Processing Zucchini / Summer Squash - Part II: Grating & Freezing

This time we are going to look at another method for keeping all of that delicious summer squash into the winter. It is so straightforward, you will be shocked. Grating and freezing. This method is great for storing up squash to use in baked goods, soups, casseroles and more. In addition, this is a great way to use your zucchini that have mysteriously turned into baseball bats overnight. While they aren't the best for grilling and eating fresh, they are a great source of summer produce over the winter months.


Method Two - Grating and Freezing


Supplies needed:

• Zucchini
• Sharp kitchen knife
• Cutting Board
• Ziploc freezer bags
• Plastic Straw
• Sharpie
• Cookie sheet

Procedure:

1) Harvest those larger than large zucchini and rinse them with clean water.

 2) Slice the zucchini in half from top to bottom and then across the center.

 3) IMPORTANT!! Those big bad boy zukes have some tough and nasty seeds in them which is why we don't just slice them up and grill them. Using a tablespoon, scoop out the large seeds and dispose of them.

  

 
4) Using a food processor (mine just went KAPUT...do you see a theme here?) or grater, grate your zucchini into a large pile of wet mess.

Side note:  If you leave your cutting board level, you will end up with a puddle of zucchini juice somewhere around your board and then on your floor. If you place a folded washcloth under the board on the counter side and lean the opposite side over your sink, it will all run into your sink. Guess who remembered this a little too late.

 5) Measure out appropriate amount of squash for your favorite recipes. My favorite zucchini bread recipe requires 1 cup of zucchini, so I made each of my bags 1 cup full.

6) Spread the zucchini out so it is in a smooth layer in the baggie. Zip the baggie closed with the exception of a small opening at the end. Place a straw at least 3 inches into the baggie and suck the air out. Zip 'er shut!! Removing the air will reduce the chance of freezer burn.

7) Place bags onto a cookie sheet and freeze. I like to put these smaller bags into a larger freezer bag once they are frozen for organization sake in our freezer. I label the large bag and place it on top of the cookie sheet when I put it in the freezer. You know, in case life happens and I don't get back to the freezer to process everything until I need my cookie sheet (which right now could be forever since our oven is KAPUT).

 8) Mission completed! When you defrost your zucchini, drain all of the excess liquid before using it. This can easily be done by trimming a small hole in a bottom corner of the baggie and squeezing out the water.

If you haven't seen my post on Blanching and Freezing your zucchini / summer squash, check it out!

Processing Zucchini / Summer Squash - Part I: Blanching & Freezing

It is the second day of August and my zucchini is BOOMING! My oven has gone KAPUT though, so I am feeling really limited as to what I can accomplish with my zucchini. As a result, I decided I would start processing it now and write a little post about it. My dad and his partner were visiting and could watch the wee ones, so that helped with the timing as well.


I will review two methods for keeping some zukes for the winter months. First, blanching and freezing which is great for adding summer squash to winter stews, soups and casseroles. Blanching is a process where you immerse the vegetable of choice in boiling water for a set period of time and then immerse it in ice water. This is great when serving them fresh, but it is a really great way to preserve them as well. Click here to see Method II: Grating and Freezing.


Method One - Blanching and Freezing


Supplies needed:

• Zucchini
• Sharp kitchen knife
• Cutting Board
• Large Pasta Pentola
• Large bowl
• Ice packs
• Strainer
• Ziploc freezer bags
• Sharpie
• Cookie sheet

Procedure:

1) Harvest zucchini when it is 6-8" (to 10") long for this method. I will have another way to keep it if it is longer.

2) Rinse zucchini clean with fresh water.

3) Using a sharp kitchen knife, trim off ends and cut the rest into 1/4" slices.

4) Prepare your ice bath by placing clean ice packs in a bowl. I like to use ice packs because they seem to melt slower than ice. 

4) Fill a pasta pentola 2/3 of the way full of water. I like using a pentola because I can remove the squash immediately from the water when the time is up and add more squash to the already boiling water to keep the processing going. 

5) Once your water is boiling add your sliced squash to the pentola. I would suggest processing one type at a time.

6) Wait for 3 minutes and remove the strainer of the pentola and give it a few, quick shakes over the pot to remove excess water.

7) Pour your squash into the ice water. Gently run cool water over the hot squash to cool the temperature and then place the ice packs on top. Wait at least 5 minutes. This will stop the cooking process.

 8) Pour cooled squash into a strainer. I suggest labeling your bags before filling them. Make sure you include veggie type, processing date, and amount. At this point you can use a FoodSaver to preserve your squash or you can place it into a single-ish layer in your Ziploc bags.

9) Zip bags shut except for a small hole at the end. Stick straw in at least 3 inches and suck air out of bag. Quickly slide the straw out and zip 'er shut!

11) Place flat bags on a cookie sheet in a freezer that is at most 0 degrees F.  After a couple of hours, you can remove the cookie sheet and you will have beautiful, easy to stack and store bags of your freshly grown summer squash.

Frozen squash is good for up to one year when kept in a freezer that is 0 degrees or cooler. After defrosting, drain the excess liquid before adding the squash to your recipe.

ENJOY!

On to...Part II - Grating and Freezing your Zucchini / Summer Squash!