Pumpkin is not only eaten, but often used at holidays and in decoration. For example, without the pumpkin, there would be no international holiday Halloween.

But today we will talk about freezing as one of the ways to store pumpkin for a long time.

Preparatory stage

After harvesting pumpkins, you should choose the fruits that you want to eat in winter. Preferably free of stains or damage. Cut the pumpkin into 2 parts, and completely clean out the seeds.

For further freezing in the form of pieces, it is highly desirable to first cut off the dense peel, also removing the upper and lower parts of the fruit (roots, tails).

After that, if desired, you can blanch for 10-15 minutes.

How to cut a pumpkin?

The cutting method depends on the size of the pumpkin.. For small (small) pumpkins, cutting can be done in quarters. For large ones, cut into slices of three to four centimeters. After that, divide the slices into pieces, squares.

When freezing in pieces, we pre-place the chopped pumpkin in one layer on a flat surface (baking tray, cutting board, or polyethylene, laid directly in the freezer) so that the parts do not touch each other, otherwise they will stick together. After a couple of hours, when the cubes freeze well, you can pour them into a container for further storage (plastic container, plastic bag).

Before sealing the container, leave some empty space in it. This is necessary to avoid damage to the packaging (may burst). The reason - after freezing, the pumpkin swells, increases in size.

How to pack?

How to freeze pumpkin for storage? Usually improvised containers are used:

• plastic containers(special containers, containers for yogurt, sour cream, etc.).
• Plastic bags, regular or special with latch.

If we pack mashed potatoes, then it is very convenient to place the package in some container with rigid sides (for example, a plastic bucket) before filling, and then transfer (or pour) the pumpkin puree into the bag that has thus been shaped with a spoon. The bucket securely supports the shapeless bag and it becomes much more convenient to place flowing puree in it.

Next, we release air from the bag, leaving some space for the possible expansion of the pumpkin, we tie, take it out of our form and give the tied bag a flat shape. So its contents will freeze faster and be stored more compactly.

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

• freezing molds ice cubes orsilicone for baking.

After solidification, 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 put into a common large container or bag. Or cover each cup with foil and store as such.

Prepared packages are signed for convenience, indicating the name of the product and the date of packaging. And then placed in the freezer and stored until use. Is it possible to store pumpkin in the freezer for a long time? Pumpkin frozen at -18°C and below can be stored in the freezer for up to 10-12 months.

Freezing Recipes

Pumpkin is frozen raw (quarters, slices, cubes, grated) or pre-heat-treated (stewed, blanched or boiled), most often crushed to a puree state.

Freezing pumpkin puree:

• We cut the vegetable in half, and then into slices, which we bake in the oven at 180-200 ° C for about an hour. Scoop out the baked flesh with a metal spoon and chop.
• Sugar, salt and other spices are not added. When the pumpkin has cooled, spoon it into a freezer dish.

Freezing in pieces (cubes):

• Lay the pumpkin cut into pieces of the same size on a flat surface in one layer so that the parts do not touch each other.
• We put it in the freezer for a couple of hours.
• Frozen to a solid state, vegetable cubes are poured into prepared plastic bags.

Freezing grated pumpkin:

• We clean the vegetable, cut into large bars, and then grind them on a grater.
• We pack with a spoon in portioned packages. This pumpkin is especially suitable for baking.

1. Dishes served in a pumpkin look very impressive.
2. To get rid of excess moisture during frying, you can pre-salt the prepared pieces of pumpkin and leave for a couple of hours, and then blot with a paper towel.
3. It is useful to add milk and butter to pumpkin dishes, which contribute to better absorption of fat-soluble beta-carotene, which pumpkin is rich in.
4. Pumpkin is beautiful, tasty and healthy. Great for baby and diet food. In Russia, this vegetable imported from America has been known since the 16th century, 300 years earlier than potatoes.

Pumpkin for baby puree and nutrition

Pumpkin has a pleasant sweet taste and therefore children like it. It is well absorbed and is especially useful in the treatment and prevention of constipation. Contains B vitamins, magnesium, beta-carotene, iron, as well as phosphorus, silicon, vitamin C, carotene, glucose, and of course, vitamin D, which prevents the appearance of rickets. How to freeze pumpkin for feeding?

Pumpkin for feeding can be frozen both separately and as part of a vegetable mixture by adding diced zucchini, broccoli, carrots (we cut it smaller than the rest of the ingredients, as it takes a little longer to cook). Having defrosted, it will be possible to prepare mashed potatoes from such a mixture, and then, when the child grows up, vegetable stew with the addition of meat and fish.

Roasted pumpkin can be mashed right away and frozen in individual portions. This is especially convenient in order to save time, as no further processing of the product after defrosting is required. Frozen pumpkin for the winter is an excellent addition to cereals, especially oatmeal, millet, rice and even semolina (pumpkin cubes are added during cooking without defrosting, and mashed potatoes are put at the very end of cooking), a good component of baking (pies, muffins, pancakes, cookies, various fillings).

Grated pumpkin is good to add to casseroles and stews, soups, borscht, meatballs. Kissel is also made from pumpkin. To prevent pumpkin slices from becoming too watery and flabby after defrosting, you need to let them dry a little in the open air before freezing, or even better, dry them in the oven. In this case, they will become sweeter.

The most compact storage option for pumpkin is mashed potatoes, frozen in layers in bags. In addition, this product, after defrosting, will no longer require processing.

How to eat frozen pumpkin (defrosting frozen pumpkin)

Before eating pumpkin frozen in pieces, it is not recommended to defrost the vegetable. It must be dipped in boiling water, broth or milk and boiled until tender. This will preserve its useful substances and taste.

Pumpkin puree can be thawed in the microwave or in the refrigerator.. Since the baked pumpkin is almost a ready-made dish, it is added to porridge or another dish at the end of cooking. For baby food, a frozen plate of puree can be added to boiling milk or dissolved in hot porridge.

Video "We freeze the pumpkin correctly"

Pumpkin is a healthy and tasty product. It impresses with a variety of shapes, sizes and color of fruits. Due to its beneficial properties, it can be used by children as a first food, pregnant women, the elderly and people on a diet. At home, it can be stored for a long time. To achieve this, it is important to know how and how much to store and whether it is possible to freeze pumpkin for the winter.

Variety selection

For storage, it is better to choose winter large-fruited or hard-bark varieties with a high starch content. Large-fruited varieties of large sizes with a dense skin have soft and sweet pulp and tolerate low temperatures well. They can be removed unripe, in the process of storage they will ripen. Such varieties will be stored for up to 8 months.

Small-fruited or nutmeg varieties are tastier, but they have a shorter shelf life.

According to external and taste characteristics, pumpkins are: table, fodder and decorative.

The best varieties for long-term storage:

1. "Kherson" - in the form of an oblate ball, has a thick gray peel with stripes or spots. The pulp is juicy, sweet and fleshy.
2. "Zhdana" - the variety is early ripening, has an oval shape. The peel is gray, ribbed. Handles transportation well.
3. Janina is an oval, ribbed gourd with orange skin and green spots. This variety is used in the preparation of dietary dishes.
4. "Arbatskaya" is a late variety. Cylinder shape, golden color, sweet taste.
5. "Polyanin" - has a sweet dense pulp, the shape of a cylinder. The skin is light brown.
6. "Slavuta" is one of the late varieties. The peel is hard gray-green in color, sweet in taste.

Fruit picking rules

The duration of storage of the product depends on the correct harvesting. Harvesting will depend on the variety and climate zone. But it is advisable to do this before the first frost, in warm and dry weather, in early or mid-autumn.

Signs of a ripe vegetable:

• dense peel and bright color;
• the stalk becomes light and very hard;
• when tapping on the fetus, a ringing sound is heard.

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Mature fruits with an intact skin will be well stored. At the cut fruit, leave the stalk 7-10 centimeters long, it should not be soft and wet.

To get rid of excess moisture, be sure to dry the crop in the sun.

For storage, leave a large, well-ripened pumpkin with a thick shell and without mechanical damage. If there are many scratches, then they can be treated with green paint or sealed with a bactericidal plaster.

Storage conditions

• dry and ventilated, without high humidity;
• protected from direct sunlight;
• cool - temperature +3…+10℃.

Under such conditions, the pumpkin can lie for up to one year. If one of them is violated, then the shelf life of the product is reduced.

Pumpkin is an unpretentious vegetable; due to its dense peel, it can be stored for a long time.

Having created optimal conditions, choose the following places:

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One of the most common harvesting methods is freezing pumpkins for the winter at home. The frozen product can be stored for 8-10 months.

Another plus of this method is that the product takes up much less space than huge fruits stored under the bed or on the balcony.

Product preparation

Not everyone knows whether pumpkin can be frozen for the winter, but frozen pumpkin is a great addition to main and sweet dishes.

For this method, any variety of ripe, unripe pumpkin is suitable.

Be sure to take the whole fruit. If there was a cut piece in the refrigerator, then this product will not work for freezing.

The fruit must be without damage and rotten tail.

Before freezing, the pumpkin must be washed, peeled, cut into two parts and part of the core with seeds removed.

Raw diced

Cut the prepared fruit into cubes or slices, choose the size depending on the future use.

Arrange vegetables and pat dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture.

Prepare a cutting board or baking sheet, put cling film on them and pour the chopped vegetables. Put in the freezer for a few hours.

Transfer frozen vegetables to bags or a container with a lid. Pieces of pumpkin prepared in this way will not stick together.

Chopped on a grater

This method is perfect for filling pies and pancakes.

The method is very simple: cook the pumpkin - wash and peel - and grate on a coarse grater. Arrange in bags - it is better to use vacuum - and put in the freezer.

Puree preparation

A very practical option is pumpkin puree, which can be prepared for children and used as fillings. Without additional processing, such mashed potatoes can diversify cereals or casseroles, therefore, in order not to do this every day, you can prepare it for future use.

The easiest recipe: make pumpkin puree, bake or boil pumpkin slices and grind them with a blender. Arrange in containers - these can be plastic cups, containers or ice molds.

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Keep in the freezer for a day, then close the containers with lids, and the cups with cling film and put in the freezer.

How to defrost

Depending on how the product was frozen, there are several options for defrosting:

1. For some dishes, such as porridge or stew, the pieces do not require prior defrosting. They are put into boiling milk and water.
2. The grated product also does not require defrosting, it is added to the dish at the end of cooking.
3. Pumpkin puree can be thawed in the microwave or in the refrigerator.

Knowing whether it is possible to freeze a pumpkin, it must be remembered that the product cannot be re-frozen, so prepare the pumpkin in portions at a time.

Like any other product, pumpkin has its pros and cons for human health. If there are no contraindications, then pumpkin dishes can be included in your daily diet.

I am the mother of a one year old son. When I started introducing complementary foods, I started with vegetables. Zucchini, including pumpkin. I always add it to porridge.

In autumn, a lot of pumpkin fruits grow in my garden. I always process it and freeze it in different forms, rub it on a grater or just cubes. Then I take out a bag and add it, it is very tasty and healthy. I advise everyone.

Galina Konyukh, 56 years old

And I don’t like to freeze food, it seems to me that after defrosting, the pumpkin is watery and tasteless.

Marina Solovieva

Marina, if you freeze it correctly and follow all the technologies and rules, then the product will be no different from fresh. Where else can you get fresh pumpkin in the spring? I have been freezing it since autumn and baking pancakes from it in winter.

Tatyana Petrovna, 57 years old.

–an excellent, unpretentious dietary product that is well and long stored at home without losing its original shape and a set of useful substances. You can store the pumpkin in a dark cellar at a temperature of + 15 degrees or dry it - this is a very compact way to store it.

But the most popular way to harvest pumpkins for the winter is freezing. Is it possible to freeze pumpkin in pieces, how to cook pumpkin for freezing at home and how to freeze it correctly, we will consider in this article.

Is it possible to freeze pumpkin

Sometimes you can hear the opinion that after defrosting, the pumpkin becomes almost inedible. This is partly true, but only if you do everything wrong. If you freeze it in the same way as carrots or zucchini, that is, just cut it into pieces and send it to the freezer, then the pumpkin will be watery and suitable only for making cream soup.

Freezing raw pumpkin at home

How to prepare pumpkin for freezing

For freezing, be sure to take a whole pumpkin, and not a cut piece that has lain for some time in the market or in the refrigerator. The pumpkin chosen for freezing is thoroughly washed. Then you need to cut the pumpkin into two halves and cut out part of the pulp along with the seeds, since only the hard part of the pumpkin can be frozen.

Important! It is very important for freezing to take a beautiful pumpkin of good shape, strong, without damage, not rotten.

To freeze raw pumpkin, you must first clean properly. To do this, place the pumpkin upright on a cutting board. Holding the pumpkin with one hand, with the other, carefully cut the skin with a sharp knife in one jerk to the base. Continue cutting the skin into strips all over the pumpkin, turning it around.

Next, cut the pumpkin into equal 2-3 cm cubes using a sharp serrated kitchen knife. Arrange the pumpkin cubes on the baking sheet in a single layer so that they do not touch or overlap.

Since the pumpkin grows in size when frozen, if the cubes are in contact, they will eventually stick together. Send a baking sheet with cubes to the freezer for several hours so that the pumpkin freezes well.

You can also freeze fresh pumpkin, grated. This preparation is well suited for fillings, pastries and fritters. It is necessary to prepare the pumpkin in the same way as described above, grate, place in a plastic bag with a zipper and freeze.

Put in the package exactly as much as you need for one time use. Packets with the workpiece are compacted to a flat shape and sent to the freezer.

Packing and freezing pumpkin

After the pumpkin cubes are frozen, transfer them to a container for further storage. It can be plastic containers - containers, jars of mayonnaise, yogurt, etc. or zippered plastic bags. Place packaged containers or bags with blanks in the freezer.

Important! Before you freeze your pumpkin in the freezer, check to see if you have left a couple of centimeters of free space in the container or bag with the blank. As the pumpkin expands as it freezes, an overfilled bag can burst.

Pumpkin frozen in this way can be stored for up to a year.

How to freeze cooked pumpkin

There are ways to freeze cooked pumpkin: boiled (blanched) or in the form of mashed potatoes. Many young mothers are wondering if it is possible to freeze a pumpkin for a child and how to do it correctly. So, for use as the first food for children, it is recommended to freeze the finished pumpkin in the form of mashed potatoes.

Pumpkin is very well absorbed by the children's body and helps with constipation, and also has a sweet taste, which children really like. Self-frozen pumpkin will save mothers from looking for vitamins in the winter and the need to buy baby food of dubious quality.

How to cook pumpkin for freezing

To freeze blanched squash, you need to prepare it in the same way as for raw freezing in pieces. Rinse, peel, cut into equal cubes or slices, lay them out on a towel and let dry.

Then pumpkin blanched. To do this, put the pieces of pumpkin in a colander, dip it in boiling water for 3-4 minutes, then immediately place it in ice water. Then take out the pumpkin cubes and dry on a towel. Put the prepared pumpkin on a baking sheet and send it to the freezer for several hours.

Now let's look at how to freeze pumpkin in the form of mashed potatoes. Pre-washed pumpkin should be cut into 3 cm cubes along with the peel. If the pumpkin is very small, it can be cut into quarters or even halves.

There are several ways to prepare pumpkin for mashed potatoes: in the microwave, on the stove or in the oven. The main thing is to cook it so that it becomes soft enough and easily pierced with a fork.

To cook pumpkin in the microwave place the sliced ​​​​pieces in a glass container filled with water by about 5 cm. Send to the oven and cook for 15-25 minutes at high temperature.

The exact time depends on the power of the furnace and the electrical voltage. Therefore, after the first 15 minutes, check the softness with a fork and, if necessary, increase the cooking time. To cook pumpkin in the oven you need to spread the pieces of pumpkin on a baking sheet and bake at a temperature of 150 degrees for an hour and a half.

Did you know? Experienced chefs prefer pumpkin frozen for the winter in the form of mashed potatoes, which are cooked in the oven. This allows you to preserve the best taste and not lose useful components, as it can be when cooking.

If you don't have an oven, you can boil pumpkin for puree. Boil 3 cm of water in a liter saucepan, add the chopped pumpkin and cook for 10-15 minutes until it becomes soft. Remove the skin from it and mash it. This can be done with a fork or using a blender. Once the pumpkin has cooled, transfer it to a freezer container.

Now let's look at how to cook and freeze a pumpkin for feeding a baby. For baby food Muscat type of pumpkin is best suited: their flesh is sweeter, juicier and softer than other types. The pumpkin is baked in the oven in the same way as described above.

Puree in a blender and, after cooling, lay out in a container for freezing, leaving some free space. Large portions are not needed for baby food, so large ice cube trays work well.

How to freeze cooked pumpkin

Blanched pumpkin cubes, well frozen, are transferred to a ziplock bag or plastic container and put in the freezer.

Often, housewives have a problem how to freeze a pumpkin for the winter at home. If you are in doubt whether it is possible to freeze a pumpkin, you should take into account the advice of experienced gardeners. Of course, it is possible and necessary to harvest and freeze pumpkin for the winter, the main thing is to do it according to the recommendations of experienced craftsmen.

Pumpkin is a fruit that can be perfectly preserved without spoiling for up to 20 months. To do this, it is enough to properly fold the crop after harvesting for the winter in the cellar. But only in the case when the vegetable is stored in perfect condition. If there are cracks, scratches on the peel, there is no petiole, the pumpkin will never lie for a long time. This also applies to those varieties that are not intended for long-term storage.

Another problem associated with storing pumpkin at home is that the vegetable often reaches a large weight and volume. It is difficult to use a large fruit at a time, and after lying cut in the refrigerator, it quickly loses its valuable properties.

In such cases, the problem arises - how to save a pumpkin for the winter? The best modern way is to freeze. Many believe that after freezing, the fruit will lose most of the vitamins, especially carotene, which is so rich.

There are also housewives who are sure that after storage in the freezer, the pulp becomes tasteless, almost inedible.

There are several simple solutions with a simple algorithm of actions. To understand how to freeze a pumpkin, it is important to decide in advance how this semi-finished product will be used in the future:

• for children or fillings for pies, a frozen blank in the form of mashed potatoes is suitable;
• for side dishes - freezing blanched pieces of pulp;
• for pancakes and casseroles - grated;
• the most versatile way is freezing raw in cubes.

Let's consider each option in more detail.

DIY freezing process

To carry out harvesting for the winter you will need:

• cutting board;
• sharp knife;
• plastic containers for puree (special containers, jars of dairy products or ordinary plastic cups);
• plastic bags (regular or with a slider).

When everything you need is at hand, you need to process the vegetable before determining it for long-term storage.

Raw material preparation

In order for the frozen pumpkin to be better preserved at home in winter, you need to choose ripe fruits of an oblong oval shape of nutmeg varieties with bright orange juicy pulp. Selected specimens should be washed under running water, blotted with a napkin and left to lie down until completely dry, then peeled.

The most convenient way to clean is to cut off the tops, put the vegetable on the table horizontally and peel it with a sharp knife. The pumpkin cut into two parts is carefully cleaned of seeds and inedible core.

It is recommended to chop the pulp into large pieces and dry it in the oven, so that the mass will become sweeter, tastier and less watery, which will help save a lot of space in the freezer. Seeds can not be thrown away, but also dried in the oven. Get a tasty and healthy treat.

Freeze in the form of puree

The vegetable is cut into medium-sized pieces. The skin is not cut off. Spread on a baking sheet and put in a preheated oven. Bake on low heat for about an hour. Readiness is checked by piercing the pieces with a fork. If the pulp is well baked, it becomes soft.

The baked vegetable is easily separated from the peel. The fruit is peeled and whipped in a blender until the consistency of a thick homogeneous puree. They are laid out in portions in a pre-prepared container, covered with cling film (if there are no lids) and sent for freezing in the chamber.

This method is useful for those who have small children. By this method, pumpkin is usually frozen for baby food and even for cooking the first complementary foods, combining the product with other vegetable mixtures.

Freezing after blanching

This method will help to optimally preserve the taste of the pumpkin and all the nutritional properties. When using the method, the vegetable can not be peeled. The selected specimens are cut into pieces, then blanched in boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Then they are dipped in very cold water for about the same time. For convenience, these manipulations can be performed by folding the raw materials into a colander. The main thing is to let the water drain after blanching.

Then the semi-finished product is laid out on a tray so that the individual parts do not touch each other, otherwise they can stick together, and the pumpkin is left in the freezer. You can simply lay cellophane on the bottom of the freezer compartment and put the pieces there. After freezing, they are carefully packaged in portions in bags and the pumpkin is sent back to the freezer for storage for the winter.

Freezing after grating

The vegetable is cut into medium-sized pieces, which are then rubbed onto a large or medium grater. The prepared mass is laid out with a spoon in bags, leaving a small amount of air. The bags are lightly squeezed to flatten them and placed in the freezer.

Pumpkin frozen in this way is usually used for casseroles, soups, as a filling for pumpkin pie, and even jelly is boiled.

Freezing in pieces

How to freeze pumpkin, cut into pieces? It is necessary to cut the fruit into bars and cubes - their size depends on which dish the semi-finished product is intended for:

• if it is supposed to use the blank for the filling during baking, cut it smaller;
• if the pumpkin is intended for boiling - in larger parts.

It should be borne in mind that the cut pieces of pumpkin that are supposed to be stored together should be approximately the same size. Then they are laid out on some kitchen surface and allowed to dry a little from excess moisture. Pre-freeze in the same way as blanched pumpkin. Then they are packaged in bags in single portions.

The bags are pressed lightly, giving them a flat shape, and folded into the freezer. This method is perfect for preparing various milk porridges - rice, millet and even semolina.

Frozen pumpkin should not be thawed before cooking. It is enough to add the necessary portion to the prepared dish. This will help to minimize the loss of valuable substances that the vegetable contains and maintain taste.

It is recommended that when storing pumpkin in the freezer, write the date of freezing on each package with a frozen product. This way you will know when the blanks expire. You can sign that this is a pumpkin, so as not to be confused with frozen carrots - in the form of semi-finished products, these vegetables are very similar.

Conclusion

Freezing pumpkins is a great way to store them if you don't have a basement. This will help diversify the menu, making the diet more useful in the winter, when the body is experiencing an acute shortage of vitamins. Pumpkin pulp is actively used in cosmetology: various masks are made on its basis for facial skin rejuvenation. It is worth stocking up on such a valuable product for the future, using the secrets of how to properly store a pumpkin for the winter.

Pumpkin is not only a mandatory attribute of Halloween, but also a healthy vegetable that includes many substances necessary for the human body.

Ascorbic acid, which is part of the vegetable, will increase immunity, rare vitamin T will help normalize digestion, prevent anemia, vitamin K will strengthen the skeletal system.

In addition, an orange vegetable is saturated with vitamins A, D, E, F, PP, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, iron, fiber and vegetable sugars. Thanks to this, they try to save the pumpkin for the winter, using various methods.

For example, they store it in the cellar, dry it, dry it, and even preserve it. Many are interested in the question, is it possible to freeze pumpkin in the freezer? Of course, it is possible and even necessary. But how to properly freeze a vegetable for the winter, we will describe in detail below.

How to prepare a vegetable for freezing?

The main thing when harvesting pumpkins for the winter is to choose and prepare a vegetable for freezing. To do this, several factors are taken into account:

1. You can freeze any kind of vegetable. However, the best varieties are: Acorn, Harlequin, Butternat, Divo, Gribovskaya, Khersonskaya, Gileya, Bylinka, Muskatnaya.

Attention! Summer-grade pumpkins (light and soft) are more suitable for making soups, manti and adding to meat dishes in the future. Winter dense and sugar varieties are more often used for cereals or as a filling for pastries.

1. It is important that the vegetable is ripe, but not overripe.
2. Only whole pumpkins are suitable for freezing. Previously cut pieces and slices from the refrigerator, which have been stored for some time, are not suitable for harvesting.
3. Thick peel should be free of damage, cracks and spoiled places. At the same time, the “tail” of the pumpkin should not show signs of decay or damage.

Preparation of the product for harvesting is as follows:

1. Be sure to rinse the vegetables under running water. In this way, up to 99% of microbes can be removed from the surface of the pumpkin.
2. Cut the vegetable in half with a sharp knife. Scoop out the fibrous pulp and seeds with a tablespoon, leaving only the hard part.

Attention! Do not rush to throw away pumpkin seeds. The seeds contain 8 of the 12 essential amino acids. By consuming about 100 grams of seeds per day, you can satisfy the body's daily need for amino acids.

1. Rinse vegetables again and pat dry on paper towels.

Freezing raw pumpkin

Raw pumpkin can be frozen in small cubes, while making preparations in portions, depending on which dishes the vegetable will be used for. The process of freezing a vegetable is as follows:

1. Before cooking, it is important to properly clean the pumpkin. To do this, place the vegetable vertically on a cutting board and, using a sharp knife, cut the peel from the tail to the base. You can clean the pumpkin in another way. You will need to cut the pumpkin washed and peeled of seeds into large slices. Then separate each pumpkin piece from the peel, armed with a sharp knife.
2. Next, cut the pumpkin into slices. If in the future the pulp will be used in manti, it is better to chop the vegetable into small cubes. For cooking, adding to meat dishes, vegetable cutlets, the vegetable can be cut into larger pieces.

Attention! Pumpkin for feeding babies can be prepared both separately and in combination with other finely chopped vegetables: broccoli, zucchini, cauliflower and carrots.

1. Spread the sliced ​​pumpkin on paper towels and pat dry.
2. Prepare a tray or baking sheet wrapped in cling film. Spread the pumpkin cubes on the tray in one even layer so that the pieces do not touch each other.

Attention! When frozen, pumpkin slices will increase in volume, so the pieces must be laid out at a distance from each other, otherwise they will stick together.

1. Place a baking sheet with vegetable slices in the freezer for 2-3 hours.
2. Pour the pumpkin cubes into a plastic bag, releasing the air, or into freezer containers. Remove blanks for storage in the freezer.

Attention! You can freeze vegetable cubes without prior dry freezing. But in this case, pack the pumpkin pieces in portions in sachets per one dish.

Blanched frozen pumpkin

Among the ways to freeze a pumpkin for the winter, this recipe attracts special attention of culinary specialists. Thanks to preliminary blanching, the vegetable will retain a beautiful color and dense structure.

For preparation you will need:

1. Boil water in a large saucepan.
2. Separately prepare a bowl with cold water and ice cubes.
3. Prepare peeled and seeded pumpkin. Cut the vegetable into small cubes. Pour the pumpkin pieces into a colander.
4. Dip a colander with pumpkin slices into boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Immediately transfer the colander to a bowl of ice-cold liquid, leaving for a few minutes.
5. Sprinkle pumpkin slices on paper towels and pat dry.
6. Transfer the vegetable cubes to a tray wrapped in cling film. At the same time, lay out the fruits at a short distance from each other.
7. Freeze slices for 2-3 hours and pack in plastic bags, plastic vessels, small portion containers.
8. Put the pumpkin containers back into the freezer.

Attention! In order not to confuse pumpkin blanks with carrot ones in winter, be sure to sign the containers.

Grated pumpkin: freezing rules

At home, you can freeze not only pieces or slices of vegetables, but also prepare grated pumpkin for the winter. Such a preparation is perfect for preparing fritters, fillings or cottage cheese casseroles in winter.

You can prepare grated pumpkin for the winter as follows:

1. Peel the pumpkin, washed in soapy water, from the peel and seeds, cut in half. Dry the vegetable.
2. Cut the vegetable into large slices.
3. Using a grater with large teeth, grate the vegetable.
4. Pack the crushed pumpkin into bags. Release the air from the bags.

Attention! In each package, put exactly as much product as you need to prepare one dish.

1. Remove the bags of grated pumpkin into the freezer, flattening them.

Preparation of pumpkin puree

When choosing ways to freeze pumpkin correctly, you should not ignore this recipe. It will take more time to prepare, but the result will be enjoyed not only by adults, but also by children. Homemade pumpkin puree can be safely given to babies as the first complementary foods. Puree is also suitable as a filling for pastries, such as buns or muffins.

Prepare pumpkin puree for further freezing as follows:

1. Cut the washed pumpkin into two halves, remove the seeds along with the fibrous pulp. Rinse the vegetable again with cool water.
2. Together with the peel, cut the vegetable into large slices.
3. Prepare a baking sheet, line with parchment paper.
4. Heat the oven to 180-200 degrees.
5. Put the pumpkin slices on a baking sheet and send to a hot oven. Bake pumpkin for an hour.
6. Remove the vegetable slices from the oven, transfer to a plate and cool. Separate the pumpkin pulp from the peel.
7. Puree pumpkin pulp with a blender or wooden pestle.
8. Spoon the resulting vegetable puree into ice molds, small containers, plastic cups.
9. Freeze vegetable puree in the freezer for 2-3 hours.
10. When the puree is frozen, carefully remove it from the molds and pour into a plastic bag. Seal the bags tightly and send them back to the freezer.

Attention! Pumpkin cubes can be used not only for cooking, but also in cosmetology. For example, add pumpkin to rejuvenating or toning masks for the face, neck, décolleté, and hair.

If there is no oven, there are several ways to prepare pumpkin for mashed potatoes:

1. Boil a vegetable. To do this, boil water in a deep pan. Throw the pieces of pumpkin with the peel into the boiling liquid. Boil vegetable slices over low heat for 15 minutes until soft. After that, discard the pieces in a colander and cool. The last step is to separate the vegetable slices from the peel and chop with a blender.
2. Bake in the microwave. To cook a vegetable in this way, you will need to take glassware from the microwave and fill it halfway with water. Next, add pumpkin pieces to the bowl. Place bowl in microwave. At maximum power, cook the vegetable for 15-20 minutes. After that, cool the pumpkin pieces, separate from the peel and puree.

Each of these methods has its undeniable advantages. However, modern culinary specialists prefer harvesting pumpkin puree for the winter from a vegetable baked in the oven. This method allows you to save most of the useful properties of the product and taste.

How long to store a vegetable?

Regardless of the method of harvesting vegetables for the winter: raw, blanched or pureed, pumpkin is stored for no more than 12 months in the freezer at a temperature of -18 ° C.

It is important to know that it is not recommended to re-freeze a vegetable, as it loses its usefulness.

How to defrost a vegetable?

A frozen vegetable can be used to prepare many dishes: soups, meat treats, cereals, pastries, casseroles. However, before adding pumpkin, you need to consider a few rules:

1. Pumpkin in small cubes can be added directly to hot dishes without first defrosting. It is enough to lower the pieces into a boiling liquid, milk or broth and boil until tender.
2. Chopped frozen pumpkin for filling or cottage cheese casserole must first be put in a colander and thawed at room temperature. Then squeeze the pumpkin with your hands from excess moisture.
3. Pumpkin puree can be thawed in the refrigerator on the bottom shelf or using the Defrost function of the microwave oven. Since the vegetable has already undergone preliminary heat treatment, it is better to add it to porridge at the end of cooking.

Using pureed pumpkin for baby food, frozen pumpkin plate (cube) is added to hot milk or porridge.