Pioneer Woman at Heart

One Flourishing, Frugal and Fun Family!

One family learning to live off the land, cut back on expenses, and to live a simpler and a more self-sufficient lifestyle.

Adopted Motto

"Eat it up,
Wear it out,
Make it do,
Or go without."
~A Pioneer Sampler, by Barbara Greenwood~

Showing posts with label Jar Lifter Hack to Fill Freezer Bags. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jar Lifter Hack to Fill Freezer Bags. Show all posts

Saturday, December 9, 2023

No Root Cellar? No Basement? Have lots of Spaghetti Squash?

 I've been freezing our spaghetti squash.  I do not have a root cellar, or basement, and the garage is not ideal for storage. 

I had one more on the counter too.  I always tell myself not to plant so many, but here they are again.  I had one more on another counter.





Day 1:  I roasted 4 spaghetti squash in my largest pan.  I cut them across and not length-wise, so I could fit more in my pan.

Day 2: 

I used the jar lifter hack to fill my freezer bags.





I have never frozen baked spaghetti squash, so I had to do some reading on this.  Everything I read, said to let the baked squash sit in a strainer (in a bowl), in the refrigerator over night.

I did that, and then bagged it for the freezer. 

1 pound spaghetti squash = 1 1/4 cup cooked strands.  I'm using this method to mark the bags going into the freezer.  It's a first time doing this, so I am hoping for good results when thawed.


TIP:  I had no idea this worked, but there is a YouTube video on sealing freezer bags with a method to remove the air, without a seal/store system.  Or vacuum (I am out of my bags for my vacuum).

You fill a tub or pot with water, large enough to dip your freeze bag into it.  Seal the bag up to a corner, and dip the bag into the water.  The water pushed the air out, and as you get the bag dipped down to a corner, close the rest of the seal.

The only downside, is you now have to dry off your bag before placing in the freezer.  Also, it did not work as well for the squash.  The straw method to remove air worked better in this case, but the heavier your food is the better the water dip method works (for example for meat).

Video to watch is here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrZPLF0ezw8