We freeze a pumpkin for the winter and how to make a delicious dish from it?

As a rule, pumpkin is a fairly large product that is considered seasonal. What to do if you have a huge vegetable in your hands that is simply impossible to cope with at a time, but you want to keep its benefits for a long time? The answer is simple: you can freeze a pumpkin for the winter.

Does freezing affect the beneficial properties of pumpkin?

As a rule, many housewives are primarily concerned about the properties of the product. Pumpkin is a vegetable rich in wholesome minerals and many vitamins, and also sweet from nature. It is quite natural to worry about the safety of these qualities.

So does freezing spoil a pumpkin? Experts say no. With proper freezing, the pumpkin fully retains its properties, including the sweetness of the children - their sweetness.

How to freeze a pumpkin?

An indisputable plus is that the pumpkin can be frozen both raw and cooked, and in any form: cubes, straws and mashed. In any form and form, the pumpkin will fully retain its qualities (including color!) And throughout the year will serve as an excellent addition to almost any dish.

What pumpkin can be frozen:

• take a healthy strong fruit: no bruises or rot on the skin, the stripes are even and clear, and the weight is impressive, if compared with the size;
• the ripe the pumpkin, the better - the dry stalk and dense elastic flesh will tell about it.

How to prepare ginger vegetable for freezing:

1. From the fetus, it is necessary to remove its entire inner part: fibers and seeds.
2. Remove the peel. An exception is the blank for mashed potatoes, but more on that later.
3. A large vegetable for convenience should be cut into large pieces, for example, slices.

Important
purityis.decorexpro.com/en/ magazine draws attention to: estimate the volume of the frozen product in advance and prepare the container so that it does not fill it to the eyeballs: the pumpkin contains a lot of water, and it expands when frozen, so that the pumpkin, both sliced ​​and mashed need space.

How to freeze a pumpkin in cubes

Sliced ​​in small cubes, pumpkin is a very convenient dressing for stews, soups, compotes, and it boils well in porridge. But it is not recommended to freeze a pumpkin by simply pouring cubes into a bag or container: they will freeze with each other, and then you will have to deal with a whole lump that is unevenly sized, the cubes turn into jelly.

To prevent this from happening, there is one trick:

1. Prepare a free space in advance in the freezer and a flat surface (a large plate or a baking sheet with sides).
2. Lay the diced pumpkin on the selected surface so that the pieces do not touch.
3. On top, place the second same plate or baking sheet (the bottom should not touch the bottom pieces).
4. Put in the freezer for 2-10 hours at a temperature below –20, so that the pieces of pumpkin are well frozen.
5. Now pour them in a bag or other container. With this method, it is not necessary to do portioned packaging. The cubes will be easy to get out of the general package - exactly how much is needed.

Tip
So that pumpkin slices do not lose their shape after defrosting, they can be dried in the oven or outdoors. Excess moisture will leave the pulp, and the pumpkin will even become sweeter.

How to freeze grated pumpkin

Grated pumpkin takes up significantly less space in the freezer, ideal for dishes where separate pieces are not needed (for example, in smoothies, baby food, most cereals). This is an excellent ingredient for baking or filling. You do not need to thaw the workpiece - it immediately goes into the dish.

Important nuance
Let the pumpkin drain a little before packing and be sure to let the air out of the bag - otherwise the vegetable will become covered with ice, and after thawing it will lose taste.

purityis.decorexpro.com/en/ magazine recommends using portioned packets or making one bracket no thicker than 1.5 cm. It is easy to cut with a knife without thawing the entire stock of vegetables. Re-icing will ruin the pumpkin.

Frozen pumpkin puree

Before freezing pumpkin puree, of course, you need to cook it. To do this, you need an oven, a baking sheet, a piece of foil and a blender.

1. Cut the pumpkin into slices (no need to peel the peel) and put it in one layer on a baking sheet, on top of parchment paper.
2. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees, cover the pieces of pumpkin on a baking sheet with foil.
3. Bake for about 45 minutes, periodically checking readiness with a fork: the fork easily enters the finished pumpkin. The baking time depends on the type of pumpkin, the volume of pieces and the temperature in the oven.
4. Allow the cooked pumpkin to cool and then peel the skin off. It will leave the cooked pulp without any difficulties.
5. Break the peeled and cooled pulp into a puree with a blender.

Put it in a bag or ice mold and store it. In the freezer, mashed potatoes lie from 6 months to 1 year, without losing their unique properties.

Tip
Packing packages will be a hundred times more convenient if you put them in a container and bend the edges - for example, in a mayonnaise bucket or container for food. It remains to carefully pour the mashed potatoes there!

What can be cooked from frozen pumpkin?

In any form, pumpkin is an excellent ingredient for a wide variety of cereals, including semolina.

Features of the preparation:

• throw the frozen portion of vegetable only in cold water;
• mashed potatoes already baked - add it to dishes 5 minutes before the end of cooking;
• shavings, even raw, require cooking, it will take about 10 minutes;
• the cubes after the freezer will cook faster than fresh, but still give them at least 20 minutes.

Frozen Pumpkin Puree Soup

From frozen cubes, a dish like mashed soup will turn out perfectly. It is prepared from vegetables with the addition of cream.

You will need:

• carrot;
• potatoes;
• onion;
• cream;
• seasoning to taste.

Cooking:

1. Chop the carrots, onions and potatoes and immerse them in cold water.
2. Throw the frozen slices of pumpkin there.
3. Cook for about thirty minutes over medium heat.
4. When the vegetables are cooked, grind them to a puree condition using a blender, at the same time add your favorite spices to taste.
5. Lastly, enter the cream again place the pan on the stove.
6. Bring to a boil and hold for 5 minutes.

This soup will be a great addition to the dining table. It can be served with rye crackers and parsley or green onions.

Pumpkin porridge from frozen pieces

Perhaps one of the most famous and favorite dishes with pumpkin is millet or rice porridge. Pumpkin slices are ideal for cooking, but mashed potatoes and grated stock will also be in place.

For 3 servings you will need:

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

Cooking:

1. Place milk, pumpkin and other ingredients in a pan.
2. Allow to boil and reduce heat.
3. Simmer until the pumpkins begin to break down into fibers. This is a sure sign that everything is ready.
4. Place on plates to cool slightly. Serve with honey, jam, fruit, or whipped cream.

Pumpkin and semolina are also good, but it is cooked quickly, and immersed in hot, but not boiling milk.Therefore, first cover the semolina, and then the grated pumpkin. Cook, stirring constantly, and at the end remove from heat and let stand under the lid.

Pumpkin is not only useful product, but also extremely convenient. It does not lose vitamins and external data during freezing, it is easy to use in various dishes, and natural sweetness allows you to put less sugar, which is only good for the teeth and figure.