Zucchini are tasty and healthy, easy to digest and combine with various side dishes. Many beneficial vitamins and minerals are found in young peels, pulp, seeds, and even flowers. The popularity of melons and gourds, including in baby food, is understandable, but it is not stored for a long time in an unprocessed form. Many people are interested in how to freeze zucchini fresh for the winter and preserve the nutritional value of the product.
Selection of raw materials
To properly freeze zucchini at home, carefully select the raw materials. For harvesting, you can take vegetables of any color, but preferably young ones, with small seeds and thin peel. Signs of quality zucchini, optimal raw material for freezing:
- fresh;
- ripe (not overripe or unripe);
- not showing signs of rot;
- without damage;
- medium size;
- shiny and smooth;
- with a soft skin that is easy to puncture.
Preparing zucchini for freezing
Before freezing the zucchini in the freezer, rinse them well in running water and pat dry with a cotton towel. Remove the tails of vegetables. Cut the zucchini into pieces, and their size will depend on the future meals.
So, for vegetable stews, mashed soups, it is enough to chop the zucchini into pieces 1-2 cm thick; for frying - into thin circles; for pancakes - rub on a medium grater, you can together with carrots.
In order to freeze the zucchini for the winter fresh and tasty, salt the raw materials with coarsely ground table salt, mix and leave to lie down for 15 minutes. Drain the vegetables in a colander and let the excess moisture drain, then blot the sliced zucchini with a cotton towel.
Freezing zucchini
Arrange the vegetable slices on plastic-wrapped cutting boards. Let the raw materials freeze in the freezer so that the zucchini does not turn into a single frozen lump.
Then spread the vegetables in portions. Air must be removed as much as possible from special freezing bags with locks. Place the zucchini in them, seal it tightly and send to the freezer.
So, you know how to freeze zucchini fresh for the winter. When the time comes to cook dishes from prepared vegetables, take out the portion you need, let the raw materials defrost at room temperature and squeeze out excess moisture. Now you can start cooking.
