The Winston County Self Help Cooperative harvested two buckets of squash in various sizes on Wednesday, September 2, 2026. Arlexis Yarbrough, Emma Goss, and Mayla Ashford preserved the squash using two different methods.
For the first method, the squash was blanched for three minutes and then placed in the freezer to shock and stop the cooking process. For the second method, the squash was cooked on the stove for approximately 10 minutes and then placed in the freezer to cool and stop the cooking process.
Once the squash had cooled completely, both batches were vacuum-sealed and placed in the freezer for long-term preservation. The WCSHC team continues to put various techniques into practice for preserving food. The group plans to harvest squash again on Friday.
