4 Ways to Preserve Butternut Squash

Raw butternut squash can last for months with proper storage. You can preserve your butternut squash by curing, freezing, canning, or dehydrating. When you’re ready to eat preserved butternut squash, you can prepare it the same way you would fresh squash, such as in butternut squash soups, stews, or any other butternut squash recipes.

Curing butternut squash is the process of hardening and drying the skin, which will protect the inside of the squash from bacteria and rot. Follow the step-by-step guide below to cure a whole butternut squash:

1. 1. Clean the squash. Clean the outside of the whole butternut squash with a four-to-one solution of water and white vinegar to remove any bacteria or mold. Dry it with a paper towel.
2. 2. Put the squash on a drying rack. Place the butternut squash on a shelf in a warm, dry area with airflow, away from direct sunlight.
3. 3. Turn the squash. Turn the squash two weeks into the curing process—the squash should cure in four weeks. You can tell the squash is cured when the skin is dry and hard. If the squash has soft spots, use it immediately or discard it.
4. 4. Store the cured squash. You can store the cured squash in a single layer in a box, loosely wrapped in newspaper, with enough airflow in between the squash. Store the squash in a cool, dry place, with ideal temperatures between fifty-five and sixty degrees Fahrenheit. The cured squash can keep up to ten months with proper storage.

Follow the step-by-step guide to freezing butternut squash for long-term storage:

1. 1. Peel the squash rind. Peel off the butternut squash rind using a vegetable peeler.
2. 2. Halve the squash. Using a sharp knife, the cut squash in half lengthwise. (Freezing whole squash will take a long time to defrost).
3. 3. Remove the seeds. Using a spoon, scoop out the squash seeds.
4. 4. Cut the squash. Cut the squash into one-inch cubes.
5. 5. Flash freeze the squash cubes. Set the squash pieces on a single layer on a baking sheet. Put the butternut squash cubes in the freezer until it is solid, about an hour. Flash freezing the squash will prevent them from sticking together.
6. 6. Store in the freezer. Place the frozen butternut squash pieces in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container. The butternut squash will last six months to a year in the freezer.

You can also freeze butternut squash puree in ice cube trays or an airtight container for later use in soup recipes.

Follow these instructions to safely can butternut squash:

1. 1. Gather your materials. You will need canning jars and a pressure canner. You must use a pressure canner to preserve winter squash—the water bath canning method will not reach a high enough temperature to preserve these vegetables safely.
2. 2. Prepare the squash. Peel the butternut squash and cut it into one-inch cubes.
3. 3. Blanch the squash. Blanch the butternut squash in the boiling water for two minutes.
4. 4. Place the squash into canning jars. Remove the blanched squash from the boiling water using a slotted spoon, and gently place the butternut squash into canning jars.
5. 5. Add lemon juice. Add two teaspoons of lemon juice per pint of squash.
6. 6. Pour the blanching liquid into the jars. Pour the blanching liquid into the jars until the squash is completely covered in the liquid, with a half-inch of headspace. Tightly screw on the canning lids.
7. 7. Place the jars into the pressure canner. Put the jars into the pressure canner, and set the canner at ten pounds of pressure. Processing time will be fifty-five minutes for pint jars and ninety minutes for quart jars. If left unopened, the canned butternut squash will last two to five years.

Canned butternut squash is great for baking recipes, including sweet butternut squash casseroles and alternative pumpkin pies.

If you have a dehydrator, you can dehydrate butternut squash following this step-by-step guide:

1. 1. Cut the squash. Cut the butternut squash into one-inch cubes.
2. 2. Blanch the butternut squash. Blanching vegetables before dehydrating will help preserve color and texture.
3. 3. Pace the squash onto a tray. Spread the butternut squash pieces on a dehydrator tray in a single layer.
4. 4. Dry the squash. Dry the butternut squash at 125 degrees Fahrenheit until completely dry, approximately eight hours.
5. 5. Store the dehydrated squash. Store the butternut squash in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. Dehydrated butternut squash will last up to two years.

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