Freeze the pumpkin: the best tips and tricks
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If you want to enjoy pumpkin out of season, you can freeze it easily. In this practical tip, we show you what there is to consider and how it works.
Freezing the pumpkin: different options
If you freeze the pumpkin, it will last for about four to six months. However, you should always pay attention to what you want to prepare from the pumpkin later. After thawing, the consistency of the fruit changes so that it can no longer be processed as usual.
- If you want to bake a pumpkin pie later, you can grate the pumpkin before freezing. Now put everything in a freezer bag and put it in the freezer.
- You can also freeze the pumpkin whole. To do this, remove everything that you cannot eat later and put it in the fridge with the freezer bag.
- However, it is much more space-saving if you cut the fruit into bite-sized pieces beforehand. So you can process the pumpkin better later and even eat it directly.
- However, make sure that the pumpkin pieces are not squashed. Otherwise they taste very watery after thawing and lose their aroma.
- Important: Most pumpkins have a very hard shell. Although this is not toxic, it is hardly edible. Only the bowl from Hokkaido has a very soft, edible bowl.
Freeze the pumpkin as a puree - how it works
Especially if you want to cook a pumpkin soup later, it is advisable to puree the fruit before freezing. Read more about this in the following points.
- Cut the pumpkin into pieces beforehand. These should be about two inches long and wide.
- Now put the pieces in a saucepan of boiling water for about 15 to 20 minutes.
- The shell can then be easily removed. At best, however, wait until the pumpkin has cooled slightly.
- Now puree the pumpkin pieces into an even porridge. Use a hand blender or a normal blender to do this.
- Finally, pour the mass into a freezer bag and freeze.
If you would like to know how healthy pumpkin seeds are, read our next practical tip.