If you’ve ended up with one too many pumpkins and aren’t sure what to do with them this post is here to help. Can you freeze cooked pumpkin?
Pumpkin, while delicious, often gets wasted. In fact, as many as 13 million get wasted in the U.K each year during Halloween.
Can You Freeze Cooked Pumpkin?
The good news is that yes, you can freeze cooked pumpkin. Freezing cooked pumpkin means it will last much longer than freezing raw pumpkins.
Can You Freeze Pumpkin Puree?
Yes, you can also freeze pumpkin puree. Pumpkin puree is very versatile so making a puree is a great way to cook and freeze pumpkin if you’re not 100% sure what you want to do it. Take a look at these 10 uses for pumpkin puree.
Related Posts:
Can You Freeze Roasted Pumpkin?
Roasted pumpkin can be frozen as long as you wait for it to be fully cooled down from cooking first. The best way to freeze roasted pumpkin is to flash-freeze the chunks first before bagging up or placing them into containers.
Roasted pumpkin makes a delicious soup ingredient but can also be reheated from frozen.
Can You Freeze Canned Pumpkin?
Canned pumpkin lasts for years and years so even if it’s passed its best-before date it can still be used, it just might not be of its best quality.
If you’ve opened the canned pumpkin but won’t Pumpkin, while delicious, often gets wasted. In fact, as many as 13 million get wasted in the U.K. each year during Halloween.
Can You Freeze Pumpkin Soup?
You can absolutely freeze pumpkin soup. Pumpkin soup freezes really well and is perfect for making in big batches, freezing and then using for tasty and warming winter lunches.
Can You Freeze A Whole Pumpkin?
Unfortunately freezing a whole pumpkin just doesn’t work very well at all. Pumpkin freezes best when cooked and peeled and of course with all the seeds removed to none of which happens when freezing a whole pumpkin.
The quickest way to freeze a whole pumpkin is to roughly chop it into pieces, roast and remove the skin and stringy bits once cooled.
Can You Freeze Raw Pumpkin?
Yes, you can freeze raw pumpkin but it will only last for a couple of months in the freezer. Freezing cooked pumpkin is a better option as it will last longer and means you have a ready-cooked product that can be used straight from the freezer.
How To Freeze Cooked Pumpkin
You can freeze cooked pumpkin using these simple steps below. I prefer to freeze pumpkin in smaller portions so I can get enough out for one portion or one meal at a time.
How To Freeze Cooked Pumpkin – Soups and Purees
- Before freezing, make sure your soup or puree is completely cold.
- Pour the pumpkin soup or puree into a freezer container – this could be a glass jar, plastic tub or ziplock bag. Leave some space around the top to allow for expansion during freezing.
- Add the date and name of the item using a sticky label or sharpie pen before placing in the freezer.
How Long Will Pumpkin Soup/Pumpkin Puree Keep In The Freezer?
Pumpkin puree will last for around six months in the freezer and pumpkin soup will last around three months after being frzoen.
How To Freeze Cooked Pumpkin – Flash Freezing for roasted or blanched pumpkin chunks
While you can freeze cooked pumpkin chunks as they are, this method stops them from sticking together in big clumps as they freeze.
- When the cooked pumpkin chunks have cooled place them on a baking tray a few cm apart and place them in the freezer.
- Freeze for 2-3 hours until the chunks are hard. On hard, place them into freezer-safe containers such as plastic tubs or plastic zip bags.
- Using a sticky label or sharpie add the date the chunks were frozen and a description of what they are. There’s nothing worse than finding random unlabeled food lurking at the bottom of the freezer!
How Long Does Roasted Pumpkin Keep In The Freezer?
Cooked or roasted pumpkin chunks will last for 9 – 12 months in the freezer. After this, they may start to deteriorate in quality but are still safe to eat.
How To Defrost Cooked Pumpkin
Any type of cooked pumpkin – roasted, boiled, mashed, pureed and even pumpkin soup – should always be defrosted in the freezer. Leaving it out on the counter risks it becoming unsafe to eat. Overnight is best to allow the pumpkin to fully thaw before being used. The bigger the portion the longer it will need – especially with soups.
Can You Roast Frozen Pumpkin? How To Cook Frozen Pumpkin Chunks
Yes, you can roast frozen pumpkin. This can be done from frozen or after defrosting. When roasting frozen pumpkin that’s already been roasted (to reheat it) cover with foil to prevent it from getting burnt.
Raw frozen pumpkin chunks can be popped into a roasting tray, covered with oil and seasoning and popped in the oven for around 45 minutes on gas mark 7 (220C/425F)
Freezing Other Cooked Vegetables
Can You Freeze Cooked Turnips?
Can You Freeze Cooked Cabbage Soup?
