We have a lot of zucchini this time of year. Sometimes the ones that are hidden in the garden grow really big, and aren't as flavorful.
If you have too much zucchini, shred them in the food processor and freeze for the future. I freeze mine in half cup portions. You can use them in baking or cooking. They can also be substituted for pumpkin purée or applesauce.
It will be watery when thawed, so drain it and save the drained liquid for use in recipes.
Source: Tightwad Gazette
This page contains the following solutions.
A guide to freezing zucchini. Choose young zucchini with smooth, tender skin and a vibrant, dark green color.
This time of the year zucchini is all around. You may find that you have too much of it. You may also have some zucchini that was hidden and grew too big to be flavorful.
In July or August it is best to keep your car doors locked or you are apt to end up with a backseat full of oversized zucchini. My solution is both simple and thrifty. For the giant ones, de-seed (using a spoon), peel if necessary, shred with a food processor, and store in two cup amounts.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
When freezing zucchini, do l shredded it after I cook it and then freeze it?
By susan burnette from lN
Hi Susan! I have had good luck with simply shredding it, measuring it out into 4 cup increments, and freezing it. I have noticed that when I thaw it to use in baking bread, the quantity is about half of the freshly shredded variety.
If you plan to use the shredded zucchini in bread, you don't cook it anyway. You just leave it raw. I shred mine, put in freezer without any other prep. Sometimes it gets a little too "soupy" when frozen so you might want to drain some of the moisture off so your bread turns out ok.
I just shred it raw and put it in freezer bags. Once thawed I usually drain and squeeze out excess water.
I, too, just shred and freeze in a freezer bag. For fried or baked zucchini, I slice it and bread it, freeze on a cookie sheet then put into a bag and put into the freezer. I do the same with my okra.
Can I freeze zucchini whole?
By christel stewart from Cleveland, SC
Right here at ThriftyFun there is a great post about freezing zucchini.
www.thriftyfun.com/
I wouldn't. Wash, slice, blanch for 3 minutes, place in ice water for 5 minutes, drain well to remove as much water as possible, place in freezer bags and freeze.
I wonder if you could freeze this whole if you freeze with dry ice? Alton Brown once did that with whole strawberries on his show and he said they froze so fast that they didn't get all mushy like regular freezing. I have no idea what dry ice costs, but it might be worth trying out.
Can I freeze marrows?
By Neil
Are you referring to the vegetable marrows that are grown in England. Here in the States we have a smaller version called Zucchini. It does not freeze well as it contains a lot of water. Maybe someone will know of another method of preserving it.
Can I freezer marrow
When freezing zucchini what do you have to do so it doesn't turn watery when thawed out?
By Vicki W
Unfortunately, squash is a high percentage water, so it will always be watery when thawed. This is why most recipes for zucchini breads, muffins, cakes, etc, are very thick--to allow the excess water from the zucchini to thin the batter.
Is it possible to freeze courgettes?
By Geoff
I grate all my zucchini and measure out by the cup, then bag it and freeze it. When I want to make zucchini bread its all ready to use, I just defrost it.
By breading sliced zucchini and frying it until the coating is just beginning to harden, but has not browned yet, you can freeze it for later meals. This is a page about freezing breaded zucchini.
If you grow zucchini, you may have some extra that you would want to freeze. Use a muffin tin to freeze your shredded zucchini into small portions.
It is a good idea to remove excess moisture from your zucchini prior to freezing for a better result when using it later. This is a page about removing excess moisture from zucchini before freezing.
