How To Freeze Zucchini With Or Without Blanching

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Freezing zucchini is the perfect way to preserve this yummy squash to enjoy cooking with all year round. Learn how to freeze both shredded and sliced zucchini the easy way for using in breads, sauces and more!

If you’ve been growing zucchini, getting it in your CSA box or have neighbors sharing it with you then you might be getting overwhelmed with how many zucchini’s you have sitting in your kitchen!

What starts off as harvesting a few zucchini’s here and there can quickly turn into boxes of summer squash all over your kitchen counter or pantry.

It can become so tempting to just feed it to your chickens or start randomly placing handfuls on peoples porches.

But don’t worry, freezing zucchini is a very easy way to preserve it for using later. It takes very little time to freeze a lot of summer squash and means you have a long time to enjoy using it up.

I freeze a lot of shredded zucchini every summer so we can enjoy yummy zucchini bread and muffins throughout the winter.

But freezing some sliced, cubed or chunks of zucchini is also handy to have on hand for adding to casserole, soups, or making a creamy zucchini soup.

How To Use Frozen Zucchini In Cooking

Frozen zucchini isn’t as good for using in stir-fries or salads as you would commonly use fresh zucchini. But frozen zucchini is best used in dishes like soups, pasta sauces, and casseroles where you expect the vegetables to be a little soft.

There is no need to thaw the zucchini before adding it to your recipe!

How To Freeze Shredded Zucchini Without Blanching

Step 1: Prepare Your Zucchini

Start by selecting your zucchini’s. The best ones to use are small to medium-sized before the seeds have become too large.

These squash still have tender flesh and skin so are easy to cut and work with. Plus they taste the best!

Wash and dry the zucchini’s, then cut off the ends. Slice it into lengths about 5 inches long, then cut it in half lengthwise again.

Scoop out any seeds from the center using a spoon.

Step 2: Shred The Zucchini

To shred them you can either use a cheese grater or a food processor. I’ve processed a lot of zucchini over the years and honestly using a food processor with a shredding blade is so much easier!

Cut the zucchini into pieces that will fit into your food processors, turn it on low and feed the zucchini in.

If you don’t have a shredding blade for your food processor then you can use the normal blade instead and just pulse it until it’s the size you like.

Step 3: Package Into Freezer Bags

Measure out the zucchini into freezer bags, remove the air and seal.

I freeze shredded zucchini in 2 cup amounts because this is the measurement that most of my recipes use. If I need more then I simply pull out 2 bags.

Make sure to label the bags with the date, contents and amount.

Do You Need To Blanch Zucchini Before Freezing?

It depends on how long you want to keep the frozen zucchini for and what you plan to do with it.

Blanching helps to kill the enzymes in food that would naturally cause it to break down and spoil. Blanching can also help to keep the produce looking a brighter color and have a firmer texture after freezing.

When I freeze shredded zucchini I never blanch it. Why? Because they are such small slices that after blanching they often turn to mush.

I use frozen shredded zucchini for making zucchini bread, muffins and adding to tomato sauce.

For these uses not blanching is perfect, I want the shredded zucchini to be soft in these dishes. I’ve had no problems keeping unblanched shredded zucchini in my freezer for a year until the next harvest.

On the other hand, if you want to use slices of zucchini in casserole or soups and want them to hold their shape better then blanching is a good idea! Just make sure that you blanch in unsalted water.

How To Freeze Sliced Or Cubed Zucchini

To freeze zucchini that is cut into slices or chunks I blanch them before freezing. This helps them to stay fresher longer in the freezer and maintain their shape. I also found that blanched zucchini slices stay firmer than unblanched.

Step 1: Prepare The Zucchini

Wash and dry the zucchini, then remove the ends. Slice them into your desired size, I like 1/2 inch rounds.

Step 2: Blanch The Zucchini

Bring a large pot of water to a full boil. Place the sliced zucchini into a wire basket or blanched and dip them into the boiling water. Time them for 3 minutes.

When the time is up, immediately remove the zucchini and place it into a tub of ice-cold water. This stops the cooking process.

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. You’ll want to get off as much water as possible, that will help to keep it from sticking together.

Placing them on a tea towel and patting dry works very well.

Step: 3 Freeze

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.

Tips For Freezing Zucchini

Lay The Bags Flat

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.

Once the bags are fully frozen you can stack them up however you like in your freezer.

Freeze In Layers

When freezing zucchini that has been blanched, if it’s not well dried it will stick together in the bag.

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.

Then measure and bag the sliced zucchini as desired.

How Long Does Frozen Zucchini Last?

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 8-12 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.

Don’t Miss These Tasty Zucchini Recipes

• Easy Moist Zucchini Bread
• Zucchini Relish

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