Is it possible to freeze zucchini for the winter and how to do it correctly: preparation instructions and advice from experienced housewives

Oh, these summer residents! A little harvest is bad, a lot is bad and they don’t know what to do with it. A familiar situation, don't you agree? It’s good that household appliances allow you to freeze some types of food. Reserve a freezer drawer for frozen zucchini. You will be surprised how many delicious dishes you can prepare from them.

Is it possible to freeze zucchini for the winter?

When sorting the harvest, housewives have a lot of questions. For example, is it possible to freeze zucchini for the winter, and how to do it correctly.

Points for and against

Are beneficial properties lost?

Let's figure out what beneficial properties are contained in fresh zucchini, then compare them with frozen ones.

Zucchini, as you know, is a dietary vegetable. Most of it is water. But there are also many useful substances.

Young zucchini contains:

As for microelements and macroelements, the list here is impressive:

• calcium;
• magnesium;
• a nicotinic acid;
• folic acid;
• Apple acid;
• copper;
• selenium;
• vanadium;
• Selena;
• phosphorus.

And this is not the whole list. The question now is how does the qualitative composition of frozen zucchini change?

Practically nothing if the storage conditions are met. You should not store zucchini in the freezer for a long time. They need to be eaten in the first season, preferably before April. This way, 75-80% of the beneficial properties will be preserved.

Taste qualities

The taste of zucchini is also preserved when frozen.

With proper defrosting, your household won't even notice the difference. Unlike eggplants, zucchini does not become bitter and does not turn into a mushy mass.

Suitable varieties for freezing

If you know the name of the variety you are growing, carefully look at the list below. Have you found yours? Great, your zucchini is suitable for winter storage.

• Pear-shaped;
• Golden Cup;
• Festival;
• Yellow-fruited;
• Negro;
• Genovese;
• Aeronaut;
• Aral F1;
• Arlica F1;
• Gribovsky.

These varieties are most suitable for long-term freezing. They preserve the taste, appearance and beneficial properties as much as possible.

Choosing the right vegetables

There are few rules, but you must follow them:

1. For freezing, choose young fruits. Those that are overripe will have a thick skin.
2. By color: give preference to the lightest fruits. Their center will not get soft during the cooking process.
3. Vegetables should be healthy - without black spots or dents. Choose fruit with smooth skin only.

How to properly freeze zucchini

Well, the vegetables have been collected, all the fruits are smooth, light and young. What's next? You need to know how to properly freeze zucchini. We are happy to share our knowledge with you.

Preparing the vegetable

Proper preparation of zucchini is the key to delicious dishes in the winter cold.

Those who have frozen eggplants at least once already know that pre-soaking in salt water is necessary. It is also advisable to leave the zucchini in water for 30-50 minutes. There is no bitterness in them anyway, but this procedure will make the skin soft.

If you were unable to collect young zucchini, did not have time, or decided to ignore our advice, then take the trouble to remove the seeds from the vegetable.

There is no need to pierce the zucchini.

Make sure the vegetables are dry before you start freezing.

Proper freezing:

• vegetables must be dry;
• Zucchini should not be frozen together with fish and meat. Over a long period of time, the odors will still be absorbed, no matter how tightly you pack the zucchini. For the neighborhood, choose eggplants or greens;
• It is better not to store zucchini in a container - give preference to plastic bags;
• Do not store frozen vegetables for longer than nine months.

Freezing options

There is wide scope for your imagination. We will tell you about the most popular options.

Puree

The word itself suggests cooking vegetables. So:

1. Wash, dry, cut.
2. Place in boiling water and cook until almost done.
3. Grind the cooled vegetables in a blender.
4. Pack the puree into portions. This is the rare case when it is better to choose a container rather than a plastic bag.

Freezing in this form is convenient for families with small children. In winter, you will save time on cooking.

In circles

1. Wash and dry.
2. Cut the vegetables into circles, no more than one and a half centimeters thick.
3. Prepare a flat dish or cutting boards in advance and cover them with cling film.
4. Place the chopped vegetables on the prepared kitchen utensils and place the vegetables in the freezer for a couple of hours.
5. After two hours, transfer the vegetables to a bag, tie tightly and store for long-term storage.

This form of freezing is convenient for preparing vegetable stew or zucchini with meat in winter. They retain their shape perfectly, and the taste is indistinguishable from fresh ones.

Cubes

1. Rinse fresh vegetables well.
2. Cut the zucchini into small cubes.
3. Take advantage of the stress freeze. Without putting them in a bag, put the vegetables in the freezer for two hours.
4. After two hours, pack into bags and put in the freezer.

Advice: Do not freeze large portions.The cubes tend to stick to each other when frozen. Therefore, it is optimal to store frozen vegetables in portions.

Rubbed

The preparation method is similar to puree:

1. Wash the vegetables.
2. Peel the fruits.
3. Grate on a medium grater.
4. Don't forget to squeeze out the juice.
5. Divide the pulp into bags or airtight containers.

Reference: Stress freezing is not necessary in this case.

Fried

Do fried zucchini freeze? Of course yes!

1. Wash and dry the fruits.
2. Cut into circles.
3. Roll in flour.
4. Fry on both sides in vegetable oil.
5. Blot any remaining oil with a napkin.
6. Pack the cooled zucchini into bags and put it in the refrigerator.

Important! Don't forget to salt the vegetables!

Optimal storage conditions and periods

Let's go over the storage conditions again:

• the best storage option is a plastic bag, with the exception of pureed or grated vegetables;
• You should not store zucchini next to meat, fish, mushrooms;
• The optimal shelf life is 6-9 months.

How to defrost correctly

There is no need to defrost the zucchini before cooking. This is especially valuable if you have little time and guests are already on the doorstep.

If you have enough time, defrost the fruits at room temperature.

Note! Do not defrost vegetables in the microwave or hot water.

Further use

You can make the same things from frozen zucchini as you can from fresh ones. Here are some examples of delicious and simple recipes.

Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 0.5 kg frozen zucchini;
• 2 chicken eggs;
• a tablespoon of sour cream;
• a pinch of salt;
• 4 tbsp. l. flour.

Cooking method:

1. Thaw the zucchini. For pancakes, use grated frozen zucchini.
2. Remove excess liquid.
3. Add eggs.
4. Add sour cream, salt and flour.
5. Stir.If it turns out liquid, add flour. Zucchini may release water.
6. Place pancakes by the tablespoon onto a hot frying pan. Fry on both sides.

Best served with sour cream and herbs.

For feeding infants

Frozen zucchini is good for babies. Take care of your baby by freezing zucchini this summer. If you froze the finished puree, then you just need to heat it in a saucepan with a lid.

If the zucchini is frozen raw, then the grated zucchini must be stewed and the excess water squeezed out.

The third option is for you if you froze in circles or cubes. We also stew the zucchini in a small saucepan. Once the vegetables are ready, puree in a blender.

Freezing fried zucchini

The rules for freezing are described above; such zucchini can simply be reheated in the microwave. Serve fried zucchini with toasted bread and garlic.

Vegetable stew

Ingredients:

• 0.5 kg frozen zucchini, slices or cubes;
• 0.5 kg of potatoes;
• 1 carrot;
• 2 onions;
• salt;
• 3 tomatoes;
• greenery;
• bell pepper.

Cooking method:

1. Fry onions and carrots in a frying pan.
2. Add zucchini.
3. Let's stew.
4. Add chopped potatoes. Fill with two glasses of water.
5. Add chopped bell pepper and tomato.
6. We don’t cut the garlic, we put the whole clove on top.
7. Simmer until done.
8. Sprinkle the finished stew with chopped herbs.

Tips and tricks

1. Remove all air from freezer bags.
2. When freezing as a puree, squeeze out all the moisture.
3. Stress freezing will help preserve the beneficial properties as much as possible.
4. Remove the stems.

Reviews from housewives

Kiseleva Lyudmila, Kazan: “This is not the first year I’ve been freezing zucchini. It's so convenient, I don't understand why not everyone does it.I have my own rule: I wash the zucchini in three waters before freezing. The skin becomes soft and is completely invisible when cooking.”

Olga Evtunaeva, Nizhnekamsk: “I froze zucchini for the first time this summer. We live with a large family and need to cook several times a day. Plus we have a lot of kids. Frozen zucchini is an excellent complementary food for infants.”

Kristina Shemakhina, Ekaterinburg: “My grandmother taught me how to freeze zucchini. I never freeze them in plastic containers. There is no way to remove the air from them. But zucchini doesn’t like it. That's why I use double plastic bags. Most often I ice it in circles because I cook them with potatoes in the oven or simply fry them. You know, in winter you so often want a piece of summer.”

Elena Mironenko, Cheboksary: “I love zucchini in any form. We plant different varieties. My advice to summer residents: do not put off freezing until the end of the season, when you are already tired of the harvest. Do the opposite. The first fruits have arrived - we freeze them right away. The first vegetables are stored much longer, they contain many useful substances. And once you have prepared your supplies for the winter, eat fresh zucchini for your health.”

Read also:

The benefits and harms of pumpkin seeds for women: therapeutic effect and rules for using pumpkin seeds.

The benefits and harms of beets for the human body: how, how much and in what form it is better to eat the vegetable.

The harm and benefits of pumpkin seeds for men.

Let's sum it up

Zucchini can and should be frozen. Not all varieties are suitable for freezer storage. For freezing, choose young fruits of medium and small size. If necessary, remove the skin or soak in cold water. The taste and beneficial properties are preserved. You can freeze zucchini in different ways.They can be stewed, fried, combined with meat, herbs, and other vegetables. Zucchini puree is especially useful for infants. It is best to store vegetables in plastic bags and eat up the supply before the next season.

Have a rich harvest and bon appetit!