Quick and delicious recipes for preparing squash for the winter are finger-licking good.

A crop from the pumpkin family, which has fruits of an original shape, came to Europe from Latin America and was immediately liked for its taste and versatility. The vegetable is present in many culinary recipes; in terms of the number of useful components, it significantly exceeds the well-known zucchini.

For the winter, squash can be pickled and preserved. In combination with other ingredients, the fruits produce original dishes that are valued for their taste and saturate the human body with essential substances.

What are the benefits of squash? Vegetable advantage

Pumpkin, as the plant is called for its bizarre shape of the fruit, is rich in mineral salts, fiber, and contains starch and pectins.

The pulp of squash contains trace elements in the form of:

• titanium and zinc;
• phosphorus and molybdenum;
• copper and potassium;
• calcium and aluminum.

The fruits contain nicotinic and ascorbic acid, carotene, tocopherol, vitamins of groups A, D, B. 100 grams of the vegetable contain less than two dozen calories, it is used in various diets.

The fruit, which has received a name that is translated from French as pie, is valued not only for its pulp, but also for its rich seeds:

• lecithin and proteins;
• glycosides and resins;
• saturated acids.

When consumed, squash juice acts as an antioxidant, normalizes intestinal function, improves vision, and calms the nerves. The pulp of the vegetable contains lutein, due to which:

1. Metabolism accelerates.
2. Cholesterol is removed.
3. The functioning of the liver and kidneys is normalized.

Vitamin A and tocopherol moisturize and smooth the skin, restore its elasticity, strengthen nails, and restore shine to hair.

In alternative medicine, squash is used to treat gastritis and heal stomach ulcers. The juice of the fruit eliminates swelling and constipation, wounds on the mucous membrane and skin. The seeds have a beneficial effect on the condition of the gallbladder and improve the functioning of the liver.

The fiber contained in squash helps cure obesity, cleanse the body of toxins and excess water, normalize the sugar percentage, and speed up lipid metabolism.

Preparing the squash correctly

Not all housewives know how to prepare vegetable dishes and how healthy they are; not everyone knows which fruit is suitable for preparing for the winter, or how to bake it in the oven. The delicate skin of young squash does not need to be peeled; Mature fruits have a hard rind that needs to be cut off. An overripe vegetable is used as a pot for meat, mushrooms, and as a decorative decoration.

Squash with a diameter of about 4 centimeters are suitable for preparing dishes; those with a larger size are also suitable for stuffing.

The vegetable is washed, dried, and the stalk is removed. To fry, cut it in half and separate the slices. Whole squash is marinated and stuffed. For canning, they are first blanched and then cooled in ice water.

Harvesting methods

You can saturate your body with the beneficial components present in pumpkin even in winter. Housewives have their own culinary recipes, according to which they make preparations for long-term storage. Most vitamins and microelements remain in dried squash. The washed young fruits need to be washed, the stalk removed, cut into rings up to 3 centimeters thick, which are laid out on a baking sheet and left in the sun.

The process is significantly accelerated if you place the squash in the oven with the door open or in an electric dryer.

The temperature in the cabinet is set at 50 degrees. Slices of fruit are stored in a bag treated with a salt solution.

Vegetables are prepared for the winter in other ways:

• freeze;
• salt;
• canned;
• pickled.

Close the squash in jars, in the form of salads, along with peppers and tomatoes, garlic and dill. The fruits make delicious jam, aromatic compote with the addition of cherry plum, and nutritious caviar.

Freezing for the winter

You can prepare squash, which will be stored until next summer, without rolling it into jars, without boiling it, or pouring it with a salty solution. Processing the fruit does not take much time, and the useful components remain.

The plate pumpkin is trimmed along the edges, frozen in rings, blanched in boiling water for up to 6 minutes, then transferred to ice water, then dried, spread on cloth or paper.

Whole fruits are placed on a tray, rings are placed in a special bag. They will last in the freezer until summer, until new vegetables ripen.

Spicy pickled

Many housewives prefer other ways of storing squash, which can be consumed as a snack or ready-made dish.

Pumpkin is marinated with other vegetables, alone or with herbs. The taste depends on what is taken as additional ingredients. Sugar and salt are always present.

Using the following recipe, you can get delicious pickled squash. For this you need the following ingredients:

• whole fruits – 0.5 kilograms;
• parsley – 4-5 grams;
• hot pepper – 1 piece;
• Bay leaf;
• horseradish - 2 grams;
• dill - a bunch;
• clove of garlic.

Vegetables should be washed well, immersed in boiling water for 5 minutes and placed in water with ice. Large fruits must be cut into pieces.

To get the marinade, take:

• vinegar – 5 grams;
• salt – 1/3 cup;
• sugar – 2 large spoons.

These ingredients are placed in one liter of water: cinnamon, cloves, several peas of hot and allspice, parsley root, a clove of garlic, roots and chopped herbs, vinegar is poured in. The marinade must be brought to a boil and removed from the stove.

It is necessary to sterilize liter glass jars, spices are poured into the bottom of them, horseradish leaves are placed, squash fruits are placed tightly on them and the prepared hot solution is poured over them.Vegetables in the marinade are placed under the lid on the fire for sterilization. After rolling, the containers are quickly cooled so that the taste of the fruit does not deteriorate and the pulp does not lose its density.

Marinated in vinegar sauce

For preparations for the winter, unripe squash is taken that has been in the refrigerator for no longer than 5 days. Ripe fruits are only suitable for caviar. Squash stores well and does not lose its taste and nutrients if you marinate it in vinegar. In a half-liter jar, small vegetables prepared according to this recipe look very original:

• 350-400 grams of young fruits;
• salt and dill - 5 grams each;
• garlic – 2 cloves;
• vinegar - 3 teaspoons.

The squash should be cleared of soil, washed with running water, the stalks cut off and placed in boiling water, where it should be blanched for about 5 minutes.

Chopped greens are placed on the bottom of the jar, whole small fruits and larger squash divided into parts are placed on top. To obtain the marinade, add 1 teaspoon of salt to half a liter of water and boil, adding vinegar. The hot solution is poured into jars of vegetables, which are sterilized for up to 8 minutes. After the containers are cooled, they are placed with the neck down, checking that they are closed well.

Canned without sterilization

In addition to drying, freezing and pickling, there are other ways to prepare pumpkin fruits for the winter. Canned squash serves as an excellent snack and decorates a holiday table. They can be prepared without sterilization using the following ingredients:

• young fruits – 800 grams;
• bay leaf – 3 pieces;
• garlic – 4 cloves;
• sugar and salt - 5 grams each;
• white pepper – 8-10 peas;
• vinegar - 1.5 tablespoons;
• star anise – 2 flowers;
• cumin seeds - a pinch.

The squash should be washed, stemmed, and blanched for up to 5 minutes. You need to put herbs, spices and horseradish at the bottom of a sterilized jar, put fruits on top, add salt and sugar, pour vinegar and boiling water. The containers are rolled up and, after cooling, placed in the pantry, or even better, in the cellar or basement.

You can preserve squash with other vegetables.

Pickled with cucumbers

A juicy and aromatic appetizer for fish and meat dishes can be made from plate pumpkin within a week. Fresh herbs are used as the main ingredients for squash. Vegetables are fermented warm and stored in the refrigerator for about a year. A large amount of spices gives it a spicy and pungent taste. Based on the recipe, you need to take:

• squash - 200 grams;
• cucumbers – 0.5 kilograms;
• greenery;
• garlic;
• hot pepper - pod.

The brine is prepared at the rate of 4 tablespoons of salt per liter of boiling water.

At the bottom of the jar you need to put currant leaves, cherries, an umbrella of dill and spices, small greens and squash. All this is seasoned with brine, which after 3 days must be drained, passed through cheesecloth and boiled.

The ingredients placed in the jar must be rinsed with hot water and refilled with a solution heated to 100 degrees. The procedure is repeated several times, and the fruits are rolled into containers.

Assorted cucumbers and tomatoes

Winter preparations are made by combining different vegetables - tomatoes, cabbage, zucchini, eggplant - this creates original and tasty snacks. One of the most memorable assortments is prepared from the following ingredients:

• tomatoes and cucumbers – 2.5 kilograms each;
• squash – 1200 grams.

For the marinade:

• salt, sugar – 60 grams;
• Bay leaf;
• sweet peas - 10 pieces;
• vinegar - glass.

Small vegetables need to be washed well, the stems of tomatoes and pumpkins should be trimmed, and the tails of greens should be removed. Place cucumbers, squash and tomatoes in sterilized liter jars in layers and pour boiling water over them for a few minutes.

After pouring it out, the containers with vegetables must be filled with boiled marinade and put on fire for 15 minutes to sterilize. After rolling the lids, wrap the jars until they cool completely. Store the assortment in a cellar or basement.

Lecho

To prepare for the winter, providing the body with vitamins, not only young squash is used, but also ripe fruits, combining them with other vegetables. A tasty and aromatic lecho is obtained if you take:

• tomatoes – 2 kilograms;
• apple vinegar – 125 milliliters;
• sunflower oil - a glass;
• sugar – 100 grams;
• fine salt - 2 tablespoons.

Tomatoes are made into puree. If possible, take red and yellow sweet peppers, take out the seeds and stalk, and chop the vegetable into strips. Peel the squash from the surface, divide it into 2 halves and cut into cubes; they need, like peppers, 1.5 kilograms.

Tomato puree is placed in an enamel pan. After boiling, add vegetables, salt and sugar, dried basil or rosemary, and add sunflower oil. The lecho is cooked for 20 minutes, then vinegar is added. It is stored in glass jars, which are sterilized along with the contents for another quarter of an hour, after which they are rolled up and wrapped in a towel until the containers with lecho have cooled.

Salad with onions and garlic

Some housewives serve crispy squash in a spicy marinade on the festive table. Two kilograms of unripe fruits are cut into pieces, large white onions (4 pieces) - in the form of half rings.To prepare the salad, make a dressing using:

• chopped garlic - 5 cloves;
• parsley and dill - a bunch;
• sunflower oil – 0.5 cups;
• vinegar – 100 grams;
• sugar – 20 grams;
• salt – 1 spoon.

All components are mixed and marinated in the dressing for 3 hours. After this, the salad is transferred to jars and sterilized for 20 minutes. Once you've tasted the appetizer, you'll be licking your fingers.

Crispy squash in jars

Any housewife can prepare an appetizer from a plate pumpkin that will be suitable as an addition to dishes and will last until spring. To marinate crispy squash, take:

• young fruits - 0.5 kilograms;
• horseradish - 3 leaves;
• dill, parsley - a bunch;
• hot pepper - pod;
• garlic - 4 cloves.

The washed vegetables are blanched in boiling water for 5 minutes. In hot water, which needs 2.5 cups, dissolve sugar and salt (a teaspoon each), pour in vinegar, remove from heat.

Spices are placed at the bottom of a liter jar, and circles of garlic are laid out between the squashes and covered with herbs on top. All ingredients are poured with brine and sterilized directly in the container for about 15 minutes. The jar must be closed and cooled.

Quick cooking option

Vegetables from the pumpkin family taste best when marinated. Cooks use a simple recipe: for 2 kilograms of squash you need to take:

• garlic;
• 1 spoon of sugar;
• 20 grams of salt;
• 6 liters of water;
• peppercorns;
• a tablespoon of vinegar.

The fruits are washed and cut into pieces, placed in jars, where greens, garlic and dill are already placed at the bottom. To prepare the marinade, pour water and vinegar into a saucepan, add sugar and salt. Jars with vegetables are filled with hot solution. It turns out quickly and very tasty.

Squash like mushrooms

Pumpkin is combined with various ingredients.By pickling unripe fruits, you can prepare an appetizer that resembles milk mushrooms.

According to the recipe:

1. Carrots and squash are chopped into slices.
2. Garlic, parsley and dill are finely chopped.
3. All components are mixed in a deep container into which spices, sugar and salt are poured.
4. After adding vinegar, the ingredients are marinated for up to 3 hours.
5. The snack is poured into jars and sterilized for about 20 minutes.
6. Roll up the lids and wrap in a towel.

For 1.5 kilograms of squash, 2 carrots, a head of garlic, ½ sunflower oil, sugar and vinegar are enough. The preparation will really resemble the taste of mushrooms.

How to store it correctly

Young fruits that have a thin peel will last up to 10 days if you put them on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator, in the basement or cellar. If the skin is damaged, the vegetables rot as bacteria enter through the crack.

Frozen squash does not lose microelements and vitamins and does not spoil for a year or more, provided that it is not defrosted.

Dried fruits are stored in a dark room with low humidity for quite a long time. The fact that they are not suitable for consumption is indicated by a deterioration in taste and the appearance of an unpleasant odor.

Canned and pickled squash, rolled into sterile jars, can be eaten for 12 months.