Can you freeze zucchini?

[Serious Tim]

We've got a whole bunch of zucchini (to make zucchini bread......mmmmm! ), but it's too hot out to be baking, and there's plenty enough to do around the house while the weather's good.

Can we shred the zucchini, and freeze it? Or is there a recommended way of doing it if at all possible?

Thanks!

[Pete1941]

Tim, you can slice the zuchnni and then blanch it in hot water for just a little while, enough to get it thoroughly hot, but not long enough to cook it, and then put your required amount into freezer bags and freeze. And, wallah, you will have instant zuchnni to use whenever the urge hits. Add a little salt, amount not critical, as it boils by the way. Pete

[Billy Fussell]

Tim,

After you blanch it, my wife will put the slices on a cookie sheet, not touching, and put it in the freezer. When the slices are frozen, she will put them in a freezer bag. Found out the hard way that if you put them in the bags while wet, you will have a "rock" to thaw out. Also if you put them in a big bag after freezing, you can take out what you want to cook, and put the rest back in the freezer.

Billy

[Pete1941]

Great idea, Billy, or Mrs. Billy, I didn't think of that part . Pete

I wonder if you can still batter them in meal and fry them after she freezes them this way? I love them this way!

[spiveyman]

Fried is good, but grilled is the way to go . I wondercan you just can it? would that be any better?

[Billy Fussell]

Pete,

She has never tried pre-battering. I don't see why you can't. You can buy pre-battered frozen okra in stores. Ought to work for zucchini.

Billy

P.S. Anything I post about cooking or food prep. comes from my wife. All I do is eat it.

[DuxburyFarmall]

My wife and I make small zip lock freezer bags with the correct quantity of chopped up zucchini that would make zucchini bread. Then we freeze it and make bread all winter long.

Chad

[Serious Tim]

Do you do anything to the zucchini before you bag it, or just shred it?

[DuxburyFarmall]

We just shred it in a food processor.

Chad

[Rudi]

We've got a whole bunch of zucchini (to make zucchini bread......mmmmm! ), but it's too hot out to be baking, and there's plenty enough to do around the house while the weather's good.

Can we shred the zucchini, and freeze it? Or is there a recommended way of doing it if at all possible?

Thanks!

Tim:

I agree with the others, but am getting in on this late.

Yes you can. Em and I routinely shred Zuchini, Carrots etc., and then freeze them in ZipLoc Freezer Bags. You can freeze them in the exact quantities that you need to make 1 loaf or a dozen. I remember the first year we grew Zuchini... we had so much.. we got tired of eating Fried Zuchini strips/medallions, Zuchini loaf and other stuff.

Oh, Em also uses shredded Zuchini in her Chili and her Spagetti Sauces.. really awesome.

Canning is not my idea of fun. We freeze our tomatoes whole, we freeze blueberries in the box.. strawberries whole, raspberries whole etc.... you would be suprised at how much you can freeze without having to do a lot of prep work. Our biggest job is cobbing boiled corn for winter... but we even have a corn cobber for that..

[spiveyman]

Zucchinni in spaghetti is awesome . No cannings not too fun, but then again no freezer burn, nor do you have to thaw it..... personal pref. I suppose!