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Can you slice fresh squash and freeze it?

Freeze the squash cubed or sliced if you plan on preparing the zucchini or squash as a side vegetable, casserole, soup, or stews. You can also grate it and freeze it in 1- to 2-cup portions for zucchini bread, muffins, and cakes. Feel free to combine zucchini and summer squash when you freeze them.

thespruceeats.com - How to Freeze Summer Squash and Zucchini - The Spruce Eats

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Zucchini and summer squash are easy vegetables to grow in a backyard garden and are often in excess at farmers markets in the summer. If you have an abundance of zucchini or summer squash and have the freezer space, you might want to freeze the surplus. It's very easy and will allow you to enjoy farm fresh zucchini or squash all year long. If you have a lot of vegetables, you can freeze it in a variety of cuts, depending on how you think you'll use it. Freeze the squash cubed or sliced if you plan on preparing the zucchini or squash as a side vegetable, casserole, soup, or stews. You can also grate it and freeze it in 1- to 2-cup portions for zucchini bread, muffins, and cakes. Feel free to combine zucchini and summer squash when you freeze them. The taste is very similar and since much of the difference lies in the outside skin color, the combination of the two will not be very different. If you truly prefer one over the other, freeze them separately and label them before putting the vegetables into the freezer.

Preparation and Blanching

Follow these steps to prepare the zucchini and/or summer squash for freezing:

Wash the squash and cut off the blossom and stem ends. There's no need to peel the squash. Slice or cube the squash. Fill a large bowl or container with ice and water. Fill a large stockpot or kettle with 1 gallon of water; bring it to a boil over high heat. Put about 1 pound of the prepared squash in the boiling water. If you have a wire basket, you can put that in the water and then place the vegetables in the basket. Using a wire basket in the water will make it easier to lift all of the squash out at the same time, but it's not necessary. Once the water has returned to a rolling boil, begin timing. Follow these blanching times, depending on the cut: Grated: 2 minutes; cubed or thinly sliced (1/4 inch): 3 minutes; thick slices (1 1/4 inch): 6 minutes Immediately immerse the blanched squash in the ice water to stop the cooking. Drain the squash thoroughly and then transfer to freezer containers, leaving 1/2-inch of headspace (leave at least an inch if using narrow-mouth glass jars). If freezing in zip-close storage bags or if you're using a vacuum sealing system, first freeze slices or cubes on a large baking sheet in a single layer. Seal the vegetables in bags using a vacuum sealing system or by removing as much air as possible from a freezer bag before sealing. Label the containers or bags with the name of the vegetable, the cut, and date. Once sealed and frozen, it can be stored for up to 3 months or up to a year or more if vacuum sealed. Note that 1 to 1 1/4 pounds of zucchini or summer squash will yield about 1 pint of frozen vegetables.

Cooking Frozen Zucchini or Summer Squash

To cook, place about 1/2-inch of water in a saucepan and bring to a full boil. Add a pint of frozen vegetables, cover the pan, and cook until just tender. Defrost grated zucchini before using it in a recipe. Blot away excess moisture with paper towels before adding to the batter for cake, bread, muffins, etc. Note that the texture and color may change from the deep freeze, so defrosted zucchini or summer squash will not look or taste the same if eaten raw.

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What should you not put in broth?

Steer clear of any member of the brassica family; broccoli, cauliflower, kale and cabbage among others. These will ruin your stock with a sulphurous and bitter flavour. Softer vegetables such as potatoes or pumpkin are no good as they break down too easily, creating a cloudy stock.

greatbritishchefs.com - How to Make Vegetable Stock - Great British Chefs

Stocks are used as the foundation of many dishes and making your own is a simple process that will improve your cooking immeasurably. Though meaty stocks often take a long time to make, vegetable stocks are usually a lot quicker to prepare and, if made correctly, easily match their depth of flavour. There are two basic types of vegetable stock; white or brown. White vegetable stocks are typically colourless and milder and fresher in taste, adding a subtle flavour to dishes. These are made by simply adding the vegetables raw into a pot with water and simmering. White stocks also tend to be healthier, as no fat is used to cook the vegetables. Brown vegetable stocks are richer and deeper in colour, adding a more robust flavour to dishes. This is achieved by roasting the vegetables, often in butter until nice and caramelised, before simmering them in water.

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