Can i shred and freeze zucchini

If you use freezer bags, remove as much air as possible. You could even use inexpensive, non-freezer baggies, then put them all in a gallon freezer bag. I do that often for shredded zucchini, when I need just a cup or two at a time. Be sure to label with contents and date. However, I do because this helps maintain vitamins and reduces the actions of enzymes, which helps the squash stay fresh longer in the freezer.

Zucchini can be blanched in either a large stockpot or your blancher. The blancher works best for me. Bring a pot of water to a full boil. Put zucchini in a blancher or some kind of a wire basket. Dip into the boiling water. Start counting your time immediately. Blanch for 3 minutes. Cool the zucchini right away in a pot of cold water.

This stops the cooking. Stir gently during the cooling process to keep the water from getting hot spots. If the water warms up, add some ice, or drain and add more cold water. I have seen it recommended that you place the whole basket with your vegetables into your cooling water, but I prefer to dump just the food.

You need to keep the water as cold as possible and the blancher will only add more heat! After it has cooled, drain well. Pat dry or roll gently in a tea towel to dry. If you have a salad spinner, this will work well too. Pack into freezer bags, freezer boxes, or another freezer container. I layer zucchini in between layers of freezer paper and freeze, then package in gallon bags. Saran wrap is a little better, but freezer paper still works best in my opinion. Be sure to label and put into the freezer.

However, before you learn how to freeze shredded zucchini, make sure you preserve the freshest possible vegetables. Large zucchini often become tougher and have more seeds than smaller ones, but both sizes are safe for shredding or grating.

When choosing which zucchini to freeze, find some that are roughly eight inches long. They should never be mushy and always be free of wrinkled skin, soft spots, or blemishes. How long does zucchini stay fresh?

Of course, you can also freeze whole zucchini , but it preserves better if you slice, shred, or grate it first. Wash your zucchinis under cold water and set them to the side. With a cheese grater, hold the veggie lengthwise on the medium or large grates and begin grating until the entire zucchini is gone. Put the shredded zucchini in a few sheets of paper towels and wrap them around the shreds.

Place a clean colander in the sink to catch any pieces that fall and squeeze the zucchini inside the paper towels to remove excess water. Squeezing out extra liquid creates less of a mess later. Portion out two cup portions of the vegetable. These bags are great for throwing into a soup or stir fry.

Of all the ways to freeze zucchini, this is one of our favorite techniques. Cut the zucchini into chunks and put the pieces into a food processor. Shred the zucchini in the processor and put the shreds into a cheese cloth.

Wrap the cheese cloth around the zucchini and squeeze out all the excess moisture. Spread the shreds into a thin, single layer on a baking sheet and put them in the freezer until frozen. Remove the sheet and scoop the frozen zucchini into freezer bags. Store them in the freezer for six months. Blanching is a process that helps vegetables maintain their texture and color before putting them in the freezer or canning. It also helps protect against freezer burn.

To blanch zucchini, cut the zucchini into slices and drop them in a large pot of boiling water for 30 seconds before submerging them in a large bowl of ice water. Drain the water from the bowl and dry the slices on paper towels. Stir the zucchini around a little as it cools and if the water warms up too much just add more cold water or ice to cool it down. Let the zucchini cool for 3 to 5 minutes and then dray it well. Pack the zucchini into freezer bags, remove the air, label, and freeze.

I like to package them into the serving sizes that I most commonly use for our family. This would be a mixture of 2 cup and 4 cup bags. Make sure to place the bags flat in your freezer in a single layer. This will help them freeze quickly and make them easier to stack. If you have enough freezer room place the slices of zucchini onto a baking tray lined with a silicone mat and set it into your freezer until they are well frozen. Putting up zucchini by freezing is one of the easiest ways to deal with the summer glut of squash.

The good news is with little effort your frozen zucchini will last months. This is based on tests for vegetable freezing quality. This means you can preserve a lot of zucchini without worrying about cooking it up so fast that you get sick of it. The sliced zucchini will stick together if there is any water left on them.

If you have room in your freezer, flash freeze them by laying on a tray lined with parchment paper until they are frozen.

Then package into bags or containers. Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Twitter. Visit my Amazon store to find all my favorite gardening, homesteading tools, and gadgets plus all of my printed garden books and journals!

Kim Mills is a homeschooling mom of 6 and lives on an urban homestead in Ontario, Canada. Blogging at Homestead Acres she enjoys sharing tips to help you save money, grow and preserve your own food. If you are interested in growing food, cooking from scratch, and living a simple lifestyle, you're in the right place!

Step 2: Shred The Zucchini. Step 3: Package Into Freezer Bags. Step 2: Blanch The Zucchini. Step: 3 Freeze. Freeze In Layers. How To Freeze Zucchini Ingredients. Cut the zucchini in half. Scoop out the seeds. Shredding Zucchini. Measure zucchini into serving sizes.

Shredded zucchini ready to freeze. Ingredients Zucchini. Instructions Freezing Shredded Zucchini Without Blanching Select young zucchinis in good shape, wash and slice off the ends. Cut into sections 5 inches long, then cut those in half lengthwise.