Once the squash is cold, drain them and spread them on a clean kitchen towel or paper towels. Pat them dry. Yes, really. Wet squash turns into a block of ice when frozen, and nobody wants to chisel out a single piece of squash from a frozen hockey puck. Take 60 seconds to dab them gently—it’s worth it.
Now, lay the dried pieces in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Pop that sheet into the freezer for an hour. This is called flash freezing. It keeps the pieces separate, like introverts at a party. Once they’re solid, you can pour them into a freezer bag and grab exactly what you need later.
What do you do with frozen blanched squash?
Months from now, on a dark Tuesday in February, you’ll open your freezer and find a bag of summer sunshine. Toss the frozen squash straight into soups, stews, stir-fries, or pasta sauces. They’ll thaw in minutes and taste almost as fresh as the day you picked them.
Just don’t thaw them for a salad—they’re not that kind of vegetable. They’re for cozy, warm dishes that remind you of August. You’ll feel like a time traveler, or at least a really organized gardener who didn’t let a single squash go to waste.
So go ahead, blanch that mountain. Your future self will thank you, probably while wearing sweatpants and a contented smile. And if you still have too much squash? Well, there’s always that coworker’s car.
