From now on the price of Pumpkin will start to rise as growers hold on to their best stock for later in the year (i.e. Christmas).
Perhaps grab some while the price is still good and freeze for later!
Here's my tips...
Freezing raw Pumpkin chunks
Peel the pumpkin, thoroughly scoop out the seeds and cut the flesh into 2 to 3cm chunks.
You can either freeze in single layers on trays and transfer to freezer bags or loosely fill fresh in freezer bags.
Do not pack it too tightly, or the frozen chunks will stick together and make it difficult to remove only the amount you are after.
Pumpkin Puree
Handy to have on hand.
You can easily remove it from the freezer to add to soups or to use in sweet baked goods, such as muffins, pies and cakes.
Pumpkin puree can be either frozen in small freezer bags, or in containers.
To release the pumpkin from the containers, hold them upside down under hot running water for a few seconds.
If using a freezer bag, pack the frozen pumpkin into the bags and try to leave in as little air as possible. Freeze the bags flat in the freezer, which will make them easier to defrost later. They can also be placed under running hot water to loosen the contents of the bag.
Measure before freezing
It's extremely useful if you measure the contents before freezing. If you have a lot of pumpkin to freeze, you can measure in various quantities - 250g, 500g, etc. Label with the exact measure - that way when you go to the freezer with a specific recipe in mind, you know which to choose! Pumpkin puree is easy to make - it's as simple as baking or steaming the pumpkin, then pureeing in a blender or food processor. Roast the seeds Don't bin the seeds! Roast them for a healthy and tasty snack
Yum love pumpkin for winter. Hopefully you will too with these handy tips and hey, you save money too! |
