Zucchini vegetation in our gardens typically produce greater than can be utilized as recent produce. What are you able to do with further zucchini? You’ll be able to dry or freeze zucchini, however it is just secure to can zucchini if it has added acidity as in pickled merchandise. Procedures for preserving zucchini additionally apply to yellow summer time squash.
Instructions exist for blanching and freezing zucchini slices to be used as a vegetable serving. Nonetheless, zucchini accommodates massive quantities of water.
Freezing causes the water crystals to interrupt down cell partitions yielding a watery product when thawed and heated. Frozen and thawed zucchini works higher in merchandise which can be baked.
To freeze zucchini, reduce younger, tender, washed and trimmed squash into ½-inch slices and water blanch 3 minutes or steam blanch for 4-1/2 minutes (much less time for thinner slices.)
Cool promptly in ice water and drain. If you’re working with a small quantity, you possibly can gently blot extra moisture with a paper towel.
Bundle, leaving 1/2-inch head area. Tray freezing works properly to forestall items from sticking collectively and permits them to be cooked extra rapidly.
To freeze grated zucchini for baking, steam blanch in small portions 1 to 2 minutes till translucent. Pack measured quantities into containers, leaving 1/2-inch head area.
Cool by putting the containers in chilly water. Seal and freeze. If watery when thawed, discard the liquid earlier than utilizing the zucchini. Grated zucchini that’s frozen with out blanching will proceed to expertise enzyme modifications and change into robust.
Dried zucchini slices make particular treats when used as a dipper rather than taco or potato chips. To dry zucchini and different summer time squash, wash, trim and reduce into 1/4-inch to three/8-inch slices.
Steam blanch 2 to three minutes or water blanch 1-1/2 minutes. It would take 10 to 12 hours for slices to dry in a dehydrator.
For added taste, slices could also be sprinkled with cinnamon, garlic powder, seasoned salt or dipped in a barbecue sauce earlier than drying. Dried zucchini ought to be brittle.
Retailer in a tightly closed container not than one month. It could be saved longer within the freezer. Use quickly after removing from an hermetic container. Any moisture within the air will rapidly be absorbed by the dried zucchini making it limp and fewer palatable.
Canning will not be passable for plain zucchini. As a result of zucchini is a low-acid meals, it must be processed in a strain canner. Nonetheless, the excessive temperatures within the strain canner would trigger the watery squash to disintegrate.
No processing instances have been established for secure processing of any sort of non-pickled summer time squash aside from one recipe for zucchini in tomatoes that’s strain canned.
Including vinegar to zucchini and/or summer time squash makes it a high-acid meals appropriate for canning as pickles and relishes.
It’s ceaselessly tough to differentiate these merchandise from ones made with cucumbers. Each the USDA and the Ball Blue E-book have analysis examined recipes for zucchini pickles and relishes.
Zucchini pickles are just like bread and butter pickles with the sugar serving to to agency the feel in addition to present taste. Zucchini is ceaselessly an ingredient in finish of the backyard pickles or chow-chow.
Folks have skilled issues with spoilage and meals poisoning when canning shredded zucchini in pineapple juice to make an imitation pineapple as a result of their recipe doesn’t include sufficient acid.
Massive quantities of bottled lemon juice should be added to make the combination acidic sufficient for secure canning.
It takes 1-1/2 cups of bottled lemon juice, 46 ounces of canned unsweetened pineapple juice and three cups sugar to 4 quarts of shredded zucchini.
Baked zucchini merchandise freeze properly. Put together zucchini bread, muffins or a cake. Cool, wrap tightly and freeze. As a result of zucchini provides a lot moistness to baked merchandise, they freeze solidly and have to be thawed earlier than serving.
If in case you have meals preservation questions, a house economist is on the market to reply questions on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Name 717-394-6851 or write Penn State Extension, Lancaster County, 1383 Arcadia Highway, Room 140, Lancaster, PA 17601.