Spaghetti squash is a favorite winter squash for many. It has a very unique texture, instead of becoming mushy like most squash, spaghetti squash turns into strands or shiny skinny noodles. This nutritious fruit has rich deposits of vitamins, antioxidants, healthy fats and minerals. So, can you freeze cooked spaghetti squash?
Yes, you can freeze cooked spaghetti squash. What most people love about spaghetti squash is that one can prepare ahead of time or in large quantities and store frozen.
If you need a vegetable that everyone in the family will love, and can be cooked and stored in the freezer, spaghetti squash is an excellent option.
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Cooked or Uncooked Spaghetti Squash, Which one is Best Frozen?
Having some cooked frozen spaghetti squash gives you a quick to fix meal especially on those days you are exhausted after a busy long day.
While it’s fine to freeze uncooked spaghetti squash, we don’t recommend it because it has more demerits that the merits.
First, frozen uncooked spaghetti squash takes too long to defrost because you have to freeze the whole fruit without cutting into cubes like you would do with butternut squash or pumpkin.
If you cut the spaghetti squash into cubes, you will lose getting the strands out of the fruit. Moreover, you’ll end up losing most of flavor from the fruit.
These are the reasons why we recommend freezing cooked spaghetti squash. You will always have a quick meal ready when you need it. Just ensure that you cool and pat dry the squash before storing in the freezer.
If you store the squash with excess moisture, It will even have more of it when defrosting and this may be a potential cause for soggy and mushy squash when reheating,
Also, if you fail to cool before freezing, the warmth in the storage container will create moisture and result into high water content in the squash.
How to Reheat Cooked Frozen Spaghetti Squash
You can reheat your frozen spaghetti squash any way you want; whether in the microwave, on the stove, steamer or even using a skillet.
With a microwave
Using a microwave is the easiest and fastest method to reheat spaghetti squash. The best thing is that you don’t necessarily need to fully thaw before reheating.
To reheat, place the Squash in a microwave-safe dish, spray with a little olive oil and pepper if necessary and cover partially. Close the microwave door and heat on high heat for 45-60 seconds. Stir to check if it is properly heated. If it needs more heating, put it back in the microwave for extra 30 seconds.
Note that we cover the squash and spray with olive oil to avoid the spaghetti from getting burnt or becoming too dry. It’s also not necessary to add pepper and other seasoning if you had added while cooking.
Reheating on the stove
Reheating frozen spaghetti squash on the stove too does not require defrosting. It’s the perfect method for those days you forget to remove the squash from the freezer for defrosting.
To reheat on the stove, boil some water in a heavy saucepan, add the spaghetti squash in the water after it boils and leave to simmer for about 7-10 minutes or until everything heats through. Be sure to monitor the simmering to avoid overcooking. Overcooked spaghetti squash nay turn out to be soggy and mushy.
Reheating in a steamer
This method is almost the same as reheating on a stove only that you need to completely defrost the spaghetti squash before reheating in the steamer.
To reheat in the steamer, make sure that your squash is completely defrosted, place it in the steamer and give it 5 minutes to be warm. Avoid leaving it for too long to avoid a mushy squash.
Reheating in a skillet
This method too requires one to completely thaw the spaghetti squash before frying. Generally, the more moisture you get rid of while thawing the better the results. Pat dry the spaghetti strands as much as you can.
To reheat, ensure the squash is completely dry, add one tablespoon of olive oil in the skillet and spread to cover the pan, add the squash to form an even layer in the pan and fry on medium heat until its warm.
This method takes more time because of defrosting, but its gives delicious and crispy squash that you’ll love.
Conclusion
Freezing cooked spaghetti squash is a great assurance of having a ready sumptuous meals ready waiting for you in the freezer.
While you can freeze it uncooked, we recommend cooking it first as you will retain most of the flavor and have an easy time reheating. Prepare large quantities of this delicious cheap and easy to make fruit vegetable and freeze ahead of time for a healthy meal that everyone loves.
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