Preserving Zucchini & Summer Squash

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Whew! This morning, there were masses of zucchini in the room formerly known as my kitchen. I've just waded my way through the masses and am now zucchini-free! (That is, until later today when I come home from the farm with more...)

How did I get through the piles?

Yes, I did sell some at farmer's market yesterday. Yes, I did pass some off on unsuspecting friends, relatives, and neighbors. (Leave your car doors locked during church or else I will leave a bag of zucchini, or so the jokes go).

But most of it I put up for winter. Did you know you can preserve zucchini? I freeze mine, but I do have a friend who cans it as well.

It's so easy to freeze, especially if you have a food processor. You can whip through pounds of it in less than an hour!

Zucchini &all other summer squashes can be frozen in slices or shreds. The frozen slices can be used all winter in stir fry, casseroles, and my favorite -in soups such as minestrone and Italian Sausage Soup. The shredded zucchini is traditionally used in baked goods such as zucchini bread, muffins, or in the great Zucchini Pizza Crust.

Just shred or chop, using a food processor if you have it, or a knife / cheese grater if you don't. Toss into freezer bags, label, put in freezer and use all winter.

Enjoy!








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Zucchini! Cooking and preserving ideas!

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I harvested my first zucchini on July 9. I hope to plant it earlier next year for an earlier harvest!
I love zucchini. It just keeps coming. The more you pick, the more it will grow. Harvest them small, at 6 inches is best. If they are allowed to become too large, they will not be as tender and the seeds will be huge. Plus, if you pick them small the plant can devote more energy to producing more new zucchini.

Pictured here are 3 heirloom varieties.



Golden Zucchini, Bennings Green Tint and Black. (I'm still waiting on 1 or 2 varieties to produce, including a Patty Pan).

I love the tiny zucchini, harvested at about 4-6 inches long. They are so tender & delicious. They are wonderful chopped raw onto a salad or sliced for eating raw with a dip.

To saute zucchini, slice into circles and cook with a bit of olive oil in the pan. They are great cooked with onions. For a great breakfast, saute zucchini with onion and mix with scrambled eggs. You can also cook it with swiss chard (or other greens), garlic, potatoes, etc. and top the eggs with cheese.

For baked zucchini fries, slice into strips. Coat with canola oil, sprinkle with chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Lay in single layer on cookie sheet and bake at 450 degrees for about 15 minutes. Delicious!

Zucchini is great in soup. Try a minestrone recipe.

Saute it with other vegetables and toss with pasta coated in some olive oil.

Last year, I dehydrated some zucchini slices on an electric dehydrator. They come out crispy and can be used in place of potato chips. Much healthier and absolutely delicious!

I freeze zucchini slices & hunks to toss into crockpot soups all winter.

Many people shred zucchini, freeze it, and use this all winter in zucchini breads and other zucchini baked goods.



Enjoy!






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Preserving fresh herbs for fresh winter use

I first learned this method last summer and we were able to use fresh cilantro and basil all winter! Some herbs are best used fresh, such as cilantro. When dried, it loses all it's flavor. Of course, fresh basil can be used to make pesto all winter! I'm thinking you could do most any fresh herb this way. Perhaps I'll also try chives this season to use in potato dishes all winter.

The herbs will be soggy, so they'll have to be used in a processed dish (such as salsa or pesto) rather than as a garnish or something that requires them to be fresh and perky.

To preserve them for winter, simply freeze them in ice cube trays then when frozen you'll remove the cubes and put them all in a freezer bag.

Here are some pictures of my recent cilantro harvest (they seeded all over my garden from last year's composted seeded plants).

First, harvest and wash.


Then remove the leaves and stuff them into the ice cube trays.


Last, fill the tray with water and place in the freezer. When they're frozen, pop the cubes out of the tray and into a large freezer bag. In the winter, take some out and let them thaw in a bowl of hot water. Then use as you would when fresh.



Now, later in the summer I will use this frozen cilantro to make and can Salsa Verde!




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