Produce Overload: How to Freeze Zucchini 5 Different Ways
Help! I’m drowning in zucchini! How can I preserve some for later?
If you ask me, freezing is my favorite method of preserving my harvest. Wondering how to freeze zucchini? You can freeze zucchini whole, sliced, shredded, and spiralized. It’s so easy! See below for details on every method of freezing zucchini.
Zucchini is a very popular vegetable and a great one for gardeners to grow. It usually gives great yields, too. So, if you end up with loads of summer zucchini, you might want to know what to do with it all so that it doesn’t go bad. Zucchini is very easy to grow, and it has a long growing season. That means you may end up with a whole lot of it, and you don’t want it to go to waste.
How to Freeze Zucchini For Later Use
Let’s look at some practical tips and insight for freezing zucchini that’ll give you your best yield.
Can I freeze zucchini without blanching?
Good question! Many are unsure that this is possible. The answer is: yes, you can! BUT… zucchini and squash frozen this way won’t last as long, and when thawed, they will be mushy.
With that said, there are 2 ways you can freeze zucchini without blanching and get away with it:
- Shredded zucchini – you’ll more than likely use it for baking, and even though the thawed shredded zucchini will be mushy, it’s still good for baking
- Whole zucchini – since you’ll need to blend it into a soup or sauce, it won’t really matter if it feels spongy or too soft when you use it
1. Can You Freeze Zucchini Whole?
If you’re busy and have too many zucchinis, you might be wondering if you can just freeze them whole. You sure can freeze your zucchini as is, if you plan to use them in a couple of months.
Freezing zucchini whole isn’t the best way to preserve them, and it’ll be harder to use them when thawed. But sometimes we need to do it to save the zucchini.
Large freezer bags work well for storing them, preventing freezer burn, and making it easy to pull them out later when you need them.
What can you do with whole (or sliced into big chunks) frozen zucchini? Not too many things, but here are some ideas.
- Cream of zucchini soup
- Sauce for pasta or mashed potatoes
- Roughly chop them up (after thawing) and add them to a veggie soup.
Interesting fact: Did you know that luffa gourds taste just like zucchini when picked very young?
2. Can You Freeze Zucchini Halves?
Absolutely! Scoop out the seeds just as you would before filling them up. Then they are ready.
The secret for frozen zucchini halves is to flash freeze them on a baking sheet, then place them in a freezer container. This way, they’ll keep their shape and you’ll have no problem filling them with your favorite veggie mixture.
3. Can You Freeze Zucchini Slices?
Freezing sliced zucchini is better than freezing them whole. This way, they’ll take up less space in the freezer and be ready for cooking once thawed out.
However, just like many other vegetables, zucchini has enzymes that will deplete the nutrients in it over time. It will also soften and discolor the vegetable. So, you should blanch the zucchini first.
Blanching is really just a very quick bath in boiling water, followed by a dip in ice water. The blanching process will destroy the enzymes, as well as any other bacteria that might be lurking around on your zucchini. Once you’ve blanched, you’re ready to put them in the freezer.
Portion them out into pint or quart-sized freezer baggies and freeze them. It just makes it easier to store them, and they take up less space in the freezer when placed in there properly.
4. Can You Freeze Zucchini Noodles (Also Called Zucchini Zoodles)?
Another great idea is to freeze your zucchini noodles. Start out by making your zoodles with a spiralizer, then salt them and let them drain in a colander for a few minutes. Soak up the liquid with a paper towel and then store them in a single serving container.
Then, when you’re ready for some zucchini pasta, you just pull them out, put the frozen zoodles in a colander and immerse them in boiling water for a minute or two, and they’re ready to eat!
5. Can You Freeze Shredded Zucchini?
You can freeze shredded zucchini.
BTW, if you shred a lot of vegetables, you should get a small food processor. I promise you won’t regret this decision. You’ll save your arms (it gets tiring to shred 10 zucchinis) and a lot of time. It takes less than 20 seconds to shred a zucchini.
Once shredded, portion the zucchini out into small bags and stack them up in the freezer. Think ahead to what you’ll be using the frozen shredded zucchini for and choose the right size container.
Frozen shredded veggies will bunch up into one clump, and if you don’t need that much, it will be difficult (if not impossible) to separate just how much you need from a frozen chunk.
Other Ways to Freeze Summer Squash and Zucchini
You may wonder if there’s any other way to freeze zucchini. While not as popular as the above, there are a few more ways to freeze squash and zucchini:
- Freeze zucchini puree – just saute or steam your zucchini, puree it, and freeze. You can use this to make baby food, add it to mashed potatoes, soups, and sauces.
- Made some zucchini tots? Freeze some for later. When you’re in the mood, just pop them into the oven for a few minutes to crisp up and enjoy!
- Cook more than you need and freeze the cooked zucchini. I froze zucchini soup and roasted zucchini: delicious!
Next Steps: Label Your Frozen Zucchini
No matter how you freeze your zucchini, I highly recommend writing the date on the outside of the freezer bag. This is very important, especially if you’re making different batches on different days. You will want to eat it in order.
Some people also like to put the way it’s prepared on the bag – whole, slices, shredded, etc. – because once frozen, it will all look about the same. It’ll also make it easier when sorting through a bunch of frozen goods to find what you need for a recipe.
Now you know so much more about freezing zucchini, and you are ready to give it a try for yourself. When you’re ready to thaw and use your frozen zucchini, it’s best when served with other veggies. You could put it in a soup or use it for a pasta sauce. It doesn’t always work as well in stir-fries or steamed veggie dishes once it’s been frozen.
Learn how to freeze other fresh produce.
Of course, make sure you eat some of it now, while fresh.
How to Use Frozen Zucchini and Summer Squash
There are so many different ways to cook zucchini, you will never run out of ways to make it. If you like baked zucchini, you’ll love this collection of recipes.
You can use frozen summer squash and zucchini for many delicious recipes! Here are just a few ideas:
- Zucchini bread
- Sautéed zucchini
- Muffins
- Zucchini pancakes
- Pizza
- Frittata
- Quiche
- Smoothies
- Stir-fries
- Baby food
- Soups
This is only the tip of the iceberg. There are so many wonderful things you can do now that you know how to freeze zucchini!
Under #2 freezing zucchini as slices, it mentions blanching before freezing. Do you recommend blanching for #4–freezing as shreds?
Susan, it’s probbaly best if you blanch them no matter how you freeze them, just because they keep better. But if you’re planning to use them soon (lees than a couple months after freezing), you can do it without.
Can you blanch summer squash and freeze like zucchini?
Yes, you can.
How long should you blanch them
It depends on which method you use. Sliced or cubed, do it for a couple minutes. Shredded and zoodles, 30 to 60 seconds.
How much salt would you add to your zoodles? If you freeze them whole could you turn them into zoodles after thawed?
Very little salt: just enough to draw out the liquid form the zucchini. And no, I don’t think you can make zoodles from thawed whole zucchini. They’ll be too soft
After freezing can you fry the zucchini ?
I never tried it. I think the zucchini might be too soft and squishy to fry. If you try, please come back and let us know how it went.
I fry my fresh zucchini as well as my frozen zucchini. I use slices or chunks. Boil in a little water till soft, drain, add some cream(or half/half), some butter, and shredded cheese over the top. Cook until cheese is melted. My family loves this vegetable dish.
Thanks for sharing Linda. I might give your method a try 🙂
I have Frozen slices and halves of zucchini and grilled them… And they are very mushy.. Not a good idea to grill Frozen zucchini…
Yes, frozen zucchini is best used in soups and baking.
I froze my zukes after shredding, dicing and slicing. I didn’t blanch them. Can I thaw, blanch and refreeze?
I fried some courgettes and wondered if I could freeze them to use later in a soup
Absolutely. I fry many of them in the summer and freeze them in small containers to eat later with garlic. YUM!
After blanching freezing sliced zucchini, are you able to grill it or will it be too mushy?
Thank you
Yes, it will probably be too mushy. It’s best used in soups and baking
Hi I am wondering can you freeze zucchini then take it out to dethaw then make noodles with it or is it that you need to make the noodles first then freeze
Yes, you need to make the noodles first.
I slice my zucchini bread it and freeze it single layer (fresh not cooked). Straight to hot pan, no defrosting works well.
My zucchini is long, dense and hard to slice. Is it still good for cooking?
Maureen
I still use it, but only for creamed soup. I have a really good blender (VitaMix) and then I strain it through a very dense strainer, so it take out the woody skin
For zoodles, do you have to salt if you are going to blanch?
I wouldn’t.
I’m confused. In an earlier comment you said you would blanch the ones being frozen as zoodles for 30 to 60 seconds and here you said that you wouldn’t blanch them.
Wendy, she was asking if you need to salt them before blanching, and you don’t. I hope that makes sense.
I am making zucchini relish in a few weeks but have the zucchini’s now. I usually salt the grated zucchini and then wash and drain. Should l do this before freezing?
Kelly, i personally woulnd’t do that. You lose a lot of the nutrients when you wash out the juice.
Can you peel the zucchini before blanching
You can, if you want to, but I never do. I love the whole zucchini 😉
I slice zucchini and summer squash and fry in a little olive oil. Then put the slices on a cookie sheet, single layer, and freeze them. Once they are frozen I bag them up, remove as much air as I can, and put them in the freezer. I find the texture to be better that way.
Great idea! Thanks for sharing 🙂
When blanching, how long is a “quick bath”?
Cook it for 3 minutes, from the time you add it to the boiling water.
I have several zucchini and I want to make “lasagna noodles” out of them. Can I clean, slice and freeze the slices and use them as lasagna noodles after defrosting?
I haven’t tried this personally, but I don’t see why not. I would blanch them first to keep them in better shape. Let me know how well it worked if you decide to try it.
ILOVEGARDENING thank you – as no one can give me a tried and true answer to my “lasagna noodle” question. I guess I’ll take the virgin voyage and let you all know the outcome. Thank you for the reply.
Kelly Anderson, I’d love to have your zucchini relish recipe. Would you be willing to share on this website? Always looking for innovative ways to use our yearly abundance of zucchini — apart from taking it to our Soup Kitchen, which we often do.
My mother came up with this idea many years ago. Before she froze shredded zucchini for baking bread, she added the amount of sugar the recipe called for. The sugar absorbed some of the water at defrosting time and the mixture was ready to add to the other ingredients.
My garden zucchini is ready now, but my tomatoes are not yet ready to pick. Can I blanch and freeze chopped zucchini and later can it with tomatoes? I don’t want to have to go to the store and buy tomatoes when I will have a lot in a week or so.
I don’t see why not.
How much sodium do the zoodles wind up with?
Most of the salt will drain with the water. But if I had to give you an exact amount, I have no idea. Sorry.
Karen Teeling – I use zucchini for lasagna all the time! I like to grill it on the BBQ first or roast in the oven to remove some of the moisture. I prefer this over blanching the slices. This is the first year I’ve tried freezing the grilled slices but I think they will be fine. I brush them with olive oil beef ore grilling. No salt.