One of the most common summer vegetables is zucchini. If your garden looks anything like mine, it’s bursting with more zucchini than you know what to do with. Since we love the moistness of zucchini bread, cookies, and muffins too much to let the zucchni go to waste, we often like to freeze it for later baking.  Here’s how to do it:

How to Freeze Zucchini

  1. Wash and trim the zucchini. If you are using large squash, remove the seedy pulp and save only the firmer flash. Do not skin.
  2. Grate the zucchini.
  3. Stir a little salt—a teaspoon per large bowl will do. The salt will draw moisture from the squash. Let it sit in a bowl for an hour.
  4. Drain the grated squash in a colander. Gently press the grated squash with your hand to force off more water. Most of the salt will drain off with the water.
  5. Measure the squash in two cup increments and freeze in freezer bags.

How to Blanche or Steam Zucchini for Freezing

We’ve never done anything but grate, extract part of the water, measure, and freeze. The squash seems to last just fine over the winter. Some sites, including governmental ones, recommend steaming your grated squash before freezing to increase the storage life. If you choose to do so, follow the instructions below:

  1. Place a small amount of squash in a steamer basket or sieve, no more than 3/4-inch deep. 
  2. Bring two inches of water to a rapid boil on the stovetop. 
  3. Place the squash above the boiling water and place a lid on the pot to capture the steam. 
  4. Steam for about two minutes or until the squash turns translucent. 
  5. Drain off the excess water and repeat with other batches.  Freeze as above.

Our Favorite Zucchini Recipes

Need some isnpiration for using your zucchini? Here are some of our favorite recipes:

(Updated from May 13, 2014)

Print This Post Print This Post