Can You Freeze Pumpkins

Growing pumpkins in the garden are great fun for all the family from small children to grown adults. It can be great especially if you are having a little competition to see who can grow the biggest pumpkin. The only problem is if you grow too many pumpkins, how to store them for a later date? Can you actually freeze pumpkins and if so how do you freeze pumpkins successfully to eat at a later date?

Here we will be explaining the best way to freeze pumpkins in your freezer to be used at a more convenient time rather than it going rotten and wasted.

Allotment and Kitchen Garden Book

Are you starting an allotment or planning on growing your own fruit, vegetables, herbs, and flowers in a kitchen garden? If so we highly recommend the book Allotment Month By Month. This does exactly what it does on the cover to help you with what you should be doing in the allotment and kitchen garden each month. Below you can see the link for Amazon where you can purchase the book directly. This book is extremely popular with all allotment holders as you will read in the reviews:-

You can check out all the allotment and kitchen garden books we recommend here.

How to freeze Pumpkins

Here we will tell you the best process in a step-by-step easy guide on how to freeze pumpkins to be used at a later date rather than waste them. If you have a large chest freezer make use and store the homegrown crops to last you through all the winter months.

Freeze Pumpkins Step By Step Guide

1. Wash your pumpkin thoroughly especially if you have grown them in the garden yourself.
2. Slice the pumpkin in half
3. Scoop out all the seeds and rubbish from inside of the pumpkin – why not use the seeds to roast?
4. Slice the pumpkin up into small chunks
5. Get a pan of water boiling.
6. Carefully place the chunks of pumpkin into the pan of water.
7. Blanch the pumpkin for around 3-4 minutes if you don’t want to cook it right through.
8. Have a bowl of ice water ready
9. Once the pumpkin has been blanched drain them and place the pumpkin into the ice water.
10. Leave the blanched pumpkin in the water for as long as you cooked it so for around 3-4 minutes. This will stop the cooking process.
11. Get a baking tray with a piece of baking paper on it.
12. Place the pumpkin on the baking tray so that it’s not touching.
13. Gently dry the pumpkin with the kitchen roll by dabbing it.
14. Place the tray of pumpkin in the freezer for around 3-4 hours until frozen solid.
15. Once frozen the pumpkin can be placed in a zip lock bag with the date on it.
16. Place the zip lock bag back in the freezer until you need to use the pumpkin. It can be stored for up to 3-6 months
17. When you are ready to use the frozen pumpkin take it out and finish cooking.

We hope you have got the answer to the question “Can you freeze Pumpkins?” Now you won’t be wasting any Pumpkins by throwing them away. Safely freeze your Pumpkins until needed.

Do you want to know different varieties of pumpkins to try and grow? Check them out here.