The husks are really thick and take a good deal of effort to break through. As you can see in the picture, I use the biggest and sharpest knife we have. Sometimes, I can cut straight through the squash with no problems. However, most times, I end up sticking the knife in the middle of the spaghetti squash all the way through, holding the blade in place, and then slamming the bottom of the spaghetti squash down.
At any rate, however you end up cutting your spaghetti squash, you should end up with two equal halves. Now you will want to start cleaning the seeds from your spaghetti squash. We like to use everything on our homestead. You can roast them yourself for a nice snack, use them in your own garden, or feed them to any animals you may have around your farm.
They are a great natural parasite deterrent. You can use a fork or a spoon for this part. Gently, scrape the seed from inside of the spaghetti squash. Want to use those seeds too? You can roast them like zucchini seeds. You may be wondering why you need to cook your squash. The reason we cook it first is to destroy those enzymes and halt the decomposition process.
Just make sure you pat dry the spaghetti before you freeze it. If your strings have high water content before they are frozen, they will have even more water when you defrost it, potentially causing it to become soggy and mushy in the re-heating process. Also, ensure your spaghetti squash is fully cooled before you freeze it. If you put it into your container even slightly warm, this will create moisture inside the container, which in turn will transfer into your spaghetti, increasing its water content.
Not what you want! This is one of the most difficult parts when cooking spaghetti squash, as it is very hard and it rolls easily.
Note: if you decide to soften the winter squash in the microwave before cutting it, or if you prefer to bake it whole, ensure you pierce the squash several times, or it will explode.
Remove the seeds from the squash before placing it in the oven , but make sure you do not throw them away. Like pumpkin seeds, the spaghetti squash seeds are full of great vitamins and make for a great snack, so make sure you roast them. If you are cooking it in the microwave make sure you pierce the skin as mentioned above in step 1, unless you cut it first, then place it in the microwave for approximately 5 to 7 minutes.
As spaghetti squashes come in different sizes, and microwaves cook at different speeds, the above is only a rough guideline. To ensure you do not overcook your squash, put it in for 5 minutes and check it.
If further heat is needed, put it back and heat it in 2 minutes increments checking every time. If you are cooking it in the oven you have two options: baking it whole or cutting it in half before baking. If however, you decide to cut it and then roast it, I would suggest you add a drizzle of olive oil in each half, and then season your halves with salt, paper, and any dry herbs you may like.
I love thyme. Personally, this is the way I make mine. I love the sweet and nutty caramelization flavor this method brings to my spaghetti. Sure the microwave is much faster, but nothing can beat the delicious flavor of a seasoned baked squash. Once the squash is baked or cooked in the microwave, take it out and let it cool for minutes.
We have a couple of recipes we love that you may want to try out. Spaghetti squash can be reheated in many different ways: The microwave, the stovetop, the steamer, and even the skillet. This is without a doubt the quickest way to have your dinner on the table, and you do not need to have the spaghetti fully thawed before placing it in the microwave.
Place your spaghetti squash in a microwave-safe dish, drizzle some olive oil salt and pepper if need it. If you baked it with salt and pepper in the first place, you may not need more seasoning , partially cover it, and heat it on high for approximately 45 seconds. From boodles to zoodles, spiral-cut squash noodles are having a moment as the go-to gluten-free, paleo-approved star substitute for pasta. Who has time for all that peeling, cooking, and kitchen gadget wizardry—especially on a weeknight?
And her hack for always having spaghetti squash on hand? Freezing it. With a sharp knife, cut a half-inch off both the top and bottom of the spaghetti squash and discard. Next, cut the squash across the width into one-inch-thick rings. Run a spoon around the inside of the rings to scoop out the seeds. Note: Most spaghetti squash recipes call for cutting the gourd in half lengthwise, but cutting it crosswise preserves the natural span of the vegetable's fibers.
So, we need to cook the squash before we begin the freezing process. Thankfully, this is a simple task, but it can take a little time, so make sure you have some to spare. There are two main ways to cook spaghetti squash to prepare it for freezing: oven baked and microwaved. Now, you can cook spaghetti squash in other ways if you are eating it straight away, but the results can be disappointing when frozen and thawed out.
So, what to do? The best solution is to remove a lot of the moisture before cooking. How do you do this? By using an age old method: salting. So, how do you salt a spaghetti squash? Instead of cutting your squash vertically from top to bottom, cut it into rings instead. Plus, as you can see from the image above, cutting a spaghetti squash this way will work with the fibers, not against them. Why is this a good thing?
You should be able to get four decent sized rings from an average spaghetti squash just remember to cut off the stem and blossom ends of the squash as well so every ring has the flesh exposed. Once you have your rings cut, remove the seeds from the center and rub them liberally with salt.
Leave the squash rings on a rack for 15 to 20 mins before rubbing dry with a paper towel, which will remove most of the salt too. Make sure you have a container underneath your rack to catch any excess moisture, just in case. Easily the best way to prepare your spaghetti squash for freezing is to oven bake them.
Even after salting, your squash will have a fair amount of moisture left in it, and roasting it in the oven allows more of it to evaporate.
Just be careful not to break those beautifully long filaments too much! You can use your fingers if you prefer. The only difference here is that you need to retain the liquid that has been drawn out of them for cooking. Now that your squash rings are ready to cook, put them in the microwave with the extracted juice, uncovered, and cook on high for seven minutes to get things going. After that, keep cooking the squash in one minute bursts until soft and the fibers start to come away when scraped with a fork.
Remove them all from the tough outer rind and place in a colander or sieve. Your spaghetti squash is cooked, cooled, and sitting patiently in your colander or sieve…what now? For the very best results, you need to be a little patient, too. Put the colander or sieve along with the spaghetti squash strand into the fridge for at least 6 hours preferably overnight before freezing.
Well, doing so will ensure that the strands are fully chilled before you put them in freezer bags and into your freezer. Separate the strands into the portion sizes you want, but work quickly so your spaghetti stays as cold as possible. Finally, give the bags a gentle squeeze to expel all of the air inside before sliding the lock-top shut.
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