When a friend blessed us with about 36 pounds of zucchini the other day, I considered how I would put it to use. The only way we really eat zucchini is baked with cheese and spices, or in Zucchini Bread. We don’t really like it canned, dehydrated, or even in soups, really. But we all really love it in a quick bread.
There seems to always be an overabundance of zucchini at the middle to end of summer, and it can be tough to preserve. It spoils quickly when left out in the open air, and when you freeze, can, or dehydrate it, it often loses its texture and turns into a mushy, tasteless mess.
We did grill some, which turned out yummy. But there was a ton to use, and it wasn’t going to last more than a couple of days before starting to rot. What to do?
And then I had an idea. Why not shred it and freeze it for future quick breads? After a little search online, sure enough it can be done. But is it possible?
Can You Really Freeze Shredded Zucchini?
Yes, you can definitely freeze shredded zucchini, and it’s actually pretty easy: you just wash it, peel it, shred it, put it in freezer bags and then into the freezer.
This is definitely my new favorite way to ‘put up’ a bunch of zucchini. And I know we’ll use it.
Why Does Zucchini Need to Be Frozen – and Not Canned?
Some people will tell you that zucchini and other summer squashes can be canned. This is not recommended.
In fact, the Untied States Department of Agriculture has withdrawn canning recommendations because there has been so much uncertainty about how to determine appropriate processing times.
Squashes are low-acid vegetables. You might be thinking, “Ok, sure. Lots of vegetables are low-acid vegetables and can be canned – as long as you use a pressure canner.”
This is true. Pressure canning removes the risk of botulism, a dangerous disease caused by bacteria that can’t survive in the 240 degrees reached by pressure canning.
Here’s the problem, though. When you try to can a super-soft vegetable like summer squash, it will become soft and pack tightly into the jars, making more of a paste or puree than the slices or cubes you initially placed into the jar.
Freezing Shredded or Chopped Zucchini Steps
Step 1: Pick the Right Zucchini
First, get your hands on some good, small to medium sized zucchini. You don’t want a humongous zucchini ’cause it’ll be very seedy and dry.
That being said, if you have several zucchinis and want to process them quickly, a large zucchini is best shredded and frozen rather than eaten fresh.
Although the moisture content of the zucchini doesn’t matter as much when you’re freezing it, the seeds can pose a problem because you don’t want to bake them into your bread, and they can be tough to sort out after they have thawed. The best zucchinis for freezing are those that are young and thin.
Step 2: Wash It (and Blanch It, if Desired)
Wash and dry the zucchini well, then chop off each end. You don’t have to peel them, but you can if you so choose. The taste and texture of the frozen, shredded zucchini is roughly the same with or without the skin.
However, if the skin has any bad spots or is exceptionally dirty in one area (as well as if it was not grown organically), I recommend peeling it.
Zucchini skin can harbor some nasty stuff, so if you don’t know exactly how it was grown, peel it just to be safe.
If you want to preserve the color and texture of your zucchini, you may also choose to blanch it. To do this, bring water to a boil and cook your zucchini for three minutes.
Drop it in an ice bath after it’s boiled, and then proceed to the next steps.
Step 3: Shred the Zucchini
Using a cheese grater, shred up the zucchini. I use a medium shred because it makes the work go by more quickly, but you can do a fine shred if you prefer.
If you have a food processor, you can make quick work of this process, and feed all of the zucchini in, one at a time.
Using a food processor presents another advantage in that you don’t have to worry about accidentally shredding your knuckles, plus you can customize the size of the shreds to very small or very large, depending on your preferences and the way you intend to use the zucchini.
Step 4: Fill Freezer Bags with Zucchini
Fill Ziploc freezer bags with however much zucchini your favorite bread recipe calls for.
I filled my bags with about two cups of zucchini, twice as much as my zucchini bread calls for, so that I can make a double batch of bread each time around.
Squeeze as much air as possible out of the bags to prevent freezer burn, and also to make the bags easier to store.
If you have a food sealer device, like the one made by FoodSaver, you’re in luck.
Using a sealer is a way to preserve your vegetables for even longer, as it forms an airtight seal that is impossible to obtain using traditional plastic (Ziploc) bags.
However, keep in mind that if you are using a food sealer, you may add an extra step because you will need to constantly drain the machine of the excess liquid that is leached out of the zucchini as it seals.
If I use my FoodSaver to freeze zucchini, I generally let it go through two cycles in which I remove air, remove more air, and then finally, on the third cycle, allow it to seal.
You will need to stop between cycles and dry off the interior of the unit and remove any excess moisture in the drip tray, too.
Using a FoodSaver isn’t mandatory and can be helpful in that it will remove a lot of the extra moisture in your zucchini.
However, it can take some more time to freeze your shredded zucchini as you will need to keep stopping to drain excess moisture. This does add a step in the initial preservation process.
I usually freeze zucchini in plastic bags because it takes so long to use the FoodSaver, but it’s up to you. No matter which method you choose, it’s recommended that you flatten out the zucchini as you add it to the bag and press air out.
This will get rid of excess air and also allow the bags to flatten out for easier freezer storage.
Regardless of the process you choose to use, make sure you store all the bags flat in the freezer. When you initially freeze the bags, place them in a single layer.
This will allow for more even distribution of the cold air, making them freeze faster and more evenly. Once they have frozen solid (check back in twenty-four hours), you can rearrange and stack them to make more room for other frozen food.
Freezing Cubed Zucchini
Freezing cubed zucchini is another excellent, quick alternative to freezing shredded zucchini. To do this, you should blanch your zucchini first by the steps I mentioned above.
This will deactivate the enzymes that causes zucchini to become mushy and discolored, preserving some of the texture during freezing.
If you are freezing cubed zucchini, you really only need to blanch it for about one minute or so. Blanch after you have washed and cubed your zucchini.
Some people recommend adding salt during this process. I’d hold off until you thaw the zucchini – it can make the zucchini mushy during freezing.
Now, here’s how freezing cubed zucchini is different.
If you freeze it immediately after it has blanched, it will freeze up into a zucchini ice cube and won’t be nearly as useful in the kitchen. Instead, freeze your zucchini in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
This will allow each cube of zucchini to freeze separately so that you can store them as loose bundles in freezer bags.
You can use frozen cubed zucchini in a variety of ways. It’s tasty in soups, pasta sauces, and casseroles, but know that it might become mushy in salads or stir-fries.
It should keep in your freezer for up to three months before developing signs of freezer burn.
Tips for Using Frozen Zucchini
Frozen zucchini should be used within twelve months, although sooner is obviously better. You don’t really run the risk of contracting a foodborne illness with eating older frozen zucchini, but the taste will be seriously impacted the longer it sits in the freezer.
If you are having trouble getting rid of the moisture in your thawed zucchini, here’s a simple trick.
Allow the package to thaw out completely in the refrigerator, and then empty its contents into a bowl. Salt the zucchini and then place a paper towel over the mixture. Let it sit in the refrigerator for 12 hours.
The liquid should leach out. Whatever liquid is still remaining in the bowl, you can strain into a colander. You will have much less water in the zucchini when you are ready to cook it.
That being said, if you use a food sealer, you may be able to extend the longevity and overall quality of your frozen zucchini just a tad bit longer.
Just make sure you label all of your bags with the date you froze the zucchini, as well as the contents of the package (believe it or not, it will become hard to figure out what’s inside after a while!).
Zucchini has a tendency to look like a big, frozen block of yellow-green mush when you take it out of the freezer, especially if it’s been in there a while.
A common mistake that many people make when freezing zucchini is to freeze an entire zucchini – or even sliced zucchini spears – whole, without shredding, dicing, spiralizing, or cubing it.
This does save you an initial step in the preservation process, but adds a whole new headache in that zucchini frozen in this manner becomes a soggy, sodden mess.
It is very difficult to do anything with it at that point – even shred it – besides pureeing it, and it also loses a lot of flavor. To avoid this, make sure you cut your zucchini up in some way before freezing it.
When you freeze zucchini, it does make it more watery upon thawing, but this isn’t a problem when adding it to a recipe. Just be sure to thaw it and drain off any excess liquid before using it in a recipe (or even while cooking).
While zucchini bread is definitely my favorite way to eat thawed shredded zucchini, it can also be used in pastas, stir-fries, smoothies, casseroles, or soups. Experiment until you find the recipes that work best for your family’s tastes, schedule, and budget.
A city girl learning to homestead on an acre of land in the country. Wife and homeschooling mother of four. Enjoying life, and everything that has to do with self sufficient living.
Can I freeze shredded zucchini and applesauce together just to use in zucchini bread?
This is my first year to try freezing zucchini & yellow squash for future baking. My Christmas present of a food processor for my Kitchen Aid is fabulous. I decided to try the first batch without blanching but I plan on doing another with blanching to see the difference. To get the excess liquid out, I found using my salad spinner works pretty good. I found the key was to not overload it.
Great idea… salad spinner. Thanks.
If vac sealing, water from cooked or blanched vegs is a pain. So you can also freeze your zuke shreds or other vegs in plastic bags or containers and when frozen, remove them and then vac seal. Likewise uncooked fish fillets, bread, or anything else that’s likely to be squished by the vac sealer. Just freeze the item first.
This is what I also do, except I load my foodsaver bag with the shredded zucchini without packing it down too heavily, and freeze it in the bag. When frozen I then seal. I’ve also placed the shreds on a cookie sheet, again not packing tightly, then freeze. Once frozen, I pack into foodsaver bags and seal. Both ways, I measure out in increments of what my recipe requires.
Do you shred then blanche or blanche then shred?
When using frozen shredded zucchini I keep part of the liquid and it has worked well.
I freeze zucchini in chunks and add to fruit smoothies. It’s bland so you just get the fruit taste. I cut it up, put in ziplock bag, press out the air, scoot the zucchini into a single layer and freeze flat. Once it’s frozen I put in another bag until it’s full. This way is faster I think. Another tip I have is to wash tomatoes, core and freeze in bags. When you use them run warm water on them and the skin slips right off.
What is your favorite zucchini bread recipe?!
Martha Stewart zucchini nut bread. I use less sugar and only brown, more zucchini & nuts and add raisins. Also slice the loaves or squares very thin and toast in slow oven – 250 – for a kind of zucchini crisp/biscotti/melba cookie.
Hi Gypsy..if you are still here, I know this is 2023, but I just saw your post and love the
“‘Crisp/biscotti/Melba” cookie idea! Fabulous! I’m Trying it! ..just wanted to post to you..thanks!
Candie
I buy the giant zucchinis at the farmers market to shred and freeze. I discovered that their large seeds can be roasted for snacks, just like pumpkin seeds too!
A trick I learned when putting up any watery or delicate food (cakes, muffins, etc.) with a vacuum seal process – put your zucchini or other moist product in smaller batches first – whatever amount you might be using in the future. Freeze these bags, watery substance and all, until solid. Set up your food processor, take out your frozen bags one at a time, put them into a food processor bag, and have at it. The moisture won’t leach out because it’s frozen. You can take the food out of the bags they were frozen in or just leave them in (double-bag).
Love this!
Do you blanch the zucchini before you shredd it and freeze it for breads?
I don’t blanch it before shredding it.
I make bean patties and add shredded zucchini to them. I don’t do much else with them but since the bean patties I make are my favorite protein it’s a must to have on hand. Thank you for making it easier than ever to have them when I want them. Before this I had no idea how to freeze them to keep them around. I know most people have never had bean patties worth eating but trust me, when you add nutritional yeast, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, Cajun spices, a mess of other spices, and zucchini they turn out fantastic.
Do you have an actual recipe for the bean patties?
I make up my favorite zucchini bread recipe and put the batter in foil bread pans and freeze. I thaw them and bake as usual whenever I need them
How do you seal them?
I used the bigger zucchini to freeze. I cut length wise and scoop out big seeds. Scrape down to white part and shred the rest. Works fine for freezing.
I do the same thing…great way to use those overgrown zucchini! Turns out great.
I shredded and froze zucchini for the sweet zucchini bread the family enjoys. When I defrosted and used it the bread always fell in the middle. I used the liquid coming from it since I knew it was from the zucchini. Do others have the same problem with the bread sinking in the middle when using the frozen zucchini?
Hi Patricia, that happens for two reasons. One, too much liquid…you should drain the zucchini well by squeezing out or using lots of paper towel to absorb the liquid. Two, often bread will sink in middle if you mix it to quickly or vigorously because it creates unstable air bubble that make it rise but then later collapse when it cools because the air bubbles were not stable. Try to mix more slowly. Hope that helps!
I’ve been shredding and freezing zucchini for quite sometime. I let it thaw and have never drained off the liquid. My bread is always moist but I also add crushed pineapple.
I have been shredding and freezing zucchini for many years, however I put mine in a vaccum seal bags and they last a full year…It sucks all the air out and thus, no freezer burn. I vac seal almost everything that goes into my freezer, it saves me tons of money
Do you blanch it before you freeze it.
thank you this is my first time freezing zucchini. and all of my books tell me I have to blanche it,but i’m glad I don’t. so thank you for your help
You can also make it into “crab cakes” by using your favorite crab cake recipe and sub in the zucchini for the crab. Makes a nice side dish if sautéed.
How long can you keep shredded zucchini in the freezer?
Of course the sooner you use it, the better. I’d toss it after a year, or if it starts to get freezer burn.
How long do you water bath zucchini shredded? Do you need to cook it on the stove before canning?
Water bath canning zucchini is dangerous. You are putting yourself and whoever consumes it at risk of death from botulism. Please don’t try water bath canning zucchini unless you’re pickling it.
Anonymous,
I have been canning for the last 25 years and am a Master Food Preserver. Yes, you can safely preserve your squash and zucchini for later consumption by using a pressure canner. Preserving low acid fruits and vegetables requires the use of a pressure canner; water bath canning is not sufficient to insure a safe to eat product. Simply get either an electric or stovetop pressure canner and follow the instructions that come with the canner. Whatever you decide to preserve, I would recommend getting a Ball canning cookbook, it can answer all the questions you could ever have about preserving just about anything.
Happy preserving ?
Will my zucchini become mushy after freezing
I keep mine for about 6 months.
i have been spiralizing zucchini with the bigger blade and throw in ziplock bags and freeze. Just add to pasta sauce for reheating. I also slice them lengthwise to make lasagne without pasta noodles. I fan them in a freezer bag for freezer storage.
I froze like 20 bags of zucchini this way and I also used the vacuumed bags! When I took it out of freezer and thawed it out it was mushy. I threw all of them out!
mushy is fine for quick breads.
I used cheese cloth to drain, then freeze.
I used to wonder about whether to drain the frozen zucchini or not but ifI was making the bread with the fresh zucchini all that moisture would be in the bread. So why would I take that moisture out by draining it. I believe that the recipe has taken that liquid into account and I don’t want a dry bread so I leave the liquid in and have never had a problem.
I agree with you. This is what I do also. I don’t drain it after it’s thawed and my bread turns out just fine.
I have done this also. for years. The liquid just makes the bread moist. I’ve never had any problem.
Thank you, I wondered about removing all the moisture
.
I took the moisture out like it said an got cement blocks. Omg please leave moisturize in
I do the same, but separate the liquid and add to the liquid portion of the recipe. Otherwise you’re throwing out all that nutrition and moisture.
Good idea
A farmer who grows watermelon told me this little trick. You put the fruit or veggie on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer, for a couple of hours. Then you can bag them and they will not be as mushy when you defrost.
I froze my freshly grated zucchini and left it with the natural juices to freeze. I froze it in generous 2 cup portions. Once defrosted and juice squeezed out it was only 1 cup, barely. I’m assuming that since there is a considerable amount of moisture when you grate it fresh, it loses it’s “plumpness”? Any thoughts?
I drained mine, really drained it, now will use it for muffins.
Forgot to mention that another reason that bread sometimes sinks, besides the reasons I wrote earlier is that if you undercook it…it might also sink…So make certain you have cooked it until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
Freeze twice the amount you need for quick breads so when you thaw and squeeze you have enough for your recipe.
Freeze twice the amount you need for quick breads so when you thaw you have enough for your recipe.
I learned this one the hard way. I was puzzled when I defrosted and had half the quantity I’d frozen
I think the moisture should be left in, as you wouldn’t get it out if using fresh—and you want moist zucchini bread!
Do I throw away the seeds or can I grind them up? If I get an older zucchini it has a lot of seeds in the middle and I just throw them away and use the outside of the zucchini. What do you do?
Thank you, Toby
I have found that the bigger zucchini seeds are tough. The smaller ones you can use the whole zucchini. I’ve done this for years. There’s also some recipes that use zucchini to make a fake crushed pineapple and a strawberry jam. These are done by using flavorings. I’ve only used Watkins flavorings though.I’ve also made a zucchini relish that I use on hot dogs, hamburgers, tuna salad. My favorite relish.
Quick question for everyone. Have you tried draining/squeezing the excess moisture out of the zucchini before freezing it? There is always so much liquid from the thawed zucchini that my baked goods are too gooey. Just wondering if anyone has tried that/ if it worked better. Or do you just drain all that liquid off before adding the zucchini into your recipe? Thanks a bunch!
I don’t drain it before freezing because it isn’t usually dripping liquids after I grate it. If the recipe calls for a liquid I don’t drain the thawed zucchini, but substitute for that liquid instead. Does that make sense?
I grate my zucchini too and freeze in zip locks but also like to make zucchini sticks and bake them in the oven. Dredge the sticks in flour, then beaten egg ánd then mix of panto bread crumbs and freshly grated parmesan cheese. Bake on cookie sheets in 400° oven for 15 to 20 min. They come out nice and crisp and delicious with ranch dressing as dip.
Yummy! Gotta try this?
This sounds really good. Thank you
That is what I usually do also. Subtract the extra liquid from the frozen towards the total liquid needed!
I use it right from the freezer so it doesn’t get mushy. Put it in your recipe as if it were fresh.
Good luck.
Does frozen lepers get mushy after freezings
This sounds like a great idea!
Thanks for the tip,I will freeze mine as you have done!
Thanks again,
Priscilla Stanley
You can also make fritters by adding some egg, Panko, Parmesan cheese and seasonings. Then fry them up in patties.
That juice is intended to be there . The recipe takes that into account .
It may look different after you freeze it but will be no less or more after it is thawed. It is airtight, there’s no way for it to change the amount that u put in there. Even when using fresh zucchini I always put a lot extra in my recipe. Also I never cook it until it is complete Rey some I take it out when there is still a very small amount on the toothpick.
My zucchini break turns out soooo moist and delicious every single time?
You can do anything to a zucchini that you can do to cucumbers. Love them as pickles and no one knows the difference.
I have also used the shreds in tossed salads and coleslaw. And the last time I made macaroni salad I mixed in some shreds of Zucchini too.
Zucchini pickles? Sounds good!
I made bread & butter zucchini pickles last year and they were amazing. My family preferred them to the cucumber bread & butter. You need to use the small to medium ones for the pickles of course. I can’t wait for mine to come on this year to make some more
Oooh, that sounds awesome! What a great (and different) way to use up extra zucchini. Thanks for telling us about this, Karen. I’d love to give it a try!
Would love to have your recipe for these.
Will,you share your recipe?
They are very good.
Zucchini pickle are awesome!
Thank you ladies for posting this, I have a basket full of zucchini from my garden and need to freeze it for Chocolate Zucchini Cake for the winter. I also use it in my stir fry’s and I like to make triangle’s for this. I will try to cut up some pieces and freeze them just like that and I hope it works. Also love the recipes. There was another site that said par boil your zucchini, but I thought there was a simple way and you posted it. Thanks so much ladies. Happy Gardening :))
May I ask what recipe you use for your Chocolate zucchini cake? that sounds really good.
I use the zucchini brownie recipe from all recipes. It’s the one with over 2K reviews – they are to die for!
DEATH BY CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI CAKE….this is awesome.
EASYSERVES: 6
INGREDIENTS
1/2 c. melted butter, plus more for brushing pan
1/2 c. cocoa powder, plus more for dusting pan
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 c. sugar
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. grated zucchini (from 1 large or 2-3 small)
2/3 c. chocolate chips
Flaky sea salt, for garnish
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and dust a loaf pan with cocoa powder.
In large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
In another large bowl, stir together sugar and egg and egg yolk until smooth, 1 minute. Add melted butter and vanilla extract and mix until smooth. Add zucchini, then add flour mixture in 3 additions. Fold in chocolate chips.
Transfer batter to prepared dish and bake 50 minutes.
Let cool slightly in pan, then transfer to a cooling rack. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and serve.
This recipe is awesome! My daighters boyfriend who refuses to eat vegetables and said there was no way I could make zucchini taste good ate a whole loaf!!
Gloria, I am going to try something different this year to keep my zucchini for stir fry and other recipes more like fresh. My husband and I were watching an episode of Alton Brown’s Good Eats and he talked about freezing berries and veggies and he said the best way to keep them from turning to mush when you thaw them is to flash freeze with dry ice then bag and throw in the freezer this keeps fewer ice molecules from developing. We are going to give it a try.
I shredded and froze green zucchini and some yellow squash. Can I make bread with the yellow squash? Will it taste much different than the green?
Yes you can and it’s good
Yes you can, I just made some muffins with zucchini and yellow squash. Turned out great with great color. I almost always double the amount of zucchini a recipe asks for too. Leaves everything super moist and enhances the flavor.
I make lemon blueberry zucchini bread with the yellow zucchini it’s just as good I actually think it’s more moist
Can you share the recipe, please?
You can put it with leftover cornbread add egg, sauteed celery and onions, and I like pepper and sage then bake like cornbread dressing
You can make squash cakes by canning squash in chunks in pints. Hot water bath just to seal. Taste good in winter time. Make like potato cakes. Squash casseroles are great too with fresh squash.
I just made yellow squash jalapeno bacon cheddar bread using yellow squash it was two thumbs up found the recipe on Pinterest and changed it to my liking
I use shredded zucchini to make fritters. This year I decided to plant zucchini this year and they are rolling in fast. Will the frozen zucchini still be good for a fritter.
You will have to drain your zucchini well before you make your fritters because it is really watery when it thaws.
Question:
I like to make zucchini noodles. Can I freeze the same way?
It won’t be the same. After thawing zucchini gets watery.
I would say no because you have created more surface area. Which will cause it to retain more water once defrosted. So in my opinion I wouldn’t because they will be too soggy
When I freeze my zucchini I use my food processor . I use a dry clean hand towel and squeeze the water out then pack and freeze.
I use a salad spinner to drain the after after the shreds thaw.
Me, too. Works great!
We do the same thing except we use a food processor to shred it and we drain as much of the liquid out as we can before hand. We gave some yummy zucchini recipes at our site if you want to check it out. Great post!
My question is after I freeze the shredded zucchini and I decide to make some bread later in the year,do I thaw the zucchini or put in frozen??
Thaw and drain it first. 🙂
Thank you,Kendra!
I agree I have done it this way and let it thaw,but then the middle of the bread sinks as it bakes, I looked it up to see what the matter is and it says it is too wet ,well how do you keep it from being to wet when you freeze it.
I place all the zucchini in a strainer and push the liquid out before freezing.
After it thawed I would drain and squeeze some of the water out.
Well when it is thawed, I would wring it out with a towel and then just use as normal. you may need to thaw more Zucchini to get the right amount though.
I grate my zucchini and spread it on a dish towel. Blot it with paper towels and let it sit out for ten minutes. I would think you could do that also with thawed zucchini. ,
I read you should put the zucchini in a strainer and sprinkle salt on it. Let it set there for 20 mins. And drain excess moisture. Then rinse with water to get salt off and ring it in a cheese cloth. Spread out to dry on baking sheet and then put in freezer bag
I would recommend against salting your zucchini as it could make it mushy. At least that’s what I’ve been told. You may want to make two very small batches – one salted and the other not to test it out:)
I thaw then spin in a salad spinner…you will be amazed at the water it spins out!
I’d say thaw it because it wouldn’t take much time and you can drain liquid out of it again by letting it sit in a strainer a bit.
My favorite way to eat it is spun into raw pasta with a spiralizer that I bought from Amazon.
My second most favorite way is sliced into lasagna noodles for low carb lasagna.
That is a great idea! I’m going to check it out. Thank you.
Do you not have to blanch the grated squash before freezing?
Fonda,
I don’t blanch the zucchini. Just shred and freeze.
I put paper towel in the freezer bag to pull out the moisture so it won’t get watery
That’s a good idea. 🙂
I drained my shredded zucchini for several hours. I couldn’t believe how much water came out!!
This sounds wonderfully easy, thank you for sharing! I found you through Pinterest while searching pins on zucchini.
No blanching needed to freeze, done it this way for years! Works fine!
If you have alot of green tomatoes you can shred them, drain them and use in any recipe that calls for zuchinni and they freeze great shredded. Zuchinnni dehydrates great and I add it to ground beef when making meat patties, I also buy plain frozen shredded potatoes, dehydrate these and they get added to extend meat patties and sneak in more veggies.
Like you dehydrate the shredded zucchini? I’m intrigued but give me direction here! I’m
Thank you for going to all the trouble you do to share with us what you have learned. Bless you as you continue.
Thank you so much for the encouragement, Jim 🙂 You guys keep me going!
Add shredded zuke to spaghetti sauce. Hmmm!
Hello again, I forgot another favorite. Garlic zucchini pickle spears and the parts you have to cut off to make them fit into the jars you just pickle as chunks!! Delish!!!!!
Umm, recipe Julie?? 🙂 Garlic Zucchini Pickle Spears sounds amazing!
Please give us the recipe.Thanks
Opps, the only thing from the grocery store is the celery. 🙂
You can add any veggies, green beans, carrots etc.
🙂
Hi Kendra, Eric’s right, zucchini relish is the best. You can also make the same relish out of yellow summer squash or even mix zucchini with the yellow. I always have to make alot of it because everyone thinks I need to keep them supplied :). My favorite thing to do is add it to my “base” that I make. My simple version is tomato sauce with diced tomatoes, onions, celery (from the grocery store 🙂 and bell pepper and can it. Then I make more of the same but add bite size pieces of zucchini and/or yellow summer squash (If you cut them into quarters lengthwise it’s easy to slice off the seeds since that’s the part that gets mushy) when the corn is ready you can throw it in too. I don’t add any spices so that I can use the “base” for anything. Season for over pasta or with rice or add water for soup. It’s possibilities are endless and you can use up alot of zucchini.
Blessings All!!!!!!
Sounds delish, Julie!! Thanks! I’ve got tons of celery growing for the first time this year, but the stalks are very small, and have been bitter, unfortunately. I keep hoping they’ll get better, lol. If nothing else, I can let them go to seed and collect those for seasonings 🙂
We like to store shredded zucchini as well. Zucchini bread in the winter time is awesome.
When I was young, my mom did the mock pineapple with zucchini and I remember that it really did taste just like pineapple. The zucchini really soaks up the flavor.
I need to try Mock Pineapple, Ben. I’ve heard a lot of people say it’s really good.
I would also like the recipe to “mock pineapple” please. I have never heard of this but we really like pineapple and I have A LOT of zuke.
Thank you
I’ll try to post it soon!
This is how we use up lots of Zucchini around our Homestead. 3 recipes below. Hope you enjoy – Julie
ZUCCHINI CANDY
10 cups zucchini 1/2 inch cubes
(You could use “worms” about 3 inches long and
1/4 inch thick and wide.)
3 cups water
2 pkgs. unsweetened Kool-Aid (We like black cherry)
2 1/2 cups sugar
Peel zucchini. Dice, removing seeds. Mix the liquid syrup together. Add zucchini. Bring to
a boil and then simmer for 25 min. Drain. Put on dehydrator trays. Dry 14 hours at 125 degrees. Turn pieces over and dry another 4 hours. This will feel dry and not sticky when done. Store in jars or other tightly sealed containers.
If you dip in sugar when you turn them, they will be more like “gum drops” on the outside.
ZUCCHINI JAM
6 cups grated zucchini
1/4 cups lemon juice
5 cups of sugar
1 cups crushed pineapple
6 oz box Jell-O – any flavor (try strawberry-yum)
Put grated zucchini in saucepan and boil until tender – about 15 minutes. Add sugar, pineapple, and lemon juice. Stir until sugar dissolves. Add Jell-O. Stir until dissolved and put into jelly jars and seal. Pressure can at 10 pounds pressure for 10 minutes.
MOCK – PINEAPPLE
1 gallon zucchini
1 (46 oz.) pineapple juice
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup lemon juice
Peel the zucchini; be sure no green is on it. Squeeze out the water; add the pineapple juice, sugar, and lemon juice. Simmer all together for 20 minutes. Pack hot in jars and process 10 minutes at 10 pounds pressure.
Shred for Crushed pineapple
Dice for Tidbit Pineapple
Slice for Whole Pineapple (cut a hole in the center with a cookie cutter to remove seeds)
Awesome, Julie! Thanks! I’ve heard of mock pineapple but have never tried it myself.
My wife makes zucchini relish and its great, on dogs and burgers.. really good. Try it
Sounds yummy
Thanks KendRa and Eric I just made a giant batch of zuchinni relish..It’s a big hit! I’ve been making it for years..y
Do you have a recipe?
Erik, could you post the recipe for your zucchini relish, please?
I’ve been freezing grated zucchini for years. It’s wonderful. One thing you’ll find, though, is that upon thawing a lot of liquid separates. To compensate for it, I double the amount in a bag, figuring half of it will drain away, leaving me just enough for my recipe.
It tastes the best in February, when the snow is flying. 🙂
akaGaGa,
I just use the liquid from the thawed zucchini and it seems to work out just fine 🙂 Either way, glad to hear you’ve been doing this for a while now! Some of us are slow to catch up, lol.
I just shredded and froze some green and yellow zucchini. Does the yellow taste as well as the green in bread?
Yellow is just as good in bread–no difference at all in taste or texture!
Yes the yellow is just as good as the green, in fact if you
have a youngster that is picky and worries over the green stuff in the zucchini bread the yellow doesn’t show up as
prominent as the green.