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texasblonde

Help! I need to can summer squash.

texasblonde
11 years ago

We are having a bumper crop of beautiful summer squash. I have already frozen all my freezer will hold and still have more that I need to preserve.

I just really do not like pressure canners and I do not care for pickled squash. My question is can I use lemon juice to add acid to the squash which will enable me to process it in a waterbath? I do love lemon flavoring on most vegetables and I don't see why it would not be great for summer squash.

How much lemon juice would I need to add to a gallon of water to give it enough acid?

Thanking you in advance.

Comments (12)

  • digdirt2
    11 years ago

    No sorry. Freezing is your option if you don't like pickling (although it does make a great relish and/or chutney)
    . Squash canning requires pressure canning only and even then summer squash can only be done in chunks.

    From NCHFP

    Why is canning summer squash or zucchini not recommended?
    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squashes, including zucchini, that appeared in former editions of So Easy to Preserve or USDA bulletins have been withdrawn due to uncertainty about the determination of processing times.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.

    Dave

  • texasblonde
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Dave, thank you for your thoughtful reply. I had read already squash either needs to be pickled or blanched and frozen. My question was can I in essence "pickle" them with lemon juice and no sugar? The ph of lemon juice is 2.3 and most vinegars is 2.4 to 2.8.

  • digdirt2
    11 years ago

    Other than the NCHFP comment in canning tomatoes (which are more acidic to begin with) about 2T of lemon juice = to 4 T of vinegar there are no instructions anywhere that I know of for how you would do that, how you would convert vinegar to lemon juice, definitely none that have been tested. All approved recipes for pickling are based on vinegar except for some salsa recipes.

    I have read some online non-NCHFP instructions for including 2 T lemon juice per quart when canning cubed winter squash but it still needs to be pressure canned.

    So as far as I know it would all be guess work and risky, not to mention I'd find the end product to be very undesirable taste-wise.

    Perhaps someone else will know of a niche' recipe somewhere that lets you preserve summer squash using only lemon juice.

    Sorry I can't be of more help.

    Dave

  • texasblonde
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    It looks like I need to blanch and seal them in vacuum bags and see if I can squeeze them into tiny openings of the freezer.

    Thank you for your input. Since most recipes call for straight vinegar being added to the squash, I don't think it will turn out well either if I tried to substitute lemon juice. I think we are about canned out too. Hubby has put up almost 24 qts. of salsa including the 6 he made today because my son wanted some that was hotter. We will see if the 12 habenaros added to the jalapenos will make it hot enough to suit him and his poker buddies. ;o)

  • digdirt2
    11 years ago

    I think we are about canned out too.

    Chin up! Did 10 quarts of sauerkraut and 16 pints of stewed tomatoes today. Back is killing me and wife's ankles are swollen and it's only June. :)

    Dave

  • aka_rach
    11 years ago

    Dave, just to be clear, are the safety guidelines now to never PC squash at all?

    I know not to PC squash puree, but now cubes are not acceptable?

    Thanks!

  • readinglady
    11 years ago

    You can PC winter squash cubed per NCHFP instructions.

    There are no approved processes for summer squash, partly for quality reasons (it would collapse into a mass in the bottom of the jar) and partly for safety (low pH and high water content).

    Have you considered dehydrating summer squash slices for use in soups? That would take up a lot less space.

    Carol

    Here is a link that might be useful: Canning Pumpkins and Winter Squash

  • dgkritch
    11 years ago

    Summer squash makes a decent potato chip substitute when dried. You can add flavorings at will. Just sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic, onion or whatever sounds good to you and dehydrate. Shelf stable, no freezing or canning required and you can store a lot of squash in a small space.

    Even "way back when" my mom canned zucchini and crookneck and I hated the stuff. Mushy, yuck!

    Deanna

  • digdirt2
    11 years ago

    Dave, just to be clear, are the safety guidelines now to never PC squash at all?

    Like Carol said - no summer squash. Winter squash can be canned in cubes/chunks. She gave you the link for how to do winter squash above. Winter squash has much less water in it, firmer texture, and more consistent pH.

    Dave

  • soonergrandmom
    11 years ago

    In the past I have made relish from summer squash that was grated, so is that a NO-NO now as well?

  • digdirt2
    11 years ago

    No. As explained in my first post, pickling it is fine and relish is pickled. But the OP didn't want pickled or relish. She wanted to can it without using vinegar or a pressure canner. So relish is a very different issues.

    Dave

  • readinglady
    11 years ago

    I'm sorry. I meant to say high pH.

    Carol