Do you have an abundance of fresh zucchini from your garden this year? It seems like zucchini is a vegetable that always produces more than we need, but that’s not a bad thing! They are great to share with neighbors, family, and friends!
How to Store Fresh Zucchini
When I let the zucchini grow large in my garden, I call it a leg sized zucchini. You can see an example of that here in this YouTube Video. Leg size zucchini will stay fresh for months! I wash them in a vinegar wash with ¼ cup distilled white vinegar and 10 cups of water. You might need to double that amount to have enough water to wash the zucchini. After washing, allow it to completely dry and then store it in your pantry or on your counter.
Smaller, cucumber sized, fresh zucchini I wash in the same vinegar wash but then I store it in the crisper drawer. If you buy these at the grocery store, be sure to take it out of the plastic bag which will store the moisture and cause it to go bad faster. Better yet, you can use my reusable mesh or muslin produce bags when you are shopping. Those can be found in The Cross Legacy Shop. This smaller size fresh zucchini, whether from the store or your garden, will last three to four weeks when stored correctly in your crisper drawer.
Zucchini is one of the items included in bestselling book, the Zero Waste Produce Guide. It has directions for washing and 75 of the most popular fruits and vegetables so that you can make them last longer and have no produce waste! Learn more and get your copy on my website.
Hidden Vegetables
Adding zucchini to recipes is one way to sneak in vegetables as well as stretch the servings of your meat. For example, diced zucchini could be added to homemade meatballs. It takes on the flavor of the meat and most people won’t even realize it is there. This can allow you to take one pound of beef and prepare even more food with it, which can help tremendously with the grocery budget. You can view my full homemade meatball recipe on this blog post.
It's not a hidden vegetable, but I also use zucchini in this caprese chicken dish.
If you are looking for more creative ways to reduce your grocery budget, I have an online course that can help. Using vegetables to stretch out servings of meat to save money is just one of the many tips that I share which can help you reduce your grocery budget and stress less about food! You can learn more about this course and sign up on my website.
How to Freeze Zucchini
If someone offers you a fresh zucchini from their garden, never turn it down! If you aren’t ready to use it right away or store it in your pantry, you can always freeze it. I freeze my zucchini after shredding it. After shredding it, use a towel to squeeze out the excess moisture. Then measure out 1 ½ cup servings to place into silicone bags or other freezer containers. I freeze it in these portions because this is how much is needed for my zucchini bread recipe and this is also a good amount for mixing in with a pound of ground meat. For optimum freshness, make sure to use up all of your frozen zucchini before the next harvest season.
Another meal that I enjoy making which incorporates zucchini is zucchini boats! The meat mixture for zucchini boats can be batch cooked and put into the freezer so you can take it out at any time for an easy meal that is already mostly prepared for you. As I make recipes like this throughout the year I add them to my private Facebook page for The Grocery Solution, my online course. This is another perk of joining my course.
Zucchini Bread Recipe
One way to use up zucchini is to make zucchini bread! Not only is it delicious, but you can also freeze it and enjoy it later in the year. This allows you to use up the zucchini that you have while it is fresh without having to worry about it going bad.
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread
Equipment
- mixing spoon
- Measuring Cup
- Medium Mixing Bowl
- Loaf Pan, greased
- Cheese Grater
- Small Towel (for wringing out shredded zucchini)
Ingredients
- 1 c. all-purpose flour (or Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Flour)
- ½ c. unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ tsp. baking soda
- ¼ tsp. baking powder
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ¾ c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
- semi-sweet chocolate chips (extra for topping)
- 2 eggs, large
- ¼ c. olive oil
- ¼ c. Greek yogurt, plain
- ½ c. granulated sugar (or Monk Fruit, or Honey)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1½ c. zucchini, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°
- Shred zucchini with a cheese grater.
- Squeeze out the extra moisture with a towel, set aside.
- In a medium bowl, add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to a bowl.
- In a small bowl, add eggs, oil, yogurt, sugar, and vanilla. Mix with a fork until combined.
- Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
- Fold in the zucchini and add chocolate chips.
- Bake for 40 mins in a greased loaf pan.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
This post may contain affiliate links. This means if you purchase through my links, I receive a small commission at no cost to you. For more information, please read my Disclaimer
Leave a Comment