Table of Contents
Fresh zucchini is a really versatile vegetable. At the end of the summer, this summer squash bursts out of gardens, and it can be difficult to use all of your extra zucchini before they spoil.
Good news, fresh zucchini can be frozen in perfect portions and frozen zucchini can be used in your favorite zucchini recipes all year round, including zucchini bread, chocolate zucchini cake, in soups, and more!
Grated, Chopped, Sliced, or Cubed Zucchini?
There are a few different ways to prepare your fresh zucchini for the freezer including zucchini slices, zucchini noodles, grated zucchini, and more. It is best to prepare it in a way that your household will use it up the most.
For freezing in portions, we stick with grating our zucchini.
If you prefer freezing sliced zucchini, you can check out this great post from Downshiftology on how to do that.
Ways to Shred Zucchini
We use 2 main methods to shred the zucchini, depending on how much zucchini we are working with.
For smaller volumes of squash, you can use a box grater (cheese grater) – and there is no need to remove the skin!
With the large number of zucchini we have, we chose to use a food processor with a grating attachment to make this process go much faster.
To Blanche or Not to Blanche Zucchini
You will see many opinions on this, and ultimately, it depends on what you want to use your frozen zucchini for.
For this method, we opt not to blanche our shredded zucchini but instead wring out the liquid using a clean tea towel.
Removing the Moisture in Shredded Zucchini
Before you start grating your zucchini, line a medium to large bowl with a clean tea towel. As you grate, add the zucchini to the bowl.
Then, use the tea towel to wring out the excess liquid into the large bowl. Transfer the zucchini to your Souper Cubes trays.
Allow the zucchini cubes to freeze for 4 hours minimum, and then you can pop them out of the molds and transfer them into freezer bags or freezer-safe containers to preserve zucchini shreds.
How to Thaw and Use Frozen Zucchini
To use your frozen zucchini, place the blocks in a colander over a bowl. This way, as the frozen zucchini defrosts, the moisture goes into the bowl and out of your thawed zucchini.
You can even give it a good squeeze in a tea towel again if it is really moist. But remember, it is the moisture in the zucchini that you want for baking!
To get started using up your frozen zucchini, try our freezer-friendly zucchini bread recipe, which is even baked in our 1 cup trays!
Another great way to use your shredded zucchini cubes is to add them to smoothies and soups!
Step by Step (in pictures) How to FreezeGratedZucchini
There are 6 steps to freezing grated zucchini:
- If you are using a large zucchini, chop it into manageable-sized pieces. Don’t cut zucchini if you are using small zucchinis that you can easily hold with one hand.
- Grate your zucchini (no need to remove the peel) using either a box grater or a food processor with a grating attachment.
- Drape a clean dish towel over a large pot or bowl and place the shredded zucchini on top of the towel.
- When the bowl is 75% full, wring out the excess moisture into the bowl. Discard the water.
- Transfer all the zucchini to your preferred size Souper Cubes tray.
- Store Zucchini. Freeze the zucchini for a minimum of 4 hours, and then you can transfer your frozen zucchini into freezer bags.
That is really how simple it is to freeze zucchini in perfect portions to use them in zucchini recipes all year round! From putting it in pasta sauces for a tasty spaghetti-like dish to making zucchini bread, there are a variety of ways you can use your frozen zucchini.
We would love to know how you use frozen zucchini and your favorite recipes, so let us know in the comments below! Look out for more delicious freezer-friendly meals on our website, and learn how to create meals for you, your friends, and your family!
