Zucchini Abundance- what to do with them.

Zucchini is one of the many plants that I make sure to include in my garden every year.

Anyone who has grown zucchini knows that a little planting goes a long way.  Zucchini is abundant in many gardens, and there are a variety of ways it can be prepared and used.

Zucchini is the most popular summer squash in Europe and America.

If you ever grown zucchini (or  you've live next door to someone who grew zucchini), you know that you can quickly find yourself  leaving bags of zucchini on your family and friends front porch just to keep up with what's growing in your garden. Heck you may find yourself giving it away to your co-workers too!   They were times I couldn't eat it fast enough. Lol!

There are a number of tactics to manage a zucchini harvest, letting you enjoy zucchini all year round.   One good example is freezing vegetables.

There are two general methods to use when freezing vegetables depending on how long you want to store them.  For short-term storage (for less than 3 months), cut the zucchini into usable size pieces and freeze them on a tray. Then bag them up, return to the freezer, and use them as required.

For longer-term freezing, you need to blanch the vegetables before freezing to destroy natural enzymes that spoil flavor, color, and texture.

I like to use this technique.  It is easily done in four simple steps. Chopped zucchini to usable size. 

1. Bring a large pan of water to a vigorous boil.  Immerse smaller zucchini slices for 2 minutes, and for larger ones for 4 minutes.  Drain the zucchini into a large strainer or net, to remove them all at once.
2. Prepare a basin of iced water while the zucchini boils. As soon as the zucchini reaches its boiling mark, lift the zucchini from the pan and plunge into the iced water to stop cooking further. Submerge for sever minutes until the zucchini is cooled entirely.
3. Remove the zucchini from the iced water bowl as soon as they have cooled and drain them.  Allow them to dry in colander, or spread them out on a clean dish towel or paper towels and blot them dry.  I like to use a clean dish towel.
4. When dry, divide the zucchini into portion-sized quantities, pack them into a freezer bag or a sealed containers, label and date them, and place it in the freezer. They will keep well for up to 6 months.

What what I like about this technique is that you can use it with snap and runner beans, broccoli, and asparagus.  Plus you can freeze the vegetables in individual portions and you can simply defrost what you need.

I'm looking forward to using zucchini in stir fry or in a vegetable soup in the winter.

Always wrap food securely, and squeeze as much air out as possible out of freezer bags before sealing. This helps to prevent freezer burn, which dries out frozen produce and causes it to spoil prematurely.

Label food clearly, including a date, so you can identify what zucchini is what in 3 months time, and also so you can use older produce first.

Now you can enjoy your garden abundance through out the winter. Bon Appetite!