[Explanation with photos] How to freeze winter melon, storage period, and 5 recipes!

You may not be familiar with it, but did you know that winter melon can be frozen?

Winter melon is famous as a summer vegetable. Large ones weigh over 10 kg, and even small ones can be as big as a human face. It is not uncommon to find them cut and sold at supermarkets.

Winter melon is a food item that can be stored at room temperature, but as I mentioned earlier, you can also freeze it. There are also benefits that are unique to freezing.

In addition to these benefits, this article explains the specific freezing method with photos, and introduces recipes using frozen winter melon.

If you have winter melon at home or your parents send it to you every year, be sure to check it out.

winter melon nutrition

Nutritional value and calories of winter melon

The calorie content of winter melon is 16kcal per 100g.

It belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family, like cucumbers and pumpkins, and is made up of nearly 95% water. Therefore, it is characterized by low calorie content. For reference, the calorie content of cucumber is 14kcal per 100g, so you can think of them as almost the same in terms of calories.

In terms of nutrition, there are no outstanding nutrients or nutrients that can only be found in winter melon. However, it is rich in vitamin C, the amount of which is comparable to grapefruit, lychee, and summer mandarin oranges (the vitamin C content of winter melon is 39mg per 100g).

Benefits of winter melon

Winter melon is classified as a so-called summer vegetable. It has long been said that summer vegetables have a cooling effect on the body, and winter melon can also have this effect.

In addition to its high water content, the bitterness and astringency of Cucurbitaceae are thought to help lower body heat.

Advantages of freezing

Even items that are cut and sold can be stored for a long time.

Winter melon can be stored at room temperature for 2 to 3 months without a knife. Therefore, if it is a whole piece, there is no need to freeze it.

However, even small winter melons can be quite large. Some people may find it difficult to use it all at once.

If you cut it into 1/2 or 1/4 pieces, the cut end will dry out and deteriorate. Once a cross section is exposed to air, it can only be stored for about 2 to 3 days even if it is placed in the refrigerator.

In such cases, long-term preservation is possible by using freezing.

Pre-boiling and freezing will shorten cooking time.

Freezing storage has another advantage. This means that cooking time can be shortened.

Winter melon can be frozen raw, but you can also boil it and then freeze it.

Before putting it in the freezer, boil it for about 10 minutes and then freeze it. Then, when you defrost it and reheat it, it will be cooked right through.

Since it takes some time to prepare before freezing, you may not be able to see the benefits in regular cooking.

However, if you boil them in advance, you can add an extra vegetable to your miso soup or soup. You can easily prepare meals when you're busy in the morning or when you come home late at night and don't have time to cook.

You can also freeze the cooked food.
You can make frozen foods at home, such as soup or minced sauce, by putting them in a freezer bag and putting them in the freezer. This is also very useful when you don't have time or are busy.

Freezing storage method

When freezing raw

1. Remove the skin, remove the pulp, and cut into appropriate sizes.

2. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap in convenient amounts.

3. Put it in a freezer bag, squeeze out the air, and put it in the freezer.

★If you don't want to wrap it in plastic wrap, you can put it directly in a freezer bag. However, as it dries, it deteriorates faster, so it is better to consume it as soon as possible.
★Please change the size of the cut according to the purpose of cooking.

When parboiling and freezing

1. Remove the skin, remove the pulp, and cut into appropriate sizes.

2. Boil water in a pot and boil for 5 to 10 minutes.

3. Once it has cooled down, wipe off the water.

4. Wrap it in plastic wrap, put it in a freezer bag, squeeze out the air, and put it in the freezer.

★Boiling times are for reference only. Since it will be reheated when actually cooking, it doesn't matter if it's boiled until it's a little firm.

Thawing method and storage period

How to thaw winter melon

Frozen winter melon can be cooked while frozen.

If it's a simmered dish, just put it in the pot and simmer. If you have boiled the meat and then frozen it, you can shorten the simmering time.

If you want to stir-fry, stir-fry in a frying pan while frozen. If you are concerned about whether the meat will cook through thickly, such as when cutting it into thick pieces, you can thaw it naturally by leaving it at room temperature for about 20 to 30 minutes.

If you have frozen cooked soup or ankake, it is a good idea to thaw and warm it in the microwave.

Storage period of winter melon

The approximate shelf life of frozen winter melon is one month.

Winter melon is a food that easily absorbs refrigerator odors. Therefore, be sure to close the freezer bag tightly and use it as soon as possible, even if it is within the expiration date.

5 easy recipes using winter melon

Boiled winter melon

Source: https://www.lettuceclub.net/recipe/dish/4354/

☑材料（2人分）
・冷凍冬瓜　400g
・鶏ひき肉　100g
・酒
●水　1カップ
●みりん　大さじ1
●醤油　小さじ1
●塩　小さじ1/2
■片栗粉　小さじ1
■水　小さじ2

<How to make>
1) Use frozen winter melon, peeled and cut into 3-4 cm pieces.
2) Boil water in a pot and boil the frozen winter melon for about 5 minutes (skip this step if you have boiled and frozen winter melon).
3) Add minced meat and 2 tablespoons of sake to a pot and stir-fry.
4) When the entire color changes, add the seasonings and winter melon and simmer for 5 minutes (use a lid if you have one).
5) When the winter melon becomes soft, add the water-soluble potato starch (■) on top and it's done.

winter melon soup

Source: https://cookpad.com/recipe/3312139

☑材料（4~5人分）
・冷凍冬瓜　1/8個
・玉ねぎ　小1個
・ベーコン　40g
●水　3カップ
●固形コンソメ　2個
●みりん　大さじ2
・オリーブオイル　大さじ1
・塩こしょう　少々

<How to make>
1) Use frozen winter melon cut into easy-to-eat pieces of 1 to 2 cm.
2) Slice the onion and cut the bacon into 5mm cubes.
3) Put olive oil and (2) in a pot and heat over medium heat.
4) When the onions are translucent, add the winter melon and stir-fry.
5) Once the oil is coated, add the ingredients marked with ● and simmer for about 15 minutes.
6) Remove the scum during cooking, and when the winter melon becomes soft, season with salt and pepper.

Stir-fried minced meat with oysters

Source: https://cookpad.com/recipe/407186

☑材料（2人分）
・冷凍冬瓜　1/4個
・なす　1本
・ひき肉　100g
・ビーマン　1個
・しょうが　1かけ
・中華だし　小さじ1
・オイスターソース　大さじ1
・ごま油　小さじ2

<How to make>
1) Use frozen winter melon, cut 1/4 lengthwise and then cut into pieces about 4mm thick.
2) Cut the eggplant into 4mm pieces like the winter melon, cut the green pepper into thin slices, and chop the ginger into small pieces.
3) Fry the ginger in a frying pan.
4) Stir-fry the minced meat until it becomes fragrant.
5) When the juice from the minced meat dries up, add all the vegetables.
6) Once the vegetables are cooked, add the Chinese soup stock and oyster sauce, then sprinkle with sesame oil and it's done.

Skin Kinpira

Source: https://cookpad.com/recipe/624710

☑材料（1人分）
・冬瓜の皮　1/8個分
・ごま油　大さじ1
●砂糖　小さじ2
●粉末だし　適量
●塩　適量
・白ごま　大さじ1
※冷凍前の、冬瓜の皮を使用したレシピです。

<How to make>
1) Cut the winter melon into 1/8 lengthwise and then in half widthwise.
2) Remove the skin and cut into strips.
3) Heat sesame oil in a frying pan and fry the winter melon skin.
4) Add the seasonings marked ● and stir-fry until the water evaporates.
5) Finally, add white sesame seeds and toss to coat.

Pork belly Chinese stew

Source: https://cookpad.com/recipe/2796099

☑材料（4人分）
・冷凍冬瓜　1/4個（300~400g）
・豚バラスライス　150ｇ
・しょうが　2㎝（チューブ）
●水　300cc
●鶏ガラスープの素　小さじ1
●オイスターソース　大さじ1
●砂糖　小さじ2
・醤油　小さじ2
・ごま油　小さじ1
■片栗粉　大さじ1
■水　大さじ1

<How to make>
1) Use frozen winter melon cut into easy-to-eat pieces of 1 to 2 cm.
2) Cut the pork belly slices into easy-to-eat pieces.
3) Stir-fry the pork and ginger in a frying pan over high heat. Sprinkle salt and pepper while frying (not listed in ingredients).
4) When the meat changes color, add the winter melon and ● ingredients and simmer over high heat.
5) Once it boils, reduce the heat to medium-low, remove the scum, and simmer for about 5 minutes.
6) After 5 minutes, remove the lid and simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes.
7) When the winter melon becomes soft, stir in the water-dissolved potato starch (■), mix briefly, and return to medium heat.
8) Once it thickens, add soy sauce and sesame oil and it's done.

Conclusion

So, how do you freeze winter melon?

If you want to freeze it raw, cut it according to your cooking purpose, wrap it in plastic wrap and put it in a freezer bag. If you want to freeze it after boiling it, cut it, boil it for about 5 to 10 minutes, let it cool down, then wrap it in plastic wrap.

It has a shelf life of 1 month and can be cooked frozen without thawing.

Since each winter melon is large, you probably won't be able to use it all in one cooking session. In such a case, please try this freezing method.