Our garden has been doing so well this year, and that is such a blessing in these tough economic times. Not only does having a garden help with our food bill, but it also allows us to eat organically. This is a healthful bonus that sometimes is out of our price range at the grocery store.
Among our home-grown produce is the zucchini. We are definitely getting plenty! There are several ways we enjoy eating them and I have posted them here, here, here, and here.
I usually like to pick the zucchini when they are about 8 inches long (zucchini at bottom of picture above). At this size the seeds aren’t too big which is a good thing. If by chance you don’t go check on them for a few days you might have some giant zucchini (zucchini at top of picture above). I remember when I was first gardening several years ago I thought the goal was to get them to be as big as possible. I have since learned this is not the case.
One thing I do with the bigger zucchini (or any size) is to peel them and grate them. You don’t have to peel them, but that is how my family prefers them. Now, if you have a big zucchini just use a spoon to scoop out the seeds first. Then you can use a traditional grater, or if you have a grinder that will work, too. (I have the Kitchen Aid attachment which is a real time saver.)
Let your zucchini drain in a colander for a while and then put into freezer bags or containers in amounts you need for your recipes. So far this year I have frozen 44 cups of zucchini this way.
Another way to freeze zucchini is to cut it into chunks or slice it. Then, place it on a cookie sheet in the freezer. Once frozen, place it in a freezer bag or container. The quick freezing on the cooking sheet prevents the zucchini from being a big clump in your freezer. I have frozen a gallon of zucchini chunks so far this summer.
If you are still with me and would like yet another way to cook zucchini try this recipe out.
- Zucchini
- 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil or Bacon Grease (melted)
- ½ tsp. Salt
- ⅛ tsp. Pepper
- 2 Cloves Garlic (minced)
- ½ -1 tsp. Italian Seasoning
- Pour the olive oil or melted bacon grease onto a baking sheet with sides or a casserole dish.
- Dice the zucchini.
- Put the diced zucchini on the baking sheet and stir it around so that it gets coated with the oil or grease.
- Sprinkle the salt, pepper, minced garlic and Italian seasoning over the zucchini.
- Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until zucchini is tender.
- Stir the zucchini about halfway through the cooking process.
If you use a large zucchini, I recommend cutting it in half and removing the seeds with a spoon before dicing it.
