Hello...newbie's first question

[EricW]

Hopefully many of you have begun to experience either you're own or a neighbor/freinds garden of plethora...my question is about freezing zuchinni for winter time zuchinni (sp?) bread baking.
Do the Zuchinni require peeling? next shred/grate it & then do a steaming blanch?
Is a quart freezer bag substantial enough for 1 or 2 baked loaves?
Thank You!

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

Hi and welcome to SpicePlace Eric!

I have never froze zuccini in a manner for which you speak. I have done pumpkin for pie, but I always cooked my pulp and froze it for future use.

I would imagine if you do grate the zuccini place it onto a large non-stick cookie sheet in a single and then pop it into a very hot 500° oven for a few moments to dry blanche it. Then proceed to the freezer and freeze it on the same cookie sheet in a single layer to flash freeze it. Then you could break it quicky off the cookie sheet & crack it up into freeze storage containers of your choice allowing it to remain as much in tact as possible. Sort of like onions and bell peppers that you use frozen, where you break off only as much as you need for a recipe! Give it a try you have nothing to loose! And good luck!

[EricW]

Thank You!...thats a GREAT idea..I had never thought of it that way...I'm going to try it..as much as I hate to waste any of it....it may take sacrificing 1 to experiment with.
If anyone has another method please feel free to chime in!

[jglass]

A lot of people around here grate it in what ever amount they need for their favorite recipe and pop it straight into the bags and freeze.

I cut this from a site I found.
Farmgirl Fare: How To Freeze Zucchini<br>& My One Claim To Fame

You can also freeze grated zucchini for baking, though I've never tried it. Some people put it straight into bags, but others recommend steam blanching it first. Update: Many thanks to all of you who left comments letting me know that unblanched grated zucchini freezes beautifully--and can be used for more than baking. I now have several bags of it in the freezer. And thanks for all the other zucchini tips, too!

[EricW]

Thank You one & all!

[EricW]

OK...before I put these great methods into action...one last question-how about water content in the raw or thawed Zuchinni...I'm sure I should drain excess water off but wwhat about drying w/ paper towels..?
Thanx again for your patience!

[Mama Mangia]

Squash, summer
(zucchini, yellow, white scallop) Select young squash with small seeds and tender rind. Wash, cut in 1/2-inch slices. Water blanch 4 minutes. Cool and drain. Dry pack with headspace.

To dry pack, place the blanched and drained vegetables into meal-sized freezer bags or containers. Pack tightly to cut down on the amount of air in the package. Leave 1/2-inch headspace at the top of rigid containers and close securely. For freezer bags, fill to within 3 inches of top, twist and fold back top of bag, and tie with a twist tape or rubber band about 1/2- to 3/4-inch from the food. This allows space for the food to expand. Provision for headspace is not necessary for foods such as broccoli, asparagus and Brussels sprouts that do not pack tightly in containers.

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

Also there is a member here that does ALOT of preserving of foods, his name is CanMan and he may jump in with the absolute correct method. I think if you blanche squash in steam or water it will be way too moist for freezing for bread. I really would try the dry method in the oven. It still might loose water, but in a single layer you can break it into small amounts for using in breads. The other way it would be too moist. Unless of course you wanted to use a pureed zuccini to make into the bread.

[Mama Mangia]

at this time of the year - I just bake the zucchini breads and muffins and freeze as well

[EricW]

You folks are all the best!
Its still a bit too warm to be baking here in the Northeast & too fun outside...I'm going to give each method a try & go from there!
Thanks again!
Eric