Freezing Zucchini

The National Center for Home Food Preservation recommends steam blanching to freeze grated zucchini for baking and water blanching to freeze zucchini slices.

To freeze grated zucchini for baking:

• Choose young tender zucchini. Wash and grate.
• Use a pot with a tight lid and a basket that holds the food at least three inches above the bottom of the pot.
• Put an inch or two of water in the pot and bring the water to a boil.
• Place the vegetables in the basket in a single layer so that steam reaches all parts quickly.
• Cover the pot and keep heat high. Start counting steaming time as soon as the lid is on.
• Steam blanch in small quantities 1 to 2 minutes until translucent.
• Pack in measured amounts into containers, leaving ½ inch headspace.
• Cool by placing the containers in cold water.
• Seal and freeze. If watery when thawed, discard the liquid before using the zucchini.

To freeze zucchini slices:

• Choose young tender zucchini. Wash and cut in ½ inch slices.
• Use a pot with a lid and a blancher (wire basket, coarse mesh bag or perforated metal strainer).
• Add one gallon water per pound of prepared vegetables to the pot and bring the water to a boil.
• Put the zucchini in the blancher and lower into vigorously boiling water.
• Place a lid on the blancher. The water should return to boiling within 1 minute. If not, you are using too much vegetable for the amount of boiling water.
• Start counting blanching time as soon as the water returns to a boil. Water blanch 3 minutes.
• Plunge the basket of vegetables immediately into a large quantity of cold water, 60 ºF or below.
• Drain and package, leaving ½ inch headspace.
• Seal and freeze. If watery when thawed, discard the liquid before using the zucchini.