I plant a variety of zucchini in my garden and by the end of each summer I have an abundance of this beautiful fruit. That’s right. Although treated as a vegetable, it is a fruit.
Planting
Plant seeds outside after the last frost or start them indoors two weeks before the last frost.
The plants grow quickly once they appear. The large leaves create a ground cover that is good for weed control.
Then the blooms appear.
Did you know there are male and female flowers?
The female flowers have a small fruit behind the bloom that needs to be pollinated by a male flower. Bees and other insects and the wind cause this process to occur naturally. But you can help it along. Gently brush the inside of a male flower with a paint brush or Q-tip to collect the pollen and then dust the inside of the female flower to transfer the pollen.
As the zucchini grows, place a piece of wood under it to keep it off the soil.
Pick the young zucchini when they are 10-15 cm long or leave them to mature. Keep picking to make more grow.
Uses
Serve young zucchini grilled or sautéed in garlic butter or add it to a main dish such as spaghetti sauce or meatloaf. Mature grated zucchini can be used as a substitute for cucumbers when making relish or in desserts such as Zucchini Bread.
Preparing
Like any fruit, zucchini have seeds. The younger, smaller zucchini have tender seeds that do not need to be removed before cooking making them great for grilling or sautéing. The larger ones have larger seeds that need to be removed. To remove them, cut the zucchini lengthwise and remove the seeds with a spoon.
Storing
Zucchini stores well in the freezer. Shred it with a food processor and measure into mason jars or freezer bags.
When using freezer bags, remove the extra air with a straw. As you seal the bag, put a straw in the corner, then close the zipper around the straw. Suck the air out and quickly pull the straw out and seal the last bit of the zipper. This will remove the extra air from the bag and help prevent freezer burn.
Shredded zucchini ready for the freezer. Julia Stewart photo.
My Zucchini Bread recipe calls for two cups of shredded zucchini, so I measure two cups into each mason jar. When it thaws, the zucchini shrinks down a bit and is juicy. I add the entire contents of the jar to the recipe.
Subscribe to Homemaking Jewels today!
