When my kids don’t like a vegetable, I don’t give up. I make it several different ways, and sometimes even wait a couple years before re-introduction. I’m my kids’ nutritionist, and I’m putting the effort in now to set them up for a lifetime of enjoying a variety of healthy foods. It’s true everyone won’t like everything, but I gotta try, right? Giving up can lead to picky eaters, which is no fun for anyone. This past year was my victory in regards to summer squash. Neither of my kids liked it before, but they finally like it, after years of re-introduction. It’s worth it, especially because sometimes I can get a 20 pound box for $5 like I did this past weekend. Yesterday I canned six quarts of squash, and this morning I did five. With the rest, I’ll make a mock apple pie cobbler, make squash noodles, and squash bread.
I have to give a disclaimer . . . the government does not recommend canning summer squash, but it’s because they can’t find their research. Instructions have previously been published in cookbooks, including a Ball canning book I have on my shelf. They do have a concern about it becoming too compact because the squash gets rather soft while pressure canning if boiled for 2-3 minutes as they suggest. My solution is to heat the squash, not cook it. I wouldn’t have tried summer squash if I hadn’t seen other people successfully can it. Also, I can pumpkin, which is way more dense than summer squash, so . .
I’ve done raw pack, and hot pack with squash. I’ve found you can fit much more squash in the jars by doing hot pack. I’ve raw packed 6 jars, but with the same amount of squash I can pack 5 jars, giving me more squash per jar.
Canning yellow squash is easy, just wash, and cut into 1 inch cubes, or slices.
Heat a big Dutch oven of water. Add squash in batches, and when it’s heated through, place in jars.
Add water to the 1 inch mark, and 1/2 to 1 tsp. of salt. (I used the water from heating the squash.) Pressure can at 10 pounds of pressure for quarts for 40 minutes at 10 pounds of pressure for elevations of 1,000 feet and below. Always check your elevation before pressure canning. Don’t try and water bath can squash, or any other low-acid vegetable – – such foods must be pressure canned.
With this method, does the squash stay firm, or does it for soft? (We like fried squash)
It turns to mush, but I can it anyway because some recipes call for pureed or basically mashed squash.
It turns very soft, but so many recipes call for you to cook and mash your squash, so that’s what I use these jars for.
it is too soft to fry. I’d freeze it if.want to fry it, but you will have to drain it and pat it dry before you can fry it.
It will not fry this way you are right Angie. However, I bread and freeze about 3 to four gallon bags a year so I can just throw them in the fryer.
canned summer squash all the jars sealed but now they seem to be using their color is this Ok
I’m so sorry just getting to this now. What color did they turn? As long as your jar is sealed it should be safe as long as you followed the canning instructions, but only you can make that decision.
I don’t understand why you said ‘has to be pressure canning’ bc the Amish water bath everything. I just went thru my Amish cookbooks and a few sites and you can water-bath everything.
Some people do water bath low-acid food for I believe three hours. The risk is not worth it to me, and pressure canning is easy. I rebel some things, but I won’t rebel water bath canning low-acid food.
I agree what did the old timers do before pressure canners?
Many people choose to water bath squash for three hours because that’s how it was previously done. I personally won’t do that, but everyone has to make their own decisions. Your kitchen, your rules.
How long would you pressure can for Pints?
Gina, 35 minutes.
Can you do that without a pressure cooker or canner
Low-acid foods are supposed to be pressure canned, and I personally won’t do it any other way.
Can I process zucchini the same way?
Yes
Can I can zucchini the same way?
Hello, thanks for posting this. If I’m at 2500 elevation, how long would I pressure can the pints of squash and at how many pounds of pressure?
Can you add some onion in with your squash when you thoroughly heat the squash?
can you can squash in hot bath
can you hot bath when canning squash, i don’t have pressure
cooker
Donna, squash must be pressure canned unless it’s pickled.
It’s a low-acid food and should be pressure canned.
Hot bath squash ? How long in Mississippi ?
You pressure can squash, however there is a popular method where you don’t can it with heat at all. I haven’t tried it, but so many people swear by this method. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HLspvyyTu0
You have to check your elevation. I only pressure can non-pickled squash.
Yes
Hello 🤗After I was fone with pressure cooking my squash and I hot the jars out of the canner some of my hars only had about half a jar of water in them even tho I filled them up. Will it be ok like that or do i need to do something different with them?
Thank You
Hi Susan! Did you raw, or hot pack your jars?
Hot packed them
Ok, so I’m wonder if you brought the canner temp down too quickly. This results in syphoning. Regardless, your squash is fine as long as the jars are sealed.
Can you heat squash with water and vinegar, like canning okra? Hot pack jars.
Hi Shelia. Are you asking about making squash pickles? If so, yes, people do can squash pickles but you don’t boil the squash first, rather you pour the hot liquid over the squash. There is a book called “So Easy to Preserve” and they have a couple recipes for them.
Can you just hot pack it?
Yes, I hot pack. (Pictures in the blog) Heat it through and add hot or boiling water.
I Love canning vegtables, fruit meat, I love this site
Thank you Anne!
Question: We were having much fun canning pickles yesterday (the drinks were flowing) that we forgot to heat the squash first and packed it raw then filled with hot water and pressured it for the correct amount of time. One of the quart jars has about 2” head space from the squash shrinking during the canning process. Is it ok to leave it like that, should I pop the too and reprocess it with more water and/or squash, or is it ruined and I have to eat it now? This was my first time canning and and a seasoned friend was helping. (I probably should’ve poured less brandy in her glass, lol!)
Nicole, you sound like a super-fun person. LOL! I’ve done raw and hot pack before, and the hot pack allows you to fit more squash in the jar. What happened is your water absorbed into the squash, and it’s fine. Even if it were not fine you would not re-process as it would turn your squash into mush. So don’t worry, and enjoy your squash! I’m actually working on a post with a recipe for a yellow squash custard casserole using my canned yellow squash, so look out for that. Happy canning!!
What do you mean by heated through?
Where is Mexican casserole recipe?
Hi there. Heated through means they are heated but not cooked. How long you leave in the water depends on how thinly cut the squash. Regarding the casserole, I wrote this post several years ago and I cannot find it! However, I am going to find a Mexican squash casserole recipe and try it this week. I’ll make sure to give you a link if I find a winner, or will make it my own and post!
I would like your recipe for MCrackers. Pie Cobbler please. That sounds sooo good. My Mom use to make a Mock Apple Pie filling using Ritz crackers.