Nothing can strike fear into the hearts of a gardener like seeing a zucchini grow from 3 inches to 10 inches overnight.
Ideally, we should pick the zucchini when it’s young and tender; but it only takes a moment of inattention for it to become a monster.
Fortunately, it freezes well.
I freeze it in 2 different ways:
To freeze for soup:
Peel
or not, your choice: unpeeled leaves microscopic green flecks in the
finished soup which can be quite pretty; peeled leaves the soup a
creamy, pale green.
Roughly chop the zucchini and put it into a sauce
pan with enough chicken stock to just barely cover. Cover and bring to
a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer 10 – 15 minutes. Turn
heat off and let cool. When cool put into freezer containers or bags
and freeze.
I freeze it in 2 cup portions.
Freezer bags work great –
you can either lay them flat in the freezer or put them into a
container to give them shape – removing when frozen.
To use for soup:
Thaw or not. Saute a roughly chopped onion in 1 tbs butter in medium
saucepan. When onion is tender add zucchini and 1/2 tsp of thyme.
Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 10 – 15 minutes. Puree
in a blender or use a stick blender. Add more chicken stock if needed
to get desired consistency. Serve with a dollop of creme fraiche; hot
in winter, cold in summer.
Can also be added to other soups: Chicken Barley; Vegetable; Turkey Rice…. Pureed to thicken soup, or not.
To freeze for anything else:
Do not peel. Shred using large holes on box grater. Put into a freezer
bag and freeze.
I freeze 1 1/4, 2 1/2, and 3 3/4 cup bags. The extra
bit is for the liquid that you loose on thawing – if you want a cup of
zucchini, freeze 1 1/4 cups.
To use: I toss into stir-fry’s, casseroles, vegetable soups, anything where I
want a bit more veg. I also use it on it’s own in gratin’s, and most
of the recipes I use it for, fresh, in summer.
To store zucchini (courgette):
Courgette will keep for 5 – 7 days in the refrigerator. Gently brush off any
dirt but do not wash before storing. Take care to not damage the skin
of bruise it.
Now for the confession: 3 zucchini plants gave us enough to eat it constantly for 2 months straight; freeze 12 containers of soup, and 30 packages of frozen, shredded courgette….
And, some for the compost pile….
Did I plant 3 again the following year?
No.
I planted 4 – 2 green and 2 yellow…. It’s a sickness…..
Next week: Tomatoes
We had four last year but not in a good sunny location, so they produced only enough to feed a small nation. This year, I’m doing only tomatoes. I chickened out.
I wish I had room for zucchini, it is such a great producer. I keep threatening to get rid of what little patch of lawn we have in the front and putting zucchini in there.
Who knew you could freeze it? Thanks for the advice.
4 zucchini plants? Are you mad!??
One year, my sister gave giant zucchinis as prizes at her son’s birthday party. The kids were thrilled. She did, however, receive a number of phone calls from the boys’ mothers saying “Ummm… thanks for the zucchini” and when she replied that she had many more zucchinis and offered to send them over, she said that the phone lines always went mysteriously dead.
I guess I should try zucchini; looks like all I’ll get will be my one little eggplant that I had for breakfast this morning.
thanks for the post. it helped me with my crops
Zoomie, my freezer is already getting full – and it’s only been a week.
Elizabeth, the trick is to pick them small!
Natashya, you have to freeze them…..
Tanna, I never had zucchini until we moved here.
DX, glad to help
I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don’t know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.
Margaret