How to Freeze Zucchini - Preserving Summer's Bounty

Has any summer vegetable been as maligned as the humble zucchini? As backyard gardeners toil to achieve that one perfect heirloom tomato, they are secretly plotting how to get rid of the bounty from the prolific zucchini plant.

I see a lot of zucchini in the summer months. I crave the small early zucchini, anticipating the taste of grilled zukes with a drizzle of olive oil and a few spices. Then, by mid-July I'm hiding when I see Dad's car pull into the driveway; I know what's in his trunk. Dad's been foraging, raiding his garden, my cousin's garden, a friend's garden and possibly a stranger's garden as he drives down the road, looking for runaway zucchini. Once in awhile, if he forgets to lock his car doors, a caveman-club size zucchini will find its way into the passenger seat.

We sell about three dozen loaves of zucchini bread every week at farmers markets. Yes, people actually buy zucchini bread. My gardening skills are somewhat limited so I'm dependent upon the kindness of strangers to obtain the chief ingredient in zucchini bread. The man will line up the green-skinned profit centers, cutting off the ends and slicing them to a food-processor fit. It's actually quite beautiful to watch.

I don't think my zucchini bread recipe is anything extremely special but customers are asking for it in early May before most gardens are even tilled in Central Ohio. To be ready for the early market season, we package and freeze any weekly extras.

Freezing zucchini is very easy. As your zucchini plants start to run wild, take a few minutes to pick the fruits before they become lethal weapons. The larger the zucchini, the more seeds inside and the tougher the skin. We have a large capacity food processor, but you can use a box grater if you have short fingernails and steel-clad knuckles.

How to Freeze Zucchini
Wash the zucchini thoroughly and cut off the ends. Slice it in half lengthwise and examine the seed cavity. If the seeds have started to dry and separate, scrape out the seeds and stringy matter and discard. Using the shredding blade of your food processor or the large size of your box grater, shred the zucchini. Place the shredded goodies in a colander over a bowl and allow it to drain in the refrigerator for at least two hours.

Most zucchini bread recipes call for one cup of shredded zucchini per loaf. If you normally bake two loaves, freeze the shredded zucchini in two-cup portions. If using freezer bags, press the excess air out of the bag before sealing and label with the date.

Freezing breaks down the cell walls and there will be additional liquid when you thaw the zucchini. Be sure to drain the thawed zucchini before adding it to your favorite recipe.

Other uses for prolific zucchini:
- Dice small zucchini and add to summer salads or Tabouleh
- Bake zucchini bread
- Add shredded zucchini to your spaghetti or lasagna sauce.
- Use zucchini as exercise weights
- Keep a baseball-bat size zucchini next to the door in case of a break-in. If it's necessary to club the perpetrator over the head, shred the evidence and bake zucchini bread for the police.

Patti Walden has a great recipe for zucchini bread here. Try it and keep the recipe handy to bake more zucchini bread during the winter months.