Prepare Fresh Zucchini for Freezing
In the gardening world, the phrase "a little goes a long way" rings true, especially when it comes to zucchini. If your zeal for gardening has rendered more zucchini than you and your family can possibly consume while it's fresh, you will have to find something else to do with it. Though zucchini is quite versatile, there is such thing as too much of a good thing. Freezing zucchini prevents wasting it by keeping it fresh for another day.
Instructions
Freezing Sliced Zucchini
1. Wash the zucchini to remove any dirt under clean running water.
2. Use a knife to cut off the ends of the zucchini and discard them.
3. Slice the zucchini in half lengthwise so you have two halves.
4. Slice the halves into approximately 1-inch cubes.
5. Steam blanch the zucchini. This can be done by adding water to a pot so that it's 1 inch deep and placing a steam basket in the pot. Put the zucchini in the basket once the water is boiling and cover it with a lid. Let the zucchini steam for three minutes before taking it out carefully and dropping the a bowl of ice water.
6. Pour the bowl of zucchini and water into a colander to drain it.
7. Lay out paper towels and place the zucchini on top of it.
8. Fold the paper towels over to pat away as much of the excess moisture as possible.
9. Leave the zucchini to set on the paper towels to help dry up as much of the remaining moisture as possible.
10. Put the zucchini into airtight bags or containers and place them carefully into the freezer. The zucchini will be soft until it freezes, so be mindful not to set anything on top of it.
Freezing Grated Zucchini
11. Wash the zucchini under running water to remove any dirt.
12. Use a knife to cut off the ends of the zucchini.
13. Grate the zucchini using the large holes on a grater.
14. Place the a colander and sprinkle table salt lightly over it to help draw out the moisture.
15. Allow the zucchini to sit for an hour.
16. Place the zucchini into a baking dish and put it into the freezer.
17.Put the zucchini into a sealable airtight bag once it is frozen.
Tags: zucchini into, paper towels, ends zucchini, freezer zucchini, Fresh Zucchini