin for a child

The pumpkin should be cut into small pieces. Boil for 30 to 35 minutes.

How to bake frozen pumpkin

Sweet pumpkin baked in pieces in the oven: Place the cut pumpkin on a baking sheet greased with butter. Drizzle with vegetable oil and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Baking in an oven preheated to 200 degrees will take 40 minutes. During this time, the edges of the pumpkin pieces will brown perfectly. Baked pumpkin can be eaten both hot and cold.

Is it possible to freeze pumpkin in the freezer?

Let’s say right away - yes, you can freeze pumpkin in the freezer. There are several other options for preparing and storing frozen pumpkin for the winter. This option is suitable if you like to cook pancakes, porridge or add pumpkin to ready-made muesli or oatmeal.

Is it possible to freeze pumpkin in the freezer:

To do this, you need to peel it, cut it into pieces and place it in the microwave, adding a little water to the plate. Turn on the microwave at maximum power and cook until soft.
Now you need to place the pieces on a towel and dry them a little so that water does not flow from them. Next, the pumpkin is laid out in a thin layer on a baking sheet and frozen in the freezer for several minutes.
After this, it is transferred to a plastic bag or food storage container. This pumpkin must be cooked after defrosting. In principle, it is ready to eat immediately after defrosting. Usually it is crushed to make pureed soups, or added to second and first courses. Often prepared into cupcakes and added to desserts.

Harvesting

Frozen pumpkin porridge

Perhaps one of the most famous and favorite dishes with pumpkin is millet or rice porridge. Pumpkin pieces are ideal for preparing the dish, but mashed potatoes and grated preparations will also work well.

For 3 servings you will need:

260 g pumpkin cubes;
120 ml milk (any fat content depending on your preferences);
1 tbsp. corn, millet or rice cereals;
salt, sugar - to taste;
cinnamon, honey or jam (optional).

Place the milk, pumpkin and other ingredients in a saucepan.
Let it boil and turn down the heat.
Simmer over low heat until the pumpkin begins to break down into fibers. This is a sure sign that everything is ready.
Place on plates to cool slightly. Serve with honey, jam, fruit or whipped cream.

Semolina porridge also works well with pumpkin, but it cooks quickly and is immersed in hot, but not boiling, milk. Therefore, first add the semolina, and then the grated pumpkin. Cook, stirring constantly, and at the end remove from heat and let stand covered.

Pumpkin is not only a healthy product, but also extremely convenient. It does not lose vitamins and external properties when frozen, it is easy to use in various dishes, and its natural sweetness allows you to add less sugar, which is only good for your teeth and figure.

Pumpkin is 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.

Freezing pumpkin: tips

There are several rules that should be followed while freezing pumpkin.

Freezing pumpkin, tips:

Beforehand, try to freeze the pieces separately a little so that they do not touch each other. This will prevent the pieces from sticking together during long-term storage. When dipping into the bag, try to get as much air out of it as possible so that there is no air remaining in the container.
Do not fill the food storage container to the top. This will prevent the container from cracking and the products inside the containers from expanding.
Never use the microwave to defrost pumpkin. The ideal option is to use frozen immediately. This can be easily used if the pumpkin is already ready for cooking, that is, previously blanched or boiled.
Thus, the shavings or pieces of pumpkin are immediately thrown frozen into the dish that is being prepared. The shelf life of frozen pumpkin is approximately 10-12 months. This applies to both fresh products that were not boiled before freezing and were not subject to heat treatment, as well as products that were baked in the oven.

Baking in the oven
As you can see, freezing pumpkin allows you to preserve its beneficial properties and also extend its shelf life. This is an ideal option if you have small children and need vitamins and minerals in winter. Pumpkin is a healthy vegetable that, even when frozen or boiled, contains a large amount of vitamins and microelements.

Packaging and storage

How to properly freeze pumpkin for storage? There is nothing complicated in this procedure, the main thing is to choose containers that are convenient for storage.

Usually used containers:

Plastic containers (special containers, containers for yogurt, sour cream, etc.).
Plastic bags, regular or special with a latch.
You can use any container of suitable size.

If we are packaging puree, then it is very convenient to place the bag before filling in some container with hard sides (for example, a plastic bucket), and then spoon (or pour) the pumpkin puree into the bag thus shaped.

The bucket reliably supports the shapeless bag and placing liquid puree in it becomes much more convenient.

Next, we release the air from the bag, leaving a little space for possible expansion of the pumpkin, tie it, remove it from our mold and give the tied bag a flat shape. This way its contents will freeze faster and be stored more compactly.

Prepared and cooled pumpkin puree is also pre-frozen in:

Molds for freezing ice cubes or silicone for baking. Once solidified, the resulting frozen portions are placed in a large bag or container for long-term storage.
Plastic cups. After freezing, their contents can be removed and placed in a common large container or bag. Or cover each cup with foil and then store it that way.

For convenience, prepared packages are signed, indicating the name of the product and the date of packaging . And then placed in the freezer and stored until use.

Can pumpkin be stored in the freezer for a long time?

Pumpkin frozen at a temperature of -18°C and below can be stored in the freezer for up to 10-12 months.