Do You Have Too Many Zucchini?
I have more zucchini than I need right now, although they were rather slow coming in this year. Now I’m busy making zucchini bread, zucchini cake, stuffed zucchini; and shredding and freezing them to use this winter. Are you feeling a little ovewhelmed by the zucchini harvest?
Here is a yummy recipe for Zucchini Pineapple Bread, 28 Ways to Use a Zucchini, and some information on one of my favorite varieties – Black Beauty Zucchini. You can also use zucchini to make Summer Squash Pickles. I hope these ideas help you make good use of those extra squash!
How do you freeze them? I’ve tried freezing them before, but found after a month or two in the freezer they became bitter, and I didn’t use the rest. Now I just turn them into relish! (Relish/pickle… is there a difference?) I made one batch that burnt just enough for them to have a slight burnt flavour. Despite huge disappointment I was going to throw them out, but my husband loves this relish so much, he wouldn’t let me. So on the proviso that he ate the 5 jars of burnt relish and I didn’t have to, we kept it. And he has been steadily eating his way through it, lol!
Hi Donna,
I usually shred the zucchini, measure it into the amount needed for a batch of zucchini bread, place in a freezer bag, and press the air out before zipping shut. When I thaw it, there is a lot of moisture that seperates from the zucchini, but it works out fine for making bread.
I also like to make mixed veggies with zucchini and yellow squash that I freeze. The other day I blanched peppers, onions, zucchini and yellow crookneck squash. Then I filled vacuum sealer bags with the mix, froze them, then vacuum sealed them. They had too much moisture to vacuum until they were frozen solid. I’ll use these in stir fry, pasta sauce, or casseroles this winter.
Your relish sounds yummy, even with a little burnt flavor!
you’re missing out if you don’t make zucchini pickles! We tried them last year and we’re hooked. We used this recipe…then canned them in a water bath for ten minutes afterwards rather than just turn them upside down as the site suggests. Delicious! I could eat them by the jarful https://www.notquitenigella.com/2014/02/07/zucchini-pickle-recipe/
Thanks for sharing the link to that recipe…looks super yummy! I’ll have to try them. 🙂 Thanks again!
I had to give up growing zucchini with those huge leaves spreading everywhere and catching powdery mildew. My space is just too small, but I miss the excitement of finding a zucchini that grew practically overnight. Your freezer must be huge!!
Completely understandable, Kaye! I have problems with squash vine borer ever year and it looks as though my harvest may be close to finishing because of them. 🙁
We actually have 3 freezers, which is really too many. But with all of the turkeys and chickens I raise for meat, I put them to good use.
We love your web site ! You seem to cut to the chase and offer no BS , only real life insights on topics that we enjoy and is a part of our daily lives, also. Well done ! Bill in NY state
Well, thank you very much, Bill! I’m originally from NY…and I’m so glad to have you following along on my homesteading adventures. 🙂