Find out how to freeze sliced or finely shredded zucchini squash. This method can also be used to freeze yellow squash, which you can then use all year long in your favorite soup, stir-fry, bread, and muffin recipes.
You probably already know how quickly and easily zucchini and yellow squash can grow if you have a garden.
Or perhaps you’re stocking up at the grocery store after finding fantastic discounts on summer produce!
It’s likely that you’ve already made a lot of Chocolate Zucchini Bread, these Air Fryer Zucchini Chips, and dozens of Taco Stuffed Zucchini Boats by this point.
And when winter arrives, you’ll be able to quickly make some Sautéed Zucchini and Squash for a side dish or add it to your favorite Chicken Vegetable Soup!
You must first clean the vegetables before preparing and storing them for later use.
Run it under cool water for about a minute to remove any visible dirt; this is the best method.
When the squash has been thoroughly rinsed, rub it with a paper towel to get rid of any leftover debris.
You should cut the frozen zucchini into slices if you plan to use it in soup recipes later in the year.
It’s best to blanch zucchini before freezing it to maintain its quality.
In order to quickly stop the cooking process, a vegetable is blanched by quickly cooking it in a pot of boiling water and then plunging it into an ice bath. By quickly cooking the zucchini, the enzymes that would typically make the squash mushy are rendered inactive.
To blanch zucchini:
Place the zucchini slices in a single layer on a sizable baking sheet after they have been blanched and thoroughly dried. (step 5 above).
For 1-2 hours, or until the zucchini is frozen and firm, place the baking sheet in the freezer.
Place the frozen, firm, cut zucchini in a sizable gallon-sized ziploc bag. (step 6 above).
Remove as much air as you can before zipping it up tightly.
Before putting the bag in the freezer, write the date on it.
Frozen zucchini will last for up to 3-4 months. After this, the zucchini will start to develop freezer burn and lose a significant amount of flavor.
What if you want to store zucchini that has been grated or shred instead of in slices?
It’s actually just as easy to do. Here are the step-by-step instructions:
- To avoid a mushy mess after thawing, it is best to do this BEFORE freezing.
Slices of frozen zucchini can be added to vegetable soups and stir-fries, and shredded zucchini can be added to chocolate bread or muffins.
It is not necessary to thaw out frozen zucchini before using it if you plan to add it to soup. However, you should thaw it first if you plan to cook it in a skillet or add shredded zucchini to a bread or muffin batter. The bag of frozen zucchini can be defrosted in the refrigerator overnight, by soaking it in room temperature water for a few hours, or by heating it in the microwave.
Instead of slicing the zucchini, you’ll need to grate or shred it before freezing; you can freeze zucchini without boiling or cooking it. This method of storing it will help you save a lot of time.
Zoodles can be frozen, but when they are thawed they lose a lot of moisture and become limp and soft. For the best flavor and texture, make fresh zucchini noodles, in my opinion.
Here are some delicious recipes you can try when you defrost that frozen zucchini squash.
What’s the Difference Between Zucchini and Squash?
Squash of the type known as zucchini is harvested in the summer. Although there are some yellow and yellow-green varieties, it is typically green.
Any squash that can be harvested in the summer, including zucchini, is referred to as a summer squash. Despite having various shapes and colors, they all have a fairly similar flavor.
The zucchini is a dark green vegetable with a more rounded cylindrical shape compared to the yellow crookneck squash that was used in this instance.
Best Way To Cook Zucchini Noodles
As we prepare for another Whole30 in April, I thought I’d share what I consider to be the absolute BEST way to prepare zucchini noodles. I used to spend at least 15 minutes just battling with my spiralizer, so you can bet I’ll be stocking my freezer to the brim with these veggie spirals. We’re talking stovetop to table in under 10 minutes, folks.
Depending on whether you’re serving these 10-minute zucchini noodles as an entree with pasta sauce or as a side, this recipe will make 2-3 servings. You’ll need a package of the Green Giant zucchini veggie spirals, plus a few pantry ingredients you likely already have on hand: olive oil, garlic cloves, crushed red pepper flakes, fresh parsley (or sub half the amount of dried), and salt and pepper.