Well, even here in Maine, the summer squash is in! Delicious, and sauteed with a bit of curry is my absolute favorite. However, I have tried freezing, and wind up with a watery, pretty much tasteless mess when they're thawed. Tried drying them, and they make good "chips" for snacking, but don't reconstitute well. Can't even imagine trying to can them. We have yellow, zucchini, and mid-east, which I guess is a zucchini variant, and our favorite. If you haven't tried them, they are carried by Johnny's et al. "Zahra" was available until this year, when it was replaced by "Magda". Don't see much difference - both great. GL!

-- Brad (Homefixer@SacoRiver.net), July 17, 2000

Answers

Brad:

If you don't have it, see if your local library has or can borrow a copy of Putting Food By, by Ruth Hertzberg, Beatrice Vaughan and Janet Greene. It contains procedures for canning squash.

-- Ken Scharabok (scharabo@aol.com), July 17, 2000.

I freeze quarts and quarts of summer crooked neck yellow squash every summer. The key to them not being a watery mess is to let them drain while they are thawing...then I usually fry them by battering them with a little meal and then frying in a shallow bit of oil in a skillet...but once they are drained they are great to use in caseroles or whatever...although the newer cookbooks don't say you can can crooked neck squash...I got my mama's old canning cookbook and it gives a good canning recipe...I can in a pressure canner and haven't ever had a problem with them...the squash stay good all winter...

I freeze zuchinia the same way and cook it either breaded or stir fried...hope this helps...

-- Suzy in 'Bama (slgt@yahoo.com), July 17, 2000.

Hi Brad!!!! How do you tell if it's time for Summer squash to be ripe????? Neighbors do not answer the door if they see you coming with a plastic bag in your hand...people in the church parking lots keep their car doors locked and their windows rolled up so they don't find "gifts" of summer squash on their seats after service....The only way I ever enjoyed these goodies was to eat them fresh or make several loaves of zucchini bread and freeze them..We eat squash and eggplant all sauted together in olive oil with cut up tomatoes, garlic and onions..yummy..I've tried for years to can squash in the pressure canner or freeze it and it is ALWAYS disgusting and squishy...perhaps I will be grateful for it someday when I have no teeth and have lost my sense of taste....(another few months I guess).....God bless...

-- Lesley (martchas@gateway.net), July 17, 2000.

Brad all I've ever done is freeze grated summer squash for use during the winter in bread. I've also just stacked zucchini in a cool, dim place and had it keep into early winter just fine. I use the big baseball bat sort with tougher skins instead of the nice little tender ones which I'm sure makes a difference in their keeping qualities. Gerbil

-- Gerbil (ima_gerbil@hotmail.com), July 17, 2000.

I can yellow squash to add to veggie soup. I also can diced pumpkin for soup, it cooks to mush and thickens the soup a little. Good stuff.

-- Cindy (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), July 17, 2000.

I make a sweet cinnamon pickled summer squash...call it serendipity squash! In a pickling solution, add sugar and cinnamon and large chunks of summer squash. Process like pickles. Sorry, I never measure anything, so you'll have to guess :) but it's yummy (goes great with ham or roast pork) Sue

-- Sue (sulandherb@aol.com), July 17, 2000.

I slice summer squash & freeze in freezer bags & then add to veggie soup --or I make a thick squash soup just like I do thick potato soup- -it is great if ya add cream or canned milk--you can add sweetner if it is not sweet enough--I'm one of those that cooks by what looks good & tastes good also so you will have to expermient. Sonda in Ks.

-- Sonda (sgbruce@birch.net), July 17, 2000.

There's never a way to have too LITTLE zucchini, is there? (LOL) I like to harvest them medium-sized, slice them into rounds, add one chopped onion for every 3-4 zucchini and simmer the chopped vegetables in tomato juice, with salt and pepper (and other spices, according to whim). Cook until the zucchini softens and the juice thickens. Then freeze or can.

Christine

-- Christine (cytrowbridge@zianet.com), July 17, 2000.

Thanks everyone. Sue - I had forgotten the pickle angle. I have done that, and find they pickle well in just about any recipe (or at least the ones I've tried) intended for cucumbers. GL!

-- Brad (Homefixer@SacoRiver.net), July 18, 2000.

Have you tried zucchini relish? Sure is good on hot dogs and burgers!

-- Leann Banta (thelionandlamb@hotmail.com), July 18, 2000.

My mother used to slice the squash , about 1/4 inch thick, blanch for 1 minute (really important not to overblanch,) drain and pat dry, then lay it out in a single layer on waxed paper on a cookie sheet, putting several layers on top on each other. Then she froze it til firm, and put the slices into large plastic bags or plastic tubs with lids(Ice cream buckets work well). Then she used to deep-fry it, frozen, until crispy--fattening but so good. If she was pan frying it, she did not thaw it, just floured it and fried it. It was good in the winter. I have done this too, just not recently because freezer space is precious, but it seems not thawing the squash was the key, plus by draining and freezing them in slices, some of the moisture was gone to start with. I do remember that you should add the slices to the deep-fryer slowly and carefully to avoid bubbling and grease spattering.

-- Denyelle Stroup (dedestroup@hotmail.com), July 18, 2000.

I have fixed both zuc. and yellow squash the way Christine described. My canning book called it Tomatoes and Okra but gave a variation for Zuc. A friend cans it that way and then when heating it up adds sliced smoke sausage. Sounds good, hope to try it this winter.

-- Vaughn (vdcjm5@juno.com), July 18, 2000.

I have a scrumptious recipe for chocolate zucchini bread that I make and freeze. I usually make quite a few to use up my zucchinis that get ahead of me in the garden since you just grate them up for the recipe anyway. It is great to take them out when unexpected company comes. Everyone really likes them and they also make a nice gift if you suddenly need one.

-- Colleen (pyramidgreatdanes@erols.com), July 21, 2000.

Try the zucchini relish recipe from the book Putting Food By. The best thing about it is that you salt and squeeze about 90% of the water out of the summer squash, thus saving vast amounts of storage space. Besides, it's a tasty and versatile recipe. Try adding some hot chiles if you are into culinary heat!

-- sal leanhart (salmarcia@msn.com), July 21, 2000.

The best way I have found to freeze summer squash is to puree it first in a blender and freeze in pint containers. It then can be added to bread, soups, and tomatoe sauces. Years and years ago there was a recipe in TMEN for pizza sauce using pureed squash. At the time I didnt have a pressure canner so I froze it. Tasted pretty good. I have also made a lot of pickles and relish.

-- akp (paulal@oplin.lib.oh.us), July 24, 2000.

Have you tried drying them? Wash, peel, and slice 1/8" thick. Steam 6 minutes and lay out in a thin layer. Turn often to prevent mildew. Dry until brittle and eat them like chips. Perhaps they could also be rehydrated to be used in soups or whatever.

-- (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), July 24, 2000.

Brad, my grammy canned (jarred) squash. A pretty sight, we never went hungry, don't know the specifics, off hand, but can't be much different than the other canning instructions. She canned and jarred everything, and lived to a ripe old age. Of course, that was long before the scary expiration date, stamped on foods, by food manufacturers, with a profit in mind.

-- I remember (when@sachild.com), July 24, 2000.