Canning Winter Squash

I saw that last week that my local Kroger had winter squash on sale, so I got 2 HUGE butternut squash.  I've really been wanting to try canning my own pumpkin and winter squash!

Some people might wonder why go through the work to can squash / pumpkin when it's already so shelf stable?  Well, the idea appeals to me for several reasons.

1.) Laziness!  It's a lot of work to somehow chop through these monsters and carve them up.  It definitely does not qualify as a quick-and-easy weeknight dinner by any stretch of the imagination.

2.) They're huge!  One butternut squash or pumpkin is usually waaaaay more than just 2 people can eat in one meal, and Jack's not a huge fan of leftovers.

3.) We might not like it!  I don't have a huge repertoire of tried-and-true squash recipes (see reasons #1 and #2), but I'd like to.  So that means I'll be trying new recipes that we might or might not like.  I don't want to end up with a refrigerator FULL of leftovers from a meal we weren't wild about but now feel guilt-induced to eat anyways.

So I peeled and chopped the butternut squash into 1-inch cubes, boiled them for 2 minutes, and pressure canned them for 90 minutes per the instructions found here.  The 2 butternut squash turned into 7 quart jars, which is exactly how much will fit into the pressure canner in 1 load so I was pretty happy about that.

Here is one of the recipes I can't wait to try with the canned squash, from the book "The Feast Nearby" by Robin Mather.

Thai-Style Squash Soup

4 c. chicken broth
1 quart squash / pumpkin chunks, drained
2 tsp fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 c. peanut butter
2 TBS rice vinegar
2 TBS chopped scallions
1/4 c. chopped cilantro
1/3 c. milk

Combine the broth, squash, ginger, garlic, and pepper flakes in your soup pot and bring to a boil.  Turn down to low, cover and simmer for around 20 minutes.  Puree the soup until smooth, and whisk in the peanut butter, vinegar, scallions, milk, and a pinch of the cilantro.  Serve, sprinkling more cilantro in each bowl.