Making zucchini recipes to freeze is a great way to preserve a bountiful zucchini harvest or make good use of zucchini picked up at the farmer's market.
As the joke goes, it's important to lock your car doors in the early fall—not for theft prevention, but because friends and family will leave gifts of zucchini in your car during the abundant zucchini harvest season.
Jump to:
- All about zucchini
- Ideas for using and preserving zucchini
- Flavors that pair well with zucchini
- Zucchini freezer recipes
- Main dish zucchini recipes to freeze
- Sweet zucchini recipes to freeze
All about zucchini
Zucchini, also called courgette, is a fast-growing, versatile summer squash available from mid to late summer. Once it starts producing, a zucchini plant will produce prolifically until the first frost or unseasonable cool weather.
Zucchini does not need to be peeled, and all parts are edible except the tough stem end. Some cooks also prefer to trim the blossom end.
Once harvested, zucchini should be stored in the vegetable crisper drawer of the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Gently wash zucchini before using.
Ideas for using and preserving zucchini
- Eat it raw. Add raw, sliced or shredded zucchini to salads or vegetable bowls.
- Shred & freeze it. You can either measure shredded zucchini into the correct proportions for zucchini bread, or use the equivalent of one zucchini per bag. Flatten the bags and freeze on a cookie sheet, then remove the cookie sheet when zucchini is frozen. Shredded zucchini can be added to spaghetti sauce, meatloaf, vegetable soup, and more.
- Spiralize or slice it. Zoodles, short for zucchini noodles, are a popular substitute for pasta. Zucchini sliced lengthwise and prepped to remove liquid makes a delicious substitute for lasagna noodles (see recipe below).
- Freeze zucchini bread. Prepare the recipe as directed, wrap each loaf in plastic wrap and foil, and freeze. Zucchini Bread makes a great hostess gift, housewarming gift, or holiday gift for neighbors and friends (see recipe below).
- Deep-fry it. Zucchini is a delicious addition to vegetable tempura.
- Sauté in butter. Sauté sliced zucchini alone or with yellow squash and/or onion for a delicious and easy side dish. Sautéed zucchini can be frozen after cooking and thawed and heated for a quick and easy side dish.
- Stir-fry it. Sliced zucchini works well in any kind of stir-fry, or as a side dish stir-fried alone or with onions, tomatoes, and/or yellow squash.
- Roast it. Sliced zucchini can be roasted alone or with other vegetables such as onions, tomatoes, and yellow squash. Just toss with oil and season with salt and pepper, then roast at 450ºF until tender and slightly browned. (Pro tip: use parchment paper for easy clean up.)
- Grill it. Zucchini makes a great addition to vegetable kabobs and grilled veggies.
Flavors that pair well with zucchini
Typically used in Italian dishes, zucchini pairs especially well with the following herbs:
- basil
- marjoram
- parsley
- thyme
Mixing zucchini with bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, garlic, and eggplant can make delicious side or main courses, especially when combined with the following cheeses:
- feta
- Parmesan
- ricotta
- pecorino
- cheddar
Balsamic or red wine vinegar pairs well with zucchini in marinades, sauces, and dressings.
Zucchini freezer recipes
The nice thing about zucchini is that is it versatile and can be used in a variety of ways. Instead of turning down gifts of zucchini, try these zucchini recipes. Each of these delicious recipes freezes well, so give them a try and enjoy your zucchini all year long!
Main dish zucchini recipes to freeze
Easy Cheesy Zucchini Quiche
Our freezer-friendly Zucchini Quiche is filled with zucchini, onion, cheese, and a savory herb blend. Easy and delicious, it is perfect for serving for dinner or prepping for the freezer.
Freezer Zucchini Lasagna
This delicious freezer zucchini lasagna is full of nutrient-rich vegetables. With layers of creamy ricotta, rich and hearty vegetable and meat sauce, tasty zucchini slices, and perfectly melted cheese, Freezer Zucchini Lasagna is a crowd-pleaser. It's a great way to preserve a bountiful zucchini harvest!
Tomato Zucchini Soup
Tomato Zucchini Soup is an easy 20 minute soup that is good to the last drop—so good that you might need to double the recipe! It freezes well, too.
Zucchini Linguine
Zucchini Linguine is a quick and easy stovetop meal that the whole family will love. You’ll love how quickly it comes together, and you can even use the same pot for cooking the linguine and preparing the rest of the dish.
Zucchini Pasta Sauce with Meat
This zucchini pasta sauce with meat is such a hearty, flavorful meat sauce that includes zucchini and corn for extra flavor and nutrition. [Photo credit: Savory with Soul]
Ground beef cheese stuffed zucchini boatswith a tomato sauce, baked and served up in a casserole dish, makes a delicious low-carb dinner meal. [Photo credit: Masala Herb]
Make this famous Thomas Keller zucchini in the oven with very few ingredients and have one of the most delicious and healthy sides to pair with your favorite meats. [Photo credit: Easy and Delish]
Zucchini recipes to freeze for fritters, pancakes & tots
Crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, these baked Zucchini Tots are a fun and healthy way to get more veggies in. [Photo credit: Create Mindfully]
These air fryer zucchini fritters are the perfect easy snack to make ahead and freeze. Plus, they're dairy and egg free! [Photo credit: The Daily Dish]
Savory Courgette (Zucchini) Pancakes
Delicious savory courgette or zucchini pancakes with scallions and dill and an optional cool garlicky yogurt sauce to serve.[Photo credit: Knife and Soul]
Courgette (Zucchini) and Tomato Puffs
These little crustless courgette and tomato puffs are packed with courgettes, cheese and tomatoes, which give them a delicious flavor. They are perfect for a mid-morning snack or for packing into a lunch box. [Photo credit: Foodle Club]
This savory Aussie dish is easy to make, absolutely delicious and super versatile too. Perfect for a quick on-the-go breakfast, popped into a lunchbox or served alongside a salad for a simple dinner. [Photo credit: Maple and Mango]
Sweet zucchini recipes to freeze
Zucchini Bread
This sweet Zucchini Bread is delicious any time of day—its perfectly cooked crust has just the right amount of sweet crispness to balance the moist and soft center.
Pineapple Coconut Zucchini Bread
This loaded zucchini bread is packed with delicious flavors and textures and is perfect for breakfast, brunch, snacks and even dessert! [Photo credit: That Skinny Chick Can Bake]
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cookies
Delicious chocolate chip zucchini cookies! These zucchini oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are soft and flavorful, and they take less than 30 minutes to make. [Photo credit: I Heart Eating]
Double Chocolate Zucchini Cake
This Double Chocolate Zucchini Cake is a chocolate lover’s dream! Incredibly moist with a deep, rich chocolate flavor. And it freezes well - either as a whole cake, or as individual slices you can pull out for chocolate emergencies! [Photo credit: Two Healthy Kitchens]
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