Is it possible to freeze zucchini, how to do it correctly

Zucchini - tasty, healthy vegetables filled with vitamins and microelements that grow well in central Russia. And every housewife would like to stock up on zucchini for the winter in order to be able to quickly prepare her favorite dishes.

Preservation does not always retain vitamins, and therefore proper freezing will help cope with this task. Is it possible to freeze zucchini?

Content:

1. Preparing vegetables for freezing
2. Freezing methods
3. The most delicious recipes for frozen zucchini dishes

Preparing vegetables for freezing

In the summer, it’s worth thinking about harvesting while the fruits are young, juicy and sweet:

• You are confident in the quality of the grown and frozen product.
• It is at this time that the fruits are most useful.
• Freezing is always at hand and can always help out if you have little time to prepare dishes.
• In winter they cost much more, which puts a serious dent in your pocket.

How do you properly prepare them for freezing? Small ones are considered the best vegetables with a thin soft peel, juicy pulp and small, imperceptible seeds.

There are several rules for harvesting in this way. So that after all the manipulations and further defrosting they do not lose their softness and taste, enzymes (enzymes) must be removed from vegetables to the maximum. It is their presence in the fruits that explains the tastelessness and hardness of defrosted preparations.

In this case, do I need to blanch the zucchini before freezing? Yes, this will help solve the problem.

In general, they get rid of enzymes in several ways: by blanching, sprinkling with salt, or steaming for a short time.

Air is removed from the package with the prepared product for longer storage. It is better to choose plastic bags for this purpose; removing excess air from containers will be problematic, and they take up much more space in the freezer.

To preserve all the beneficial substances, it is better to resort to stress freezing, that is, at the lowest possible temperatures, if possible. And later, packages with semi-finished products can be transferred to a regular refrigerator compartment.

Freezing methods

There are a lot of freezing methods, and according to the shape of the resulting semi-finished products, they are distinguished:

• In circles (for frying).
• Cube.
• Grated for pancakes.
• Grated mixed with other vegetables.

Rinse the fruits well with water and dry. Cut off the ends and cut into circles, as for frying. Pour water into a saucepan, heat to a boil and place all the cuttings in it. Blanch over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for no more than 5 minutes.

The finished mugs are placed in a colander, allowed to drain, cool and placed in freezer bags. If possible, remove the air from them and put them in the freezer; 2 hours will be enough.

Instead of blanching, they often use the “steam” multicooker function or a double boiler for the same number of minutes.

You can also freeze already prepared fried vegetables. Once you take them out of the refrigerator, all you have to do is warm them up.

It is very convenient to freeze in small cubes. This type of freezing is ideal for preparing stews, various soups, first foods, can be used for dietary and baby food, squash puree, and caviar.

It's quick and easy to do: vegetables wash, dry, cut into cubes of the size you need.Place everything chopped into a container and lightly sprinkle with coarse salt. The cuttings are mixed and left for about 10 - 15 minutes, at which time the juice begins to release. Remove it with dry paper towels or place the pieces in a colander.

The resulting salted cubes are laid out on a flat surface: a cutting board, a tray and frozen at the lowest temperature possible for your refrigerator.

And after 20 minutes you can take them out, package them in small portions and put them in a storage chamber.

Is it possible to freeze grated zucchini? If you are a fan of zucchini pancakes, try making semi-finished products for the winter for your favorite dish.

This is done quickly:

• Clean and dry zucchini is grated on a coarse or medium grater.
• The resulting mass is sprinkled with salt and the released water is drained after 15 minutes.
• You can add grated carrot or leave it pure.
• The resulting mass is laid out in containers or bags and placed in a general freezer.

In winter, before preparing pancakes, defrost the mixture well, squeeze again and cook according to the usual proven recipe.

The most delicious recipes for frozen zucchini dishes

There are a huge number of recipes for cooking frozen zucchini, for every taste and preference, and the question “what to cook” does not arise; choose a recipe from the simplest to the most sophisticated.

Zucchini in beer batter:

• 500 grams of vegetables cut into rings.
• Beer 100 ml.
• Chicken egg 1 pc. (2 quail).
• Flour 100 gr.
• Salt, pepper taste.

First, prepare the batter by whisking an egg with a whisk or fork, adding salt, pepper and your favorite seasonings to the mixture, and pouring in cold beer. Mix the batter thoroughly and add half the flour.Then gradually stirring, add the rest of the flour.

The dough should be a little thinner than for regular pancakes. The zucchini is defrosted, dried with a towel, dipped in batter and placed in a hot frying pan with a sufficient amount of vegetable oil.

Fry the pieces until golden brown, serve with sour cream and herbs as an appetizer.

Vitamin stew from frozen zucchini and other vegetables:

• 1/2 kg frozen diced zucchini.
• 700 gr potatoes.
• 1 medium onion.
• 200 grams of vegetables to taste (carrots, peas, broccoli, pepper).
• Greenery.
• Salt, pepper, spices to taste.
• Garlic 2, 3 heads.

To prepare the stew, take a deep saucepan, cauldron or slow cooker. Grease the bottom with vegetable oil. Place the pan over medium heat and fry the onion, cut into half rings, until golden brown.

In a multicooker, this is done on the “frying” mode for 10-12 minutes. Then turn on the stew mode for 40 minutes, and cooking in the pan will take about 35 minutes. Next, add the fruits to the pan and, after a few minutes, the frozen zucchini. Salt, pepper, add your favorite spices.

Cut the peeled potatoes into pieces of the size you need and place in a pan with vegetables. Pour 2 cups of water over the vegetable mixture. 15 minutes before the end of cooking, add chopped herbs and finely chopped garlic. The dish is served with hot sour cream.

Frozen Zucchini Casserole:

• Frozen zucchini 900 gr.
• Onion – 2 bulbs.
• Egg (chicken) – 4 pcs.
• Hard cheese 250 gr.
• Garlic 2 cloves.
• Butter 60 gr.
• Greenery.

Thaw the fruits and grate them on a fine grater. Heat a frying pan, pour a little vegetable oil and fry finely chopped garlic and onion.Zucchini is fried in another frying pan.

In a baking dish, generously greased with butter, combine the fried vegetables and onions, garlic, grated cheese and mix thoroughly until smooth. Place the mold in an oven preheated to 180-200 degrees for 25-30 minutes. The casserole is ready.

Frozen zucchini is not only a treasure trove vitamins and useful substances, but also an excellent first food for small children, a wand - a lifesaver for any housewife.

This versatile vegetable goes well with other products, added to soups, stews, main courses, and salads.

More clearly about freezing zucchini - when watching the video: