How to Prepare Your Zucchini for the Freezer

Materials Needed:

• Unpeeled Washed Zucchini
• Freezer Zipper Bags (large enough to hold one cup or more)
• Grater or Food Processor
• Knife
• Cutting Board
• One Medium size bowl, to grate the zucchini in
• A Large bowl with paper toweling in the bottom, this will be your trash bowl
• 1 Cup Measuring cup (or size needed for your favorite recipe)
• Freezer Marker
• Your favorite Zucchini recipes

Let's Get Started:

You have been working very hard this growing season in your vegetable garden. I want to show you, what to do with all of that Zucchini that is now popping up everywhere in your garden.

Preparing Your Work Area:

You will need to get out your large bowl and place a folded paper towel in the bottom of the bowl, this is your garbage bowl it will save you many trips to and from the trash can, you will be throwing all of your waste from the zucchini in to this bowl, we will dump it all at the end. Now place your cutting board onto the work surface, get out your knife, grater,medium bowl, zipper bags, Now open as many of these zipper bags that you think you will need and labeling a few of these, with the type of produce, date and the measured amount. This is easier to do now when your hands are not all messy from the grating process. You will also want to get out at this time all of your favorite Zucchini recipes, and the appropriate measuring cup for each recipe, this will be explained further in the steps.

Grating the Zucchini:

You will need to cut each of the ends off of all of the Zucchini and put these into the garbage bowl. Now cut each Zucchini in half, next take each of these and cut these into four quarters. Take each of these quarter one at a time and cut the seed area from them, this will make these more manageable for the grating process, Do this step for all of the Zucchini, leaving a few section for dicing, slicing or what ever your favorite recipe calls for. Put the seed cores into your garbage bowl, we will get rid of all of the trash at the end.

Next take the one to be grated, and using either a hand grater or the attachment on your food processor, grate the zucchini into the medium size bowl. Now referring to your recipes, and using the appropriate measuring cup, we will be using the one cup measuring cup, this is enough zucchini for making Zucchini bread and for the recipe that is below. Now measure out one cup for Zucchini, and pour this into the labeled freezer zipper bag. You will want to keep the bag as flat as possible, squeeze out as much air as you can, make sure the zipper area stays clean zip the bag. By keeping the bags flat you will be able to stack them in your freezer and you will have more room for more for freezing more of your garden produce. Remembering to keep out one cup of diced Zucchini for the recipe at the bottom. Now do these same steps for your sliced, diced, and chunked zucchini, still keeping the bags as flat as possible, next put all of your Zucchini into your freezer.

Cleaning Up Your Kitchen:

Now come the kitchen clean up, you will need to dump the trash bowl, either into your recycling, compost bin, or trash can. Wash your grater, knife, food processor parts, cutting board, and counter tops. Don't forget to clean up the floor, usually during the grating process you will get carried away and this will send the zucchini flying and you will find it everywhere, in your kitchen.

Now that you are finished with the grating, slicing, dicing and the kitchen clean up, let's enjoy some of that wonderful garden produce. My sister put this recipe together, and brought it to our 4^th of July BBQ, it very good.

The Zucchini Recipe:

I will call this a Zucchini Summer Soup.

Ingredients You will Need:

• 4 Small Zucchini (Diced or Cut into Chunks)
• 1 Can of diced Tomatoes, drained (or fresh Roma tomatoes)
• Garlic Salt
• Mrs Dash Veg/Meat seasoning (to taste)
• Onion (diced)
• 1 Bag of Frozen Corn ( or fresh corn cut from cob)

Take the first 5 ingredients and pace them into a large sauce pan, and bring to a boil, let cook until zucchini is almost tender. Next add in the corn, and cook until the corn is cooked through. Serve in bowls, and enjoy with some corn bread. Serve Warm, Serves 8 or more (this depends on your bowl size) This recipe would also make a great salsa, or pasta topping, so try this at your next family gathering or just for a simple lunch just for you to enjoy.