What and how to store zucchini for a long time - creating ideal conditions

Zucchini appeared in Europe after the discovery of the New World in the 16th century. They were first brought to Russia from Turkey three centuries later. Mexicans ate exclusively zucchini seeds, and only the Italians in the 19th century revealed the real taste of this vegetable to the whole world. It became popular in cooking and is still in demand today.

Zucchini is used to prepare soups, porridges, baby food, vegetable stews and casseroles, and side dishes for main dishes all year round. If you choose the right way to store fruits, you can preserve the freshness and benefits of the product until spring.

Selecting fruits for winter storage

First, decide on the storage method:

• in the cellar;
• apartment;
• in a refrigerator.

The varieties Zolotoy Cup, Festival, and Gribovsky are suitable for these types of storage. Their fruits are distinguished by thick skin and dryish pulp.

Attention. For storage, choose only ripe, not overripe or damaged fruits with a stalk and hard skin. Make sure there are no signs of freezing or rotting.

Let the harvested zucchini sit in the sun to harden the skin. Shake them off the ground or wipe them with a dry cloth, and put them in boxes. Vegetables should not touch each other. To avoid this, wrap each of them in paper. You can pre-fill the box with straw or sawdust.

The storage place should be dark, cool and clean.Sun rays and high temperatures cause premature germination of seeds inside the fruit; mold and rodents will not allow zucchini to be stored for a long time.

We select a convenient method

In the refrigerator, zucchini is stored whole in the vegetable compartment. This storage method is also suitable for early varieties. Wrap each fruit in paper or a plastic bag. Make holes in the packaging first so that moisture does not accumulate and the zucchini does not begin to rot.

Attention. Avocados, pears, peppers, tomatoes, apples and melons are undesirable neighbors for zucchini. They emit ethylene, which reduces the shelf life of the crop.

In the cellar, with a humidity of 80-85% and a temperature of +4 to +10 degrees, it is possible to preserve the harvest until spring. To do this, check that there is no mold or rodents in the basement. Maintain optimal temperature and humidity. Ventilate if necessary.

Place the fruits so that they do not touch on racks, shelves, or boxes. Hang from the cellar ceiling in stockings or nets.

Protect your crops from the spread of diseases and moisture:

• spread dry straw;
• make thick cardboard partitions between the zucchini;
• Wrap each fruit in wax paper.

There are several options for storing zucchini in an apartment:

• in boxes that can be placed under the bed, on a heated balcony, in a closet;
• spread in one layer on sawdust or straw under the bed.

Choose storage methods that are convenient for you. Check the condition of the fruit, especially the tail, every 10-14 days. Maintain optimal temperature (+4 degrees) and humidity in the cellar or apartment. By performing these simple manipulations, you will preserve the harvest until spring.

In the refrigerator on the vegetable shelf, zucchini can be stored for 2-3 months.In the freezer, the shelf life of zucchini increases to six months.

Read also:

How to cook delicious crispy lightly salted zucchini in a bag.

Let's preserve the taste and benefits: how to freeze zucchini fresh for the winter.

Saving the harvest until spring: how to properly store zucchini for the winter.

Alternative methods

Zucchini can be stored at home not only in its whole form. There are other ways that we will now look at.

Drying is a simple, convenient, financially beneficial method in which the vitamin and taste qualities of the vegetable are not lost. All varieties of zucchini are suitable for it.

Select young fruits that have not yet set seeds, or remove the seeds. Place washed, peeled, chopped vegetables at a distance of 5-10 mm from each other or string them on a strong thread.

Reference. Before drying, zucchini can be blanched in boiling water for 1-2 minutes. After heat treatment, the pieces are quickly cooled under running cold water or in a container with ice and excess moisture is removed with paper napkins (towels).

Types of drying:

• solar-air - on a sieve in direct sunlight, on a string in a well-ventilated, warm room or outside for 3-4 days;
• in the oven preheated to 50 degrees - on a baking sheet for 6-7 hours;
• in an electric dryer at a temperature of 45-50 degrees - on a wire rack for 4-5 hours.

The zucchini is dried until the moisture has completely evaporated, and they lose up to 90% of their weight. The degree of readiness of zucchini is determined by their appearance after cooling. The pieces darken, wrinkle, and become elastic.

The resulting dried product is stored closed in glass, plastic jars or bags in a dark place.

Attention. When drying outdoors, protect vegetables with a net from contact with flies and other insects.

Before adding to dishes, dried zucchini can be soaked in warm water for 20-30 minutes so that they regain their original shape. But this is not necessary, because during stewing and cooking this will happen without your participation. Porridge, vegetable stew, soup, vegetable casserole, scrambled eggs - this is an incomplete list of dishes that you can prepare with this product.

Freezing is a modern, convenient way to store vegetables and fruits. Let's look at how to properly freeze zucchini.

There are several options:

1. Rings.
2. Pieces (cubes, sticks).
3. Grinded on a grater.
4. In the form of puree.

Whichever method you choose, thoroughly wash and dry the vegetables.

Place zucchini, cut into rings, in one layer on a cutting board, flat plate or tray, and place in the freezer for 2-3 hours. After this, put the frozen pieces into bags or containers and store them in the freezer. They are added to vegetable casserole, omelette, and fried in a frying pan with garlic and dill.

Freeze cubes and sticks, grated zucchini immediately in containers or bags. From the pieces you will get an ideal semi-finished product for vegetable stews, soups, and cereals. After defrosting, you can bake pancakes and pancakes from grated vegetables.

To introduce complementary foods to your baby, freeze zucchini puree in plastic jars or molds. For ease of use, try to choose small forms (for 1 use).

Preservation is a labor-intensive, but excellent in terms of results and storage duration. After heat treatment, the blanks are stored in sterile jars from one to three years. Zucchini does not have its own distinct taste. Preservation using salt, vinegar, and spices helps to acquire it.

Both early and late varieties are suitable for this method of preparing vegetables for the winter. Fresh fruits without signs of rotting or mold are taken for processing. Salads, caviar, lecho, salted or pickled rings or zucchini slices can be sealed in zucchini jars for the winter.

Delicious recipes for the winter

Let's take a closer look at what dishes can be made from zucchini.

Zucchini salad

You will need:

• zucchini – 5 kg;
• hot pepper – 2 pcs.;
• garlic – 15 cloves;
• dill – 500 g;
• parsley – 500 g;
• carrots – 10 pcs.

Marinade:

• salt – 4 tablespoons;
• sugar – 4 tablespoons;
• vinegar 9% – 200 g;
• water – 2 l.

Cooking method

Cut the zucchini into 2x2 cm cubes. Grate the carrots on a coarse grater. Remove seeds from pepper and cut into rings. Chop the herbs and garlic. Place everything in a saucepan and pour cold marinade over it. Put on fire and boil for 20 minutes. Place in sterile jars and close.

Squash Cavier

Ingredients:

• 3 kg of zucchini;
• 1 kg carrots;
• 1 kg of onion;
• 2-3 tablespoons of tomato paste;
• 1 tablespoon vinegar;
• vegetable oil;
• salt.

Cooking method

Peel, cut and fry the zucchini, carrots, and onions separately. Cool and pass through a meat grinder. Place in one container and simmer, stirring constantly, over low heat for 40 minutes. 20 minutes after the start of stewing, add tomato paste, vinegar, and salt to taste. Place the finished caviar into sterile jars and close.

Adjika from zucchini

You will need:

• 3 kg of peeled zucchini;
• 500 g carrots;
• 500 g sweet pepper;
• 1.5 kg tomato;
• 5 heads of garlic;
• 100 g sugar;
• 2 tbsp. l. salt;
• 2 tbsp. l. ground red pepper;
• 100 ml vinegar;
• 200 g vegetable oil.

Cooking method:

Grind the washed vegetables with a blender or pass through a meat grinder, add pepper, salt, sugar, and vegetable oil. Cook for 35-40 minutes. Five minutes before readiness, add chopped garlic and vinegar. Place into jars and close.

If the vegetables start to spoil

When stored for a long time in the refrigerator, apartment, or cellar, zucchini begins to deteriorate. If you notice signs of rotting on a vegetable, immediately remove it from storage so that the entire crop is not infected. Cut off the rotten area and use this zucchini first. Heavily spoiled and moldy vegetables should not be eaten!

How to store zucchini - secrets of housewives

For storage in the cellar or apartment, do not use plastic bags. Ventilate the room, periodically turn the zucchini from side to side. This will help extend their shelf life.

Before storing, dip the zucchini tail in hot paraffin. This will protect the fruit from rotting, which begins precisely from the stalk.

To freeze, make small portions of the product: this makes it more convenient to place vegetables in the freezer and easier to use in the future.

Leave hot, closed cans of preserves in a warm place upside down, covered with a blanket, until they cool completely. Start trying the preparations after 1-2 months, when the dish acquires a rich, bright taste.

Important. Whatever harvesting method you use, if you have kidney problems, stomach ulcers, or impaired potassium excretion from the body, eat zucchini with caution.

Conclusion

Zucchini is a healthy, tasty vegetable. Salads, caviar, and adjika prepared in jars will serve as decoration for your table all winter. In this article, we have offered you other options for storing crops in winter at home.Choose the one that suits you best.

But remember that when frozen, dried, or stored as a whole, the vitamin and mineral composition remains unchanged, and during heat treatment, some of the beneficial properties are lost. You should not store unprocessed vegetables in storage. Make active use of the summer harvest before it loses its appearance and beneficial qualities.