You don't want to puree it, but cubes. The puree gets TOO dense and don't heat well.

I'd still cure it, why are you wanting to can it? I'd cook it when needed, then freeze the left overs.

I plan on cooking and pureeing the squash, then freezing for use in cooking

He/she is freezing, not canning so yes you can puree if you wish or you can do chunks. We too prefer squash mashed or puree in our house - maybe it is a flashback to those jars of baby food. :-)

Keep in mind it doesn't have to be fully cooked when freezing - just cooked enough to get it to the texture you need for chunking, mashing or pureeing.

You can do it as soon as picked if you need to but the taste will improve if you let them age some off the vine first. Even a couple of weeks can make a big difference. Fresh harvested has a "green" after taste that disappears if you give them some mellowing time.

Dave

Well, here's my experience FWIW (I grow butternuts primarily).

The curing process changes some of the starches into sugar, so I find the squash much better tasting after they've been cured. A few that are damaged and not for storage, I do cook and freeze right away since they won't keep, but they have nowhere near the sweet, nutty flavor of a cured one.

I leave them on the vine (even if the vine looks dead) until just before the first frost (here about October 10 usually). I put some straw under them to keep them off the ground.

We just ate our last one from last year. It was wonderful! Frankly, I'm not sure what I did differently, because usually my winter squash is going "bad" by Easter.

You can certainly process and freeze your squash puree as soon as you pick it (no safety issues or anything like that) but the flavor won't be as good.

Hope that helps.

Sorry I didn't read as well as I should have, making jellies at the same time. I was just on long enough to confirm recipe.

I still wait to cook, then freeze. Usually have winter squash in the colder months, and it helps to heat the house when cooking.

I've made LOTS of baby food for the 5 grandkids when they were little from all the extra produce from farmers market stand. My grandkids don't like 'store' produce due to that.

I agree, I think they are more sweet if you cure them a bit.

I am growing Butternuts for the first time this year.

Is the "curing" process simply leaving them outside & on the vine until near first frost? Or is something else required?

I do have straw beds under each one.

Larry

This is from Johnny's Seeds:

"Butternut squash (C. moschata) are easier to judge by sight because they don't acquire their characteristic tan color until late in development, 35 days or more after fruit set. If the weather stays frost-free, they should be allowed to remain on the plants until 55 days after fruit set. In short-season areas, they often are harvested soon after turning tan because of the risk of frost damage. At that point, however, the sugars have not elevated to the 11% required for good flavor, so butternut squash harvested at 55 days after fruit set should be stored for 60 days at 56-60ðF/10-16ðC, with relative humidity between 50 and 70%. Carotenoid content also increases in storage, making the butternut squash more nutritious after it's been stored for a couple of months. To accelerate maturity and increase sweetness, Dr. Loy has found that butternuts held at warm temperatures (up to 85ðF/29ðC) for two weeks develop acceptable levels of sugars."

Basically, the curing develops the sugars. I'm lazy and let Mother Nature cure them for me in the garden (unless we get an early frost - then I cure them in the house). The only other thing I do is wash them gently with a dilute bleach and water solution to minimize any dirt/bacteria on the skin that might effect storage life, dry thoroughly and store for the winter.

Here is a link that might be useful: Article-Eating Quality in Winter Squashes