Home Canning Squash - Not a Good Idea
Our first experience growing summer squash and pumpkins was very rewarding. They just kept growing and growing and growing. The plants reproduced like rabbits! Well, maybe not exactly like rabbits; more akin to the man-eating plant in Little Shop of Horrors. Only they didn't demand we feed them. They were going to feed us.
We couldn't have been more pleased with our green thumbs. Our pantry would be stocked with canned squash and pumpkin puree! Or so we thought.
A little research and we discovered that it's not recommended to can (water-bath or pressure) any type of summer squash, including pumpkin puree. Why? Because squash is a low-acid vegetable and pressure canning requires a certain temperature to kill the bacteria that causes botulism. Even if squash is tightly packed into a canning jar before processing, it tends to become soft and mushy during the pressure canning process. In turn, this affects the heating distribution inside the jar, therefore making it quite difficult to determine the correct processing time to destroy botulism.
Here's what the National Center for Home Food Preservation has to say on the subject.
"Recommendations for canning summer squashes, including zucchini, that appeared in former editions of So Easy to Preserve or USDA bulletins have been withdrawn due to uncertainty about the determination of processing times. Squashes are low-acid vegetables and require pressure canning for a known period of time that will destroy the bacteria that cause botulism. Documentation for the previous processing times cannot be found, and reports that are available do not support the old process. Slices or cubes of cooked summer squash will get quite soft and pack tightly into the jars. The amount of squash filled into a jar will affect the heating pattern in that jar. It is best to freeze summer squashes or pickle them for canning, but they may also be dried."
But, what about all of those cans of pureed pumpkin you see on the shelves at the supermarket? You're thinking, "If Libbey can process pumpkin, so can I!"
Hold on a minute.
Let's think safety first.
Those cans of pureed pumpkin are commercially processed with equipment that reach high temperatures and pressures you simply cannot achieve with home pressure-canners. Safe canning practices for pumpkin have a lot to do with viscosity, acidity, and water activity. Because there is so much variation with this combination, it's better to be safe than sorry.
Instead of taking the risk of canning, blanch and freeze your pumpkin and squash. That's what we did. It's easy to do, and you'll have peace of mind knowing that you are not poisoning yourself or your family.
We couldn't have been more pleased with our green thumbs. Our pantry would be stocked with canned squash and pumpkin puree! Or so we thought.
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| Crooked neck yellow squash |
A little research and we discovered that it's not recommended to can (water-bath or pressure) any type of summer squash, including pumpkin puree. Why? Because squash is a low-acid vegetable and pressure canning requires a certain temperature to kill the bacteria that causes botulism. Even if squash is tightly packed into a canning jar before processing, it tends to become soft and mushy during the pressure canning process. In turn, this affects the heating distribution inside the jar, therefore making it quite difficult to determine the correct processing time to destroy botulism.
Here's what the National Center for Home Food Preservation has to say on the subject.
"Recommendations for canning summer squashes, including zucchini, that appeared in former editions of So Easy to Preserve or USDA bulletins have been withdrawn due to uncertainty about the determination of processing times. Squashes are low-acid vegetables and require pressure canning for a known period of time that will destroy the bacteria that cause botulism. Documentation for the previous processing times cannot be found, and reports that are available do not support the old process. Slices or cubes of cooked summer squash will get quite soft and pack tightly into the jars. The amount of squash filled into a jar will affect the heating pattern in that jar. It is best to freeze summer squashes or pickle them for canning, but they may also be dried."
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| Our pumpkins became part of The Saga of the 37 Pumpkins |
But, what about all of those cans of pureed pumpkin you see on the shelves at the supermarket? You're thinking, "If Libbey can process pumpkin, so can I!"
Hold on a minute.
Let's think safety first.
Those cans of pureed pumpkin are commercially processed with equipment that reach high temperatures and pressures you simply cannot achieve with home pressure-canners. Safe canning practices for pumpkin have a lot to do with viscosity, acidity, and water activity. Because there is so much variation with this combination, it's better to be safe than sorry.
Instead of taking the risk of canning, blanch and freeze your pumpkin and squash. That's what we did. It's easy to do, and you'll have peace of mind knowing that you are not poisoning yourself or your family.
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Looking for recipes to use up some of your summer squash? Try our Cinnamon and Spice Summer Squash Cookie recipe. Moist and tasty, with the perfect blend of spices, they're satisfying with a cup of hot tea.
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