Freezing summer squash

[Deleted]

I do these diffrently than winter squash...

Select young squash with small seeds and tender rind. Wash, cut in 1/2-inch slices. Water blanch 4 minutes. Cool and drain. Dry pack with headspace.

Kaza

[kitaye]

What is the difference between summer and winter squash? IS there a way to tell just by looking at them?

[Kathy]

Summer Squash and Zucchini have thinner skins & a short fresh shelf life while Winter Squash are more hard skinned and can be stored in dry, cool, dark conditions for months.

I can tell them apart by site but I've been around both types since I was a kid and I'm 53.

I'll see if I can find some info for you so you can learn to visually distinguish the two.

[kitaye]

So more than likely the squash seeds I got to plant this year are summer. Pretty sure they are thin skinned. Hubbards, acorns, and butternet would be a winter squash?

[Kathy]

Ya, Winter Squash are: Butternut, Acorn, Hubbard, Buttercups and many others.

Here's a site with a great explaination and even better pics of winter squash by names!
I noticed some recipes too!

whatscookingamerica.net/squash.htm

Here's a site with an explaination and pics of summer squash varieties.

www.foodsubs.com/Squashsum.html

[Deleted]

Summer squash differs from fall and winter squash in that it is selected to be harvested before the rind hardens and the fruit matures. It grows on bush-type plants that do not spread like the plants of fall and winter squash and pumpkin.

[Deleted]

Summer squash appears in many different fruit shapes and colors:

Scallop or Patty Pan is round and flattened like a plate with scalloped edges, usually white but sometimes yellow or green.

Constricted neck is thinner at the stem end than the blossom end, classified as either "crookneck" or "straightneck" depending on if the stem end is straight or bent, and is usually yellow.

Cylindrical to club-shaped Italian marrows, such as zucchini, cocozelle and caserta, are usually shades of green, but may be yellow or nearly white.

The varietal selection of summer squash has markedly changed in recent years and the number of varieties offered has greatly expanded as the result of new interest, hybridization and introduction of disease resistance. The number of varieties is staggering. Recommended varieties of summer squash include:

Zucchini (Open Pollinated)

Black Zucchini (best known summer squash; greenish black skin, white flesh)

Black Beauty (slender, with slight ridges, dark black-green)

Cocozelle (dark green overlaid with light green stripes; long, very slender fruit)

Vegetable Marrow White Bush (creamy greenish color, oblong shape)

Zucchini (hybrid)

Aristocrat (All America Selection winner; waxy; medium green)

Chefini (AAS winner; glossy, medium dark green)

Classic (medium green; compact, open bush)

Elite (medium green; lustrous sheen; extra early; open plant)

Embassy (medium green, few spines, high yield)

President (dark green, light green flecks; upright plant)

Spineless Beauty (medium dark green; spineless petioles)

Golden Zucchini (hybrid)

Gold Rush (AAS winner, deep gold color, superior fruit quality, a zucchini not a straightneck)

Yellow Crookneck

Early Yellow Summer Crookneck (classic open-pollinated crookneck; curved neck; warted; heavy yields)

Sundance (hybrid; early; bright yellow, smooth skin)

Yellow Straightneck

Early Prolific Straightneck (standard open-pollinated straightneck, light cream color, attractive straight fruit)

Goldbar (hybrid; golden yellow; upright, open plant)

Scallop

White Bush Scallop (old favorite Patty Pan type, very pale green when immature, very tender)

Peter Pan (hybrid, AAS winner, light green)

Scallopini (hybrid, AAS winner)

Sunburst (hybrid, bright yellow, green spot at the blossom end)

Other

Butter Blossom (an open-pollinated variety selected for its large, firm male blossoms; fruit may be harvested like summer squash, but remove female blossoms for largest supply of male blossoms)

Gourmet Globe (hybrid; globe-shaped; dark green, with light stripes; delicious)

Sun Drops (hybrid, creamy yellow, unique oval shape, may be harvested as baby with blossoms attached).



SUMMER SQUASH:

Acorn (C. Pepo)—80 to 100 days to harvest.

Cream of the Crop (hybrid - All America Selection winner; uniform white acorn type; creamy smooth, tasty flesh)

Ebony (early; glossy dark green; flaky flesh texture)

Swan White (OP-creamy white skin; pale yellow flesh; smooth, delicate, sweet flesh)

Table Ace (hybrid-semi-bush; uniform, near black fruit; excellent, low-fiber flesh)

Table Gold (OP-compact bush habit, attractive bright golden yellow, may also be harvested as summer squash when light yellow)

Table King (OP-compact bush; dark green, color holds well)

Table Queen (OP-standard dark green acorn type)

Tay-Belle (OP-semi-bush, dark green)

Delicata (C. Pepo)

Delicata (also known as sweet potato squash; long cylindrical shape; cream color with dark green stripes)

Honey Boat (shaped like Delicata, tan background with dark green stripes, very sweet flesh)

Sugar Loaf (tan background, dark green stripes, elongated oval, very sweet)

Sweet Dumpling (flattened round, fluted; light cream to white background, with dark green stripes)

Spaghetti (C. Pepo)

Orangetti (hybrid-semi-bush plant, orange version of spaghetti, high in carotene)

Pasta (yellowish cream fruit, improved flavor)

Stripetti (hybrid of Spaghetti and Delicata, great taste, stores better)

Tivoli (hybrid-bush habit; All America Selection winner; light yellow, uniform fruit, 3 to 4 pounds)

Vegetable Spaghetti (OP-good keeper; light yellow, oblong fruit)

Butternut (C. Mopschata)

Butterbush (bush habit; early, 1 to 2 pound fruit)

Early Butternut (hybrid-All America Selection winner, early, medium size, high yield)

Ponca (extra early, small seed cavity, stores well)

Puritan (OP-uniform, blocky, smooth, slightly smaller than Waltham)

Supreme (hybrid-thick neck; early, uniform, sweet)

Ultra (largest fruit 6 to 10 pounds; good leaf canopy)

Waltham (OP-uniform, thick-necked, 10 to 12 inch fruits)

Zenith (hybrid; smooth, attractive fruit; high yield)

True Winter Squash (C. Maxima)

All Season (bush; orange skin, flesh; 8 or more small fruit per plant)

Banana (pink, blue or gray; long, slim, pointed at the ends; 10 to 30 pounds)

Buttercup (dark green fruit with distinct gray cap at blossom end; the standard for fine-grained, sweet flesh; 3 to 4 pounds)

Delicious (5 to 12 pounds; large, top-shaped, green or gold fruit, smoother than Hubbard)

Emerald Bush Buttercup (bush habit)

Honey Delight (hybrid 3 to 4 pounds; buttonless buttercup type; excellent flesh quality)

Gold Nuggett (5 inch, flattened round; 1 to 2 pounds; orange skin, flesh; bush habit)

Baby, Blue, Chicago, Golden, Green and Warted Hubbard (large teardrop shape, pointed at ends; warted skin; 8 to 25 pounds)

Mooregold (bright orange skin, flesh; excellent keeper with tough rind; buttercup type; 2 to 3 pounds)

Sweet Mama (hybrid-All America Selection winner; semi-vining, buttercup type; uniform; tasty; 2 to 3 pounds)

Sweet Meat (OP-old time favorite; flattened; slate gray skin; 10 to 15 pounds)

Red Kuri (OP-bright red- orange; teardrop-shaped; smooth-textured flesh; 3 to 5 pounds)