Let's preserve the taste and benefits: how to freeze zucchini fresh for the winter and what to cook from them later

Freezing is the easiest way to prepare food for the winter. Zucchini is great for freezing - this vegetable is used in the winter to prepare hundreds of different dishes. In order not to lose the taste and preserve the vitamins, you need to follow the rules when preparing zucchini.

How to choose, prepare and freeze zucchini for the winter, as well as what to cook from them later, read our article.

Is it possible to freeze zucchini and eggplant?

There is an opinion that frozen eggplants and zucchini become watery and “rubbery” in taste after defrosting. The vegetable itself loses its taste and does not look appetizing. Therefore, many housewives ask the question: Is it then worth preserving such products for the winter using this method?? Our answer is yes. But it needs to be done correctly.

How to properly freeze zucchini for the winter

Let us list the basic rules for freezing zucchini for the winter.

Vegetables with these characteristics are suitable for this:

• unripe fruits;
• without signs of rot or spoilage on the peel.

Before chopping the zucchini:

• wash, remove from the stalk;
• dry thoroughly;
• if the fruits are overripe, then peel them from seeds and adjacent pulp;
• In large fruits, cut off the top layer of the peel if it is hard.

What fruits are suitable for freezing?

Use ripe, fresh zucchini. Vegetables should be firm, ripe and evenly dark in color. The color of the zucchini is an indicator that the fruit is not overripe.Do not use soft or pale zucchini. Also avoid damaged, rotten or scratched fruit.

Important! If possible, use freshly harvested zucchini. When buying vegetables at the store, make sure they are ripe and stored in the refrigerator.

If you can't freeze zucchini right away, keep them in the refrigerator until frozen.. But before freezing, make sure the vegetables are still ripe and firm.

How to prepare vegetables for freezing

The algorithm for preparing for freezing is as follows:

1. Thoroughly rinse the batch of vegetables to be frozen.
2. Wipe each fruit dry.
3. Peel large fruits from peels, seeds and adjacent chaff.
4. Grind.
5. Blanch (optional).
6. Cook in advance: fry until done in slices, saute, cook caviar - if desired.
7. Squeeze out the mass if it was crushed using a grater or blanched.
8. Dry slightly by spreading a mass of cubes, sticks, and circles in one thin layer on a table, baking sheet, or large flat plate.
9. Collect in a bag (vacuum, regular), place on a cutting board, the size of which is smaller than the width and depth of the freezer.
10. Place the packaged product in the chamber.

Optimal temperature and shelf life

Prepared zucchini can be packaged:

1. In plastic/metal food containers.
2. In ordinary plastic bags.
3. In vacuum sealed bags.
4. On a flat board (suitable for preparing a couple of servings).

Vegetables freeze perfectly as in a regular refrigerator freezer (- 12°C; - 18°C), and in a freezer with deep-freezing boxes products (at temperature: -24°C; -26°C). Frozen zucchini can be stored for up to 10 months.

Read about freezing other vegetables:

How to freeze tomatoes for the winter

How to freeze green beans

Freezing methods

There are different ways to freeze zucchini for the winter in the freezer.: fresh, diced, baked, pureed, with herbs and vegetables.

There must be free space in the freezer drawer for air circulation.. You cannot freeze vegetables and animal products in the same box. It is best to use special bags for freezing food, as they retain their shape and fit tightly around the food. There should be no air bubbles between the bag and the food.

Preparing zucchini for baby feeding

To freeze squash puree, boil the squash for 10 minutes., cool and let the water drain. Then crush with a blender or rub through a sieve. Pour the well-chilled mass into molds and place in the freezer.

These zucchini are used to feed children in their first year of life., as well as for preparing puree soups and vegetable sauces. To do this, defrost the puree completely, beat it again and heat it up.

Grated zucchini for pancakes

Depending on what you are going to cook, zucchini can be grated either on a coarse or fine grater.

1. Wash the vegetables well. If the zucchini is young, cut off the stem. If the zucchini is ripe, they should be peeled and the seeds removed.
2. Grate the zucchini.
3. Squeeze the mass so that the juice can drain.
4. If desired, you can season with pepper.
5. Place in bags or containers and place in the freezer.

Zucchini, frozen cubes

This is a universal method that will allow you to prepare any dish from vegetables. – stew, ratatouille, soup, omelet and other dishes.This recipe calls for blanching the vegetables before freezing, which is not necessary.

If you don't intend to do this, just skip this step. If this option is for you, then we tell you, how to do it:

1. Wash the vegetables well. If the zucchini is young, cut off the stem. If the zucchini is ripe, they should be peeled and the seeds removed.
2. Cut the pulp into slices or cubes.
3. Pour water into a large saucepan, filling it about 2/3 full. Bring to a boil. Drop in the zucchini and blanch for 5 minutes. Then place them in a colander to drain. Place on a board and wait for them to cool.
4. Place the zucchini in bags or containers and place in the freezer.

How to freeze zucchini rings for the winter

To freeze zucchini rings::

1. Rinse them thoroughly.
2. Dry using a kitchen towel.
3. Remove the stem, touching 2 cm of the adjacent part of the vegetable.
4. Peel if desired.
5. Cut the vegetable crosswise into nickels equal in circumference.
6. Blanch.
7. Dry.
8. Place the circles into several small bags so that they do not freeze to each other.
9. Place in the freezer.

Preparing fried zucchini rings

You can freeze for preservation not only fresh vegetables, but also fried ones.. This method allows you to quickly prepare a zucchini dish.

It is better to take young zucchini for frying.. They are thoroughly washed, dried with a paper towel and cut into slices. Zucchini rings are salted, peppered, and then breaded in flour. Prepared zucchini is fried on both sides until crispy.

When the vegetables have cooled completely, place them in a freezer bag or plastic container.. In this case, each layer of fried zucchini should be covered with food-grade polyethylene, otherwise they will stick together. The laid out fried zucchini is put into the freezer compartment.

Fresh zucchini with herbs

Wash the zucchini well, peel it, and then cut it into cubes. It is recommended to use dill as greens, as it goes better with zucchini to taste. It is necessary to wash it and grind it.

Zucchini sticks are laid out on a wide dish in one row - a kitchen board or other flat surface that will fit in the freezer compartment will do. Sprinkle dill on top and put it in the refrigerator. Frozen cubes with herbs are packaged in containers.

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Freezing zucchini for the winter with rice, carrots and other vegetables

To prepare various dishes, you can freeze zucchini in combination with herbs (dill, parsley) and other vegetables. – carrots, beets, eggplants. To do this, we use prepared zucchini cubes. Mix them with chopped herbs, vegetables and chopped cubes.

We freeze it on a pallet, pack it in bags and put it in the freezer for storage.. This preparation of vegetables for the winter will allow you to quickly and easily prepare delicious dishes without spending time on peeling and cutting ingredients.

Let us share with you an interesting option zucchini preparations.

For cooking you will need:

• zucchini – 3 pcs.;
• sweet pepper – 2 pcs.;
• onion – 1 head;
• large carrots – 1 pc.

Optional you can vary the number of vegetables at your own discretion.

Cooking method:

1. Stew the vegetables, cook the rice until half cooked.
2. Mix.
3. Place the resulting mixture in containers or freezer bags.
4. Place in the freezer.

You can also freeze zucchini and vegetables raw., and in winter send it from the freezer to a frying pan or a slow cooker.

With minced meat

Stuffed boats or cups - another option for a delicious zucchini dish. You can stuff it, lay it out on a board and then place the frozen semi-finished products in a bag. Or you can freeze just the boats or cups so you can stuff them with minced meat just before cooking.

How to defrost zucchini correctly

Most often, frozen zucchini is not defrosted before cooking.. They can be heated in the microwave. If you need to defrost the zucchini, do it in the refrigerator or on the counter at room temperature. The released liquid is drained.

The puree can also be thawed in the refrigerator or at room temperature.. Zucchini, cut into slices, are taken out of the freezer, slightly defrosted (halfway), rolled in flour or dipped in batter and fried.

How to use it later

After defrosting, the cubes are stewed, baked with meat or other vegetables. Recipes for cooking frozen zucchini in cubes are varied: stew is prepared from larger cubes, and caviar is prepared from smaller cubes.

Zucchini rings are an excellent base for a healthy omelet or just scrambled eggs. — you don’t even have to defrost them; you can immediately put them in a frying pan or on a baking sheet. You can fry frozen zucchini in slices. They are also suitable for various vegetable and meat casseroles.

Grated ones are added to soups and stewed vegetables. Pieces 1-1.5 cm take three minutes to cook, pieces 2-2.5 cm take five minutes..

Reference. Zucchini frozen after blanching can be used in the same way as frozen zucchini without it. You can add a small amount of them to red borscht.

General rules: how to preserve the taste and benefits of a vegetable

To ensure that all the beneficial properties of zucchini are preserved, you should follow the recommendations for selecting, preparing, freezing and storing vegetables.

The process of preparing zucchini for freezing includes the following steps:

• thorough washing;
• wiping each fruit from moisture;
• peeling;
• cutting off the stalk;
• extraction of the core and seeds with adjacent pulp;
• blanching.

Next, proceed according to the method of freezing vegetables.

Attention! Blanching is a step that is necessary to obtain a high-quality frozen product. If you omit it, the zucchini will taste rubbery. The blanching process itself involves placing food in boiling water for 2 minutes to rid it of various microorganisms and destroy enzymes.

After blanching, vegetables chopped in any way must be placed in a vacuum-sealed bag or food container. A plastic bag is not a very suitable option for freezing food, because it does not have sufficient density.

Vegetables should be frozen using a freezer at a temperature between -10°C and -20°C. You should not refreeze previously thawed foods.

Reviews

Thrifty housewives advise preparing several types of frozen zucchini for the winter.. Thanks to this, you can please yourself and your loved ones with a variety of dishes using this vegetable.

Anastasia: “I love eating zucchini in winter. I always freeze them in different ways, especially since they are low-calorie, so you don’t have to worry about your figure.Plus, my kids and husband adore them. I especially like to freeze it in rings and bake zucchini with cheese before the New Year.”.

Anna: “Since I didn’t ask in advance how to properly freeze zucchini, my vegetables turned out to have a “rubbery” taste, and therefore immediately went into the trash. As it turned out later, I had to blanch them first, which I did the next time I froze. It turned out just great! Now I regularly use this method of freezing zucchini for the winter.".

Catherine: “For several years now I have been freezing fresh zucchini at home to prepare baby food. First I boil them, then grind them in a blender. Sometimes I also add a little sugar and apples to the finished mixture. The puree turns out very tasty".

Conclusion

Freezing takes less time compared to canning and pickling. There are certain subtleties to freezing zucchini. Having studied them, housewives will be able to pamper their loved ones with their favorite dishes even in the cold season, thereby significantly saving the family budget.

Zucchini is used to prepare main dishes, side dishes, baked goods, salads and even jam.