Shredded, sliced, whole, or noodles—here's how to freeze zucchini for later.
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If you hit up the farmers' market or grocery store this week, it’s likely you left with a few zucchini in your cart. This versatile vegetable can be used to make everything from muffins to casseroles, making it a favorite in the kitchen.
Zucchini can be fried, grilled, or sautéed to get the desired flavor and texture while still providing the sweet taste and crunch that people know and love. However, when it comes to preparing zucchini, you might find that you want to freeze it whether that’s for use at a later date or for leftovers down the line . The question then becomes how do you freeze zucchini?
In general, the methods for freezing zucchini vary based on the type in front of you. To help make the process easier, we spoke with Chayanin Pornsriniyom, chef-instructor of Plant-Based Culinary Arts at the Institute of Culinary Education to get the lowdown on everything from blanching to freezing zucchini in a few simple steps.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Chayanin Pornsriniyom is a chef-instructor of Plant-Based Culinary Arts at the Institute of Culinary Education.
You absolutely can freeze zucchini—and it's quite easy! But it's not as simple as placing whole or even sliced zucchini right into the freezer.
You'll need to take a few minutes to prepare zucchini for freezing. Primarily, you'll want to blanch the zucchini. Blanching helps ensure the vegetable will be vibrant once it's thawed, and it will help the zucchini retain some texture. Blanching will also help the zucchini last longer in the freezer.
Similar to many other vegetables you freeze, blanching is an important first step. “Blanching before freezing helps prevent discoloration and having the food turn mushy after thawing,” says Pornsriniyom.
Here are the steps for blanching zucchini:
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Whether you're looking to use zoodles (zucchini noodles) in a healthy pasta recipe or as a side dish, here's how Pornsriniyom says to freeze them:
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Shredded zucchini is another common kitchen staple and can be used in a variety of recipes from burgers and pie to pancakes and bread. Here’s how Pornsriniyom advises to freeze shredded zucchini:
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Sliced zucchini can be used to make zucchini chips or sautéed for a quick and easy side dish.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Pornsriniyom doesn’t advise freezing a whole zucchini as it requires a great amount of time to thaw and can become dull in color and mushy in texture.
When freezing zucchini, or any food really, airtight containers are very important for long-term freezing. This includes ziplock and air-tight sealed bags.
“If food is packed in airtight containers, it can remain delicious in the freezer for a very long time, really indefinitely,” says Chef Micah Fredman, co-founder of Ipsa Provisions.
Yes, you can freeze zucchini without blanching it first. However, if you blanch it first, it will help deactivate the enzymes that can make it more mushy and discolored. The thawed zucchini may be less than ideal.
Whether or not you leave seeds in the zucchini before freezing it won’t make that much of a difference. “I’d try to avoid the seeds when you can to keep the moisture at bay, but if you can’t avoid it, it’s totally fine to have some seeds in there,” says Pornsriniyom.
Freeze zucchini when it is as fresh as possible to ensure a better quality when thawed.
It's safe to eat indefinitely, however, quality, taste, and texture will deteriorate after two to three months.
U.S. Department of Agriculture. Freezing and food safety.
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