Savory Zucchini for the Freezer

Savory Zucchini for the Freezer

When the garden is cranking out more zucchini than we can possibly eat fresh, I’m always looking for practical ways to tuck some of that harvest away for later.

Savory Zucchini for the Freezer is one of my favorites because it does two jobs at once: it uses up a good amount of summer squash now, and it gives me an easy vegetable side dish for the winter months.

The zucchini cooks slowly with butter, onion, garlic, and unrefined sea salt until tender and full of flavor. Then I portion it into containers and stash it in the freezer.

Months later, all I have to do is thaw and reheat.

Serve it alongside meat and another vegetable, and dinner is that much easier.

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My Favorite Squash for This Recipe

I actually make this recipe most often with rampicante squash.

The main reason I grow rampicante is because it’s resistant to squash vine borers, which can make growing regular zucchini incredibly frustrating. It’s also extremely productive, which means we usually have plenty to eat fresh and plenty left over to preserve.

When harvested young, I use rampicante just like zucchini or yellow summer squash.

For this recipe, I cut off the bulbous end that contains the seeds and use the long, seed-free neck of the squash. Our pigs are always happy to take care of the seedy ends for me.

Of course, regular zucchini and yellow squash work perfectly too.

Smaller squash are best because they’re more tender and contain fewer seeds. But if your zucchini got away from you in the garden and suddenly resembles a baseball bat, you can still use it.

Just slice it open, remove the seedy core, and dice the remaining flesh.

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Why I Love Savory Zucchini for the Freezer

There are plenty of ways to preserve zucchini, but I especially love having vegetables in the freezer that are already cooked and seasoned.

This isn’t just frozen zucchini waiting to become part of a recipe.

It’s an actual side dish.

On a busy evening, I can pull out a container of Savory Zucchini for the Freezer, add meat and another vegetable, and dinner is well on its way.

It’s also a great way to deal with a bumper crop during the summer. Instead of trying to serve zucchini every single night, I can cook a big pot and move part of the harvest straight into the freezer.

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Ingredients for Savory Zucchini

Zucchini or summer squash: Use small to medium zucchini, yellow squash, or young rampicante squash. If using large zucchini, remove the seedy center first.

Butter: Butter gives the squash a rich, savory flavor. I recommend using good-quality butter from grass-fed cows whenever possible.

Unrefined sea salt: Redmond Real Salt is my go-to. Use code KEEPITREAL for 15% off my favorite unrefined sea salt.

Onion: A little chopped onion adds plenty of savory flavor without overpowering the squash.

Garlic: Fresh minced garlic goes in near the end so its flavor stays noticeable instead of disappearing during the long cooking time.

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How to Make Savory Zucchini for the Freezer

1. Dice the squash

Prepare your zucchini, yellow squash, or rampicante and dice it into bite-sized pieces.

If you’re working with an oversized zucchini, remove the seedy core first.

2. Cook until tender

Melt the butter in a large pot, then add the squash and salt.

Let everything cook slowly until the squash is nice and tender, stirring from time to time.

3. Add the onion and garlic

Once the squash is tender, stir in the chopped onion and allow it to cook a little longer.

Add the garlic toward the very end and cook just long enough to mellow the raw garlic flavor.

4. Cool and freeze

Divide the cooked zucchini among freezer-safe containers and allow it to cool before transferring it to the freezer.

That’s it.

You’ve just turned part of your summer squash glut into an easy winter side dish.

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Best Freezer Containers for Savory Zucchini

This recipe works best in rigid freezer containers rather than freezer bags. The cooked zucchini is soft and contains plenty of moisture, so a sturdy container keeps it protected and makes stacking in the freezer much easier.

I like these freezer containers for all-around freezer preservation of garden produce. They also work especially well for recipes like my Loaded Marinara Sauce.

Another great option is these silicone freezer trays. Freeze the zucchini in individual portions, then pop the frozen cubes out and transfer them to freezer bags for longer-term storage.

Either method makes it easy to freeze the zucchini in useful portions so you can thaw only what you need.

How to Serve Frozen Savory Zucchini

When you’re ready to use it, thaw the zucchini in the refrigerator.

Transfer it to a covered pot with a small amount of water and warm over low heat until heated through.

Because the zucchini is already fully cooked and seasoned, you’re basically just reheating it.

I like to serve it as a simple side dish with meat and one other vegetable. It works especially well alongside roasted chicken, pork, steak, meatballs, or burgers.

This is exactly the kind of food I want waiting in my freezer: homegrown, already prepared, and easy to get onto the dinner table.

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More Ways to Use Up a Big Zucchini Harvest

If you grow zucchini, you already know that one minute you’re waiting impatiently for the first squash and the next minute you have more than you know what to do with.

Here are a few more of my favorite ways to use and preserve a big harvest:

• Freeze shredded zucchini. This is one of the easiest ways to preserve a large quantity of squash. I freeze it in small portions and use it later in soups, chili, taco meat, and more.
• Make Gluten-Free Zucchini Cheese Bread. This savory bread uses a generous amount of shredded zucchini and freezes well. I love to freeze extra loaves and later toast individual slices for breakfast sandwiches or to serve alongside a meal.
• Make Chocolate Zucchini Bread. Another freezer-friendly way to turn extra zucchini into something everyone is happy to eat.
• Fry up Gluten-Free Zucchini Fritters – an easy savory way to turn fresh shredded zucchini into a quick side dish or light meal. Freezer-friendly!
• Freeze batches of Hearty Marinara with Veggies and Ground Beef. Zucchini disappears easily into this veggie-loaded meat sauce, and the finished marinara is perfect for stocking the freezer.
• Make Chicken Taco Soup Starter. This freezer meal starter packs in zucchini along with tomatoes, peppers, onions, and other garden produce. Add broth and cooked chicken later for an easy meal.
• Freeze dry sliced squash. Slice extra zucchini or summer squash and freeze dry it for long-term pantry storage. (Instructions coming soon!)
• Cook with it now. Shredded or finely diced zucchini is easy to tuck into soups, taco meat, chili, casseroles, sauces, and skillet meals. Or make my Potato and Zucchini Skillet Hash, a savory side dish with crispy potatoes, zucchini, onion, and bacon grease that works just as well with dinner as it does with eggs for breakfast.

I rarely preserve our zucchini in just one way. A combination of freezing, freeze drying, baking, and cooking it into meal components gives me the most useful variety for the months ahead.

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Savory Zucchini for the Freezer

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• Author: Kathleen | Roots & Boots
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 6-8 side servings 1x

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Description

Tender zucchini cooked slowly with butter, onion, garlic, and sea salt, then frozen for an easy savory vegetable side dish all winter long.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 8 cups diced zucchini or summer squash
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon unrefined sea salt
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup chopped onion

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Instructions

1. Melt butter in a large pot over low heat.
2. Add diced zucchini and salt and stir to combine.
3. Cook over low heat until the zucchini is tender, stirring occasionally, about 30-45 minutes.
4. Stir in the chopped onion and continue cooking until the onion is tender.
5. Add minced garlic and cook for a few more minutes.
6. Divide the cooked zucchini among freezer-safe storage containers.
7. Allow to cool, then cover and freeze.

To Serve

1. Thaw the zucchini in the refrigerator.
2. Transfer to a covered pot with a small amount of water. Heat over low heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed through.

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Notes

Young rampicante squash works great in this recipe. I grow it primarily because it’s resistant to squash vine borers, and it’s also incredibly productive.

Remove the bulbous, seedy end and dice the long, seed-free portion of the squash.

When using zucchini or yellow squash, small to medium squash will give you the best texture. Larger squash can also be used, but remove the seedy core before dicing.

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