What do I make with all this crookneck squash???

[Terri O]

I need HELP! For some reason my zucchini did not come up as zucchini and the greyzinni I planted has had ONE squash. What I do have is a garden FULL of yellow crookneck squash! The kind that has the little bumps....that gets hard skin and you can only feed it to chickens and they dont even like it that much! I picked a 5 gallon pail yesterday of immature ones. They are staring at me in my kitchen!
What can I turn them into? I need some ideas before I just chuck the whole mess and pull out the plants! Thanks--Terri O

 

[KDbeads]

If the skin isn't too thick, stewed squash!
Slice it really thin straight into a large sauce pan, fill it heaping full, add about a half an onion diced kinda small, tablespoon or so of butter, a little salt and pepper and cook it down until it's mostly mush. Takes about half hour.
Family favorite in my family!

 

[littlegorb]

i tried a recipe the other day from allrecipes.com for yellow squash casserole.
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Yellow-Squash-Casserole/Detail.aspx?prop31=2
it's really good but read the reviews, you may want to read other's suggestions. i also love to stew mine with tomatoes, then put over mashed potatoes, yummy! pick the squash while it is small, you can chunk it, blanch and freeze too.

 

[Terri O]

Thanks...I have made it into casseroles. I will try stewing and having it with our stewed potatoes tonight. I have a few tomatoes left so I will throw them in too! Anybody do anything else with it? Terri O

 

[TerriLaChicks]

We like to slice it up & mix it w/some fresh tomatoes, zucchini, onion--saute a few minutes in a pan & toss w/hot cooked thin pasta - season w/olive oil, parmesan, salt & pepper to taste. Easy & good!

 

[TerriLaChicks]

I've never made this but I've eaten it & it was pretty good.


Squash Relish
This is a great accompaniment to dried beans, peas, greens and hot dogs. It is also a way to use those overly mature summer squash.

4 quarts (16 cups) chunked yellow squash

7 medium onions, sliced

3 bell peppers (red and/or green), chopped

⅓ cup canning salt (non-iodized)

5 cups sugar

2 teaspoons celery salt

2 teaspoons turmeric

4 teaspoons mustard seed

Optional: Seeded hot peppers, to taste

If the squash is especially large, remove the seeds. You may use a blender on “pulse” to chop the vegetables. Use enough of the vinegar to cover the vegetables, chop and drain, reserving the vinegar for the next blender load.

When the vegetables are all chopped, put all ingredients into a large enamel or stainless steel vessel. Bring to a boil over medium heat. pack in hot jars leaving a ½" head space. Adjust lids and bands and process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.
Makes 10-12 pints

 

[BettyR]

You can freeze it, I think it freezes best after it's cooked. Then when you are ready to eat it just pop it in the microwave, thaw it out, heat it up and serve.

Instructions on the net will tell you to blanch it before freezing but I don't like the way it tastes when it's done that way. I like it either cooked and frozen or frozen raw. But cooked and then frozen keeps it's flavor the best of all.

Edited to add: If you cook it before freezing it, freeze it in the cooking liquid. The cooking liquid will protect it from freezer burn for a very, very long time.

 

[Buttercup Chillin]

When I have extra, I just slice it up and put in freezer bags and freeze it. It's Hubbys favorite veg.

I also use it like the green zuccini, for Squash bread. I have been known to use my salad maker to shredd it per zuccini bread recipe and smoosh the freezer bag flat, freeze and bake it up later in the winter. Premeasured, no need to defrost and drain, just defrost and bake with it.

Pick them young and tender. Older ones are tuff and only good for the chickens if you cut it up or shredd it for them.

 

[redhen]

I was just in the same boat as you..lol
What we finally did yesterday.. was get the food processor out and grind it all up real fine..(so the chickens and ducks and geese can all have some). put it freezer bags and stuck it in the freezer to feed the animals some goodies during the long winter here.

 

[Terri O]

Well--the relish sounds like one that I used to make with BIG zucchini. I think I will make some. Also will cook some up with mushrooms or tomatoes and freeze that way...the best suggestion though is to grind it up and save it for winter treats for the chickens! I think they would really like that....maybe I will do it with some of my Swiss chard too

Thanks! Terri O--still picking that squash!