How to freeze zucchini for the winter

Zucchini is so versatile vegetable that it combines with almost any product. Moreover, having a neutral taste, it absorbs in the process of cooking the aroma of the vegetables with which it was cooked.

Squash is added to first courses, side dishes, used in baking, salads, and even made from them jam!

Summer and autumn zucchini are inexpensive, but in the winter they do not approach, as they are sold individually, like exotic fruits.

But if you stock up on squash for the advance in advance, in the winter you can pamper yourself and your loved ones with a delicious zucchini casserole or zucchini caviar of your own cooking.

For this zucchini need only freeze!

Freeze zucchini in different ways. Here we take into account the fact why these squashes will be frozen. They are frozen in diced, slices, straws, mashed, mixed with other vegetables and even fried.

Preparation of zucchini for freezing

Both young zucchini zucchini and more mature ones with thick skin are suitable for freezing. True, the preparation of different types of zucchini is slightly different from each other. And this will be discussed below.

But those and other zucchini should be free of damage, stains, tainted places. Also, they should not be lethargic from lying long after the collection.

Squashes are washed, pruned stalks.
Dry them with a paper towel, as no extra moisture is needed when freezing.
Zucchini can be frozen both with the skin (it is thin and tender in these zucchini), and without it.
If the zucchini is still very young, then they still do not have seeds, so the middle of such squash is not removed. If the seeds still appear, the squash is cut lengthwise into two halves, the flesh is removed along with the seeds. Or zucchini cut across into several parts and cut out the middle with a knife with seeds.
Squashes, in which the skin is thick, must be cleaned. Then remove the pulp with seeds, using the same method as in the preparation of zucchini.

How to freeze zucchini in cubes or cubes

Prepared zucchini cut into convenient for further use cubes or cubes.

Method 1

Sliced zucchini is soaked with a paper towel, removing the droplets of juice that have protruded on the slices.
Fold in portion plastic bags, remove air from them and close well (tie).
Give the bags a flat shape (for faster freezing and convenient storage) and put into the freezer.

This method of freezing is the easiest, but it has a small minus. Some housewives complain that in the finished form such zucchini are tasteless, even rubbery. And they do not have that zucchini flavor that fresh zucchini has.

Method 2

The cut courgettes are sprinkled with salt and left for fifteen minutes.
Then the separated juice is drained and the squash is soaked with a paper towel.
Packed in portions of plastic bags, remove air from them, tie them up (close them with a zip fastener) and put them in the freezer.

If the pieces of zucchini were not sufficiently dried, then they can freeze to each other during freezing. For some housewives it does not matter. But if you want the cubes to be separated from each other, they are frozen in two stages.

First, cut the zucchini spread on a tray in a single layer, put in the freezer. When they are slightly frozen, they are poured into sachets, packed and stored for storage in the freezer.

Method 3

Two pots are prepared: one with boiling water, the other with cold.
Sliced zucchini in small portions is placed in a colander, which is dipped in boiling water for 2-3 minutes.
Then the blanched zucchini is immediately immersed in cold water.
And then lay out on a towel to dry. Many skip the cold water stage, but then squash should be well cooled and dried.
Then the zucchini is packaged in portion sachets, closed or tied, and put into the freezer. Before thorough freezing, zucchini can be laid out in one layer on a tray and lightly frozen. Then they will not stick together during storage in one big lump.

How to freeze the mix of zucchini and other vegetables

Prepare separately zucchini and other vegetables. Cut into comfortable pieces. Everything is mixed and packaged, as in previous recipes.

Instead of other vegetables, you can take the greens. Greens wash well, dried on a towel and finely cut. Mixed with chopped zucchini and frozen in the usual way.

How to freeze zucchini in circles

For freezing zucchini circles, young zucchini are suitable with thin skin and without seeds.

Squashes washed, removed the stem.
Then the zucchini cut into circles.
Circles are dried with a paper towel and packed in plastic bags.
To prevent the circles from sticking to each other, they are pre-laid in one layer on the tray and put into the freezer for an hour. And only after that they packaged in bags for final freezing.

Those who do not like the taste of zucchini frozen in such a way are recommended to first blanch the circles of zucchini in boiling water for about three minutes, and then place on a towel and cool well.

The circles are laid out in plastic bags, each layer is lined with food film. This method will not allow them to stick together during freezing. Then the package is closed and cleaned in the freezer.

How to freeze fried zucchini

Squashes cut into slices, salt to taste, roll in flour and fry in vegetable oil.
Spread on a sieve or paper towel to drain off excess fat.
Cool.
Packed in portioned bags or plastic containers, well closed or tied and put into the freezer.

How to freeze zucchini, grated on a grater

Such zucchini is good for cooking zucchini fritters or meatballs.

Squashes washed, cleaned of coarse skin. If there are seeds, then remove them.
Courgettes rubbed on a medium grater.
Then squeeze the juice.
Pressed zucchini flesh is laid out in bags and put into the freezer.

How to freeze mashed zucchini

This method is used to prepare baby mashed potatoes.

Prepared zucchini is cut into cubes, dipped in boiling water and cooked almost until ready.
Then squash laid out in a colander to drain water.
After that the zucchini is ground in a mashed blender.
Mashed potatoes are laid out in small plastic containers (at one time), covered with lids or plastic film and put into the freezer.