If you have a garden, you know how quickly and easily zucchini can grow. Zucchini are one of the plants that appear every summer and pose a mystery to the hobby gardener. Because the plants suddenly grow so lush, it's hard to know what to do with them. We'll give you good ideas on how you can preserve zucchini. Preserving vegetables for the winter is actually quite easy. There are a few options: for example, freezing, pickling or drying.
To preserve zucchini: freeze
Freezing zucchini is one of the easiest ways to preserve a bountiful harvest that arrives all at once. If you have a stash of zucchini in your freezer, you can easily use them in your favorite dishes and baked goods.
Here are 5 ways you can freeze zucchini:
- Zucchini slices or pieces: Zucchini slices, cubes or pieces are great for soups, stir-fries and casseroles. Leave the zucchini slices frozen until ready to use and just toss them in.
- Shredded Zucchini: Shredded zucchini can be used in frittatas, quiches, and baked goods like zucchini bread and muffins. Thaw the frozen zucchini shavings before adding them to your recipes. Save the liquid if you use the zucchini shavingsuse for baked goods, but drain them if you're making frittatas or quiches.
- Zoodles or Zucchini Noodles: Frozen zucchini noodles are perfect for soups, stir-fries, and as a replacement for pasta with your favorite sauce. Use frozen zucchini noodles and cook briefly, just about a minute.
- Zucchini halves: You can fill blanched and frozen zucchini halves with your favorite filling and bake them in the oven. Thaw them before using themin your favorite recipeUse for zucchini boats, or simply drizzle with garlic and roast in the oven until tender.
- Zucchini puree: Zucchini puree is very convenient to keep in the freezer and use in smoothies, soups, sauces and baked goods. Thaw before using and adding to your recipes. You can also use zucchini puree in any baking recipe that calls for shredded zucchini.
Some simple onesFreezing tipsof zucchini:
- Squeeze the zucchini before freezing: You want to lose as much moisture as possible before placing it in the freezer to prevent freezer burn and tissue breakdown.
- Freeze them first and then package them. Quick freezing involves placing the food on a baking sheet and freezing it before packing it for long-term freezer storage.
- For better results for long-term storage, use a freezer bag. This helps reduce the effects of freezer burn.
Preserve zucchini for various dishes
Drying zucchini is one of the most versatile ways to preserve zucchini year-round. They don't need to be peeled or blanched - just cut the zucchini into the desired shape,dry them4 to 12 hours at 52°C until they are nice and crispy and you have a long-lasting zucchini for the whole year!
Use dried zucchini in your favorite soups and pasta dishes. For pasta, simply add the dried zucchini to the boiling water at the same time as the pasta. When the pasta is ready, the zucchini is also rehydrated and ready for your favorite sauce.
Zucchini chips recipe
Zucchini chips can really be a healthy, low-carb alternative to potato chips. The key is super thin chips with lots of spices.
Ingredients:
- Zucchini
- 2 tablespoons tomato powder
- ¼ teaspoon celery powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon Italian herb mixture
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon ground fennel seeds
Preparation:
- Wash zucchini.
- Cut off the flower end.
- If desired, peel.
- Cut into 3mm slices. They can be a little thicker if you'd like, but these slices make really crispy chips. Seasoning.
- Place on dehydrator trays lined with baking paper.
- Dry at 60°C for 6 – 10 hours.
- Allow to cool before eating. Chips should break easily. Store in airtight containers for about two weeks.
Preserving zucchini – recipe for pickling
Pickling zucchini is a great way to preserve vegetables from the garden. These zucchini are perfect in hamburgers and sandwiches, in salads and with cheese as part of a charcuterie board. They also taste delicious when eaten straight from the jar.
Ingredients:
- 3 to 4 medium zucchini
- 6 fresh dill sprigs
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and halved (2 halves per jar)
- 1 ½ teaspoons black peppercorns (½ teaspoon per jar)
- 1 ½ teaspoons mustard seeds (½ teaspoon per jar)
- ¾ teaspoon dill seeds (¼ teaspoon per jar)
For the brine:
- 600 ml water
- 240 ml white vinegar
- 50g sugar
- 2 tablespoons coarse sea salt
Preparation:
- Wash the zucchini and cut off the ends. Cut as desired – for example into pieces. Set aside.
- Divide the spices between 3 clean, small mason jars.
- Divide the zucchini and dill sprigs evenly between the glasses.
- Combine all brine ingredients in a medium saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Then remove the pot from the heat and carefully pour the hot brine over the zucchini and fresh dill in the jars. Fill the glasses up to the top, leaving a space of approx. 5 cm. Close the lids tightly and shake the jars.
- Let the glasses cool slightly on the kitchen table for about 30 minutes, then place them in the refrigerator. Store in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before consumption. Keeps well refrigerated for 2 to 3 weeks.
