Creative Ways to Use Zucchini

Zucchini is a delicious, high-yield vegetable that you can harvest during most of the summer months in Pennsylvania. If you have grown a few zucchini plants or have a generous neighbor with a large harvest, you may be looking for ideas for using your garden-fresh zucchini. Fortunately, zucchini is a very flexible ingredient that you can sauté, bake, or grill. This article will provide you with some tips on how to select, store, and prepare your zucchini.

Nutrition, Selection, and Storage

According to Penn State Externion's Pennsylvania Produce: A Guide to Quality Produce Grown in PA, one-half cup of zucchini contains 10 calories and provides 20% of your daily requirement for vitamin C (DiGuiseppe & Young, 2016). Choose vegetables that are firm, have smooth, shiny skin, and are small. You can harvest larger zucchini, but peeling and removing their seeds is recommended for the best flavor. Avoid zucchini that are soft, wrinkled, or blemished or that show signs of mold. And when storing zucchini, keep them away from moisture and do not wash them until you are ready to use them. With that in mind, it is best to use zucchini within 2–3 days of harvest or purchase, but you can refrigerate it for up to 3–5 days. Once cut, though, zucchini should be immediately refrigerated.

Zucchini makes a great side dish by itself or when combined with other vegetables. For a simple side dish, combine zucchini with carrots and basil, as in the following recipe:

Zucchini, Carrots, and Basil Recipe

4 servings | serving size: ¼ of recipe

When preparing this recipe, start with clean countertops and utensils. Wash hands with soap and water. Wash the whole, fresh produce under cold, running water by rinsing the basil and gently rubbing the zucchini, green onions, garlic, and lemon, and scrubbing the carrots with a clean vegetable brush. Prewashed, packaged items do not require further washing.

Ingredients

• ½ teaspoon olive oil
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 1½ medium zucchini, sliced
• ¼ cup sliced green onions
• 1 clove garlic, minced (or ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder)
• ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon chopped, fresh basil

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the carrots; sauté for 3–5 minutes.
2. Add the zucchini, green onions, and garlic and continue cooking for an additional 3–5 minutes or until vegetables are tender-crisp.
3. Add pepper, lemon juice, and basil. Toss to coat and serve immediately.

Recipe adapted from West Virginia University Extension Service, Families and Health Programs, Dining with Diabetes program.

Canning Zucchini at Home

It isn't possible to safely use the boiling water bath method for zucchini without acidifying them (which pickling does). So, try this "Pickled Bread-and-Butter Zucchini" recipe from the National Center for Home Food Preservation (n.d.) for some tasty zucchini pickles:

Pickled Bread-and-Butter Zucchini Recipe

Yield: About 8 or 9 pints

When preparing this recipe, start with clean countertops and utensils. Wash hands with soap and water. Wash the zucchini and onions by gently rubbing them under cold, running water.

Note: This recipe requires boiling water bath canning. For more information on this process, use the search bar at the top of this page and search the phrase “basics of home canning.”

Ingredients

• 16 cups fresh sliced zucchini
• 4 cups thinly sliced onions
• ½ cup canning or pickling salt
• 1 quart white vinegar (5%)
• 2 cups sugar
• ¼ cup mustard seed
• 2 Tablespoons celery seed
• 2 teaspoons ground turmeric

Directions

1. Cover zucchini and onion slices with 1 inch of water and salt. Let stand for 2 hours and drain thoroughly.
2. Combine vinegar, sugar, mustard seed, celery seed, and turmeric. Bring to a boil and add zucchini and onions. Simmer 5 minutes and fill jars with mixture and pickling solution, leaving ½-inch headspace.
3. Adjust lids and process in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes at an altitude of 0–1,000 feet, 15 minutes at an altitude of 1,001–6,000 feet, and 20 minutes at an altitude above 6,000 feet.

If you'd like more information about zucchini, Penn State Extension offers The Pennsylvania Produce: A Guide to Quality Produce Grown in PA and the fact sheet "Let's Preserve: Squash and Pumpkins." For specific questions about preserving fruits, vegetables, and meats, contact your local Extension office.

References

DiGuiseppe, K., & Young, N. J. (2016). Pennsylvania produce: A guide to quality produce grown in PA. Penn State Extension.

National Center for Home Food Preservation. (n.d.). Pickled bread-and-butter zucchini. University of Georgia.