How To Freeze Zucchini

 

 

With the summer months literally right around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about what you’re going to do with all those garden vegetables, while learning how to pick the best vegetables. And while some are just better to be eaten fresh, there are some that are great and easy to freeze to enjoy all year long. The good news? Zucchini is one of those vegetables!

Planting zucchini in your garden is simple. It’s what to do after it all starts growing that can be the hard part! Don’t fret. You don’t have to waste any of those zucchini vegetables at all. Instead, learning how to freeze zucchini properly will save you so much time and money!

 

Can you buy zucchini in the store to freeze for later?

Of course! This is one of the best ways to save money. If your garden grows an abundance OR  if you stumble upon a vegetable sale of zucchini at your store, stock up! Not only can you eat it fresh, but you can shred it and save it for later. You never know when you’ll get a craving for some delicious zucchini and you’ll want to be certain that you have some fresh and saved in the freezer! 

 

 

Do you have to drain your zucchini before freezing?

Yes, it’s a must. The reason why is because zucchini itself already has quite a bit of water inside of it. If you don’t drain it and get rid of some of that liquid, there’s a chance that it won’t freeze right and take on a weird texture. You don’t want this to happen! 

 

Can you freeze zucchini whole or do you have to cut it?

While I’ve never tried to freeze it whole, I think it’s important to make certain you’re cutting it up first. That way you’re getting out the liquid and making it into more manageable pieces. Some people coin their zucchini and others shred it, but that is entirely up to you and how you want to do it.Either way you decide, the steps are shown for you below. 

 

So, what do you say? Are you tired of wasting zucchini because there’s no way that you can eat it all fresh? 

Never be scared of too much Zucchini again! Use these tips to find out how to freeze them and ensuring you never have to throw out hard earned money again!

 

How to Freeze Zucchini

All you need are a few ingredients and simple supplies to get started!

 

Ingredients and Supplies needed to freeze zucchini:

 

Zucchini
Strainer
Cutting board
Knife
Freezer bags
Baking pan
Parchment paper
Large Pot

Fyuan Ceramic Porcelain Colander Kitchen Strainer Bowl for Vegetable Fruit Kitchen Tool, White, 6×2.8 Inch, Pack of 1JAMIE OLIVER Acacia Wood Cutting Board – SmallAdjustable Mandoline Slicer with Spiralizer Vegetable Slicer – Veggie Slicer Mandoline Food Slicer with Julienne Grater – V Slicer Mandoline Cutter – Vegetable Cutter Zoodle Maker Vegetable Spiralizer

 

How to freeze zucchini

1. Wash your zucchini and slice off one end.

 

2. Hold your flat or box grater over a large bowl and shred your zucchini. If you’re coining the zucchini then hold one end and first carefully slice your zucchini into coins, then slice each coin like a pizza. 

 

3. Use a steamer basket to blanch your coined or shredded zucchini for 1-2 minutes.

 

4. Fill a mixing bowl with Ice water and quickly transfer your shredded zucchini to your ice bath and let set for 3-4 minutes (this will prevent over balancing your zucchini).

5.  Drain your zucchini, pat dry using paper towel, and spread evenly onto a parchment paper lined baking pan.

 

6. Pre-freeze your zucchini for 30-60 minutes.

7. Transfer your zucchini to a freezer bag and remove any air from the bag.

8. Label and date your shredded zucchini with date made and expiration date (will last several months).

 

 

What kind of recipes can you use frozen zucchini in?

This is what makes it so great! Once you take the time to freeze your zucchini, you can then add it into a ton of great recipes! You can add in frozen zucchini to soups or even stir fry that you are making for dinner! And if you love the taste of zucchini bread or muffins, you’re in luck! My husband uses zucchini in his world-famous omelets. 

Being able to freeze zucchini is actually really great because it allows you to save money and meal prep ahead. There are so many recipes out there that you can add in your zucchini as well. Long gone are the days when you open the fridge only to find rotten vegetables!

 

And if you happen to shred your frozen zucchini rather than cut it up into slices, there’s a good chance that you can add it into even more recipes without any taste testers detecting it. 

So, what do you say? Are you ready to get over the fear of trying to freeze zucchini and give it a try? Why not? Don’t spend another summer wasting the veggies from your garden! Instead, figure out quickly how easily they are to freeze!

All you need is to follow these simple directions above and you’ll be amazed at how easy it truly is. Once you figure out how to freeze zucchini, you can start figuring out how to do it with the rest of your vegetables as well! 

Before we get to the printable recipe card, here’s some of my favorite zucchini recipes-

• Air Fryer Zucchini Enchiladas 
• Instant Pot Zucchini Bolognese 
• Air Fryer Zucchini Parmesan Chips
• Home canned Zucchini Relish (this is being updated soon! So stay tuned for new pictures) 
• Frittatas! You can fix Air Fryer Frittata and Instant Pot Frittata Muffins and add in zucchini! YUM!