This post is all about preserving zucchini.
It’s that time of year again, what to do with all this zucchini?! Well, here are 15+ recipes and techniques for preserving zucchini.
NOTE: This post is divided into two parts. The recipes and techniques that are “high energy” (canning and freezing) and the recipes and techniques for preserving zucchini that are “low energy” that are more suited to off grid lifestyles, i.e., drying, pickling: no electricity, propane or natural gas necessary.
Preserving Zucchini: High Energy Recipes
Canning
Easy Zucchini Ginger Preserves
This recipe is a good way to add variety and spice to your pantry.
Zucchini Salsa
Some years if your tomato harvest isn’t going great or you just want more than your vines can produce, make it stretch a little further using zucchini. There are so many recipes out there for zucchini salsa, some spicy and some sweet. Here is one from Reluctant Entertainer that looks good.
Zucchini Pickles
Who knew there was such a thing as a zucchini pickle? Well there is and here is a recipe from Cooking With Mary and Friends.
Zucchini Relish
Wanting to use up those extra zucchini? Pop them into relish. There are both sweet and savory recipes and would make an excellent topping for your burgers or just along a good homemade sausage.
Here is more of a sweet type zucchini relish recipe. (I might try shredding the zucchini instead of dicing) Here is a more savory kind of zucchini relish recipe.
Zucchini Marmalade
A jam made out of zucchini? You bet. This recipe is a unique way to preserve zucchini when you need a little more bread spreads for your pantry. Here is the recipe from Practical Self Reliance.
Zucchini Canned with Tomatoes
Many of the recipes on this list are more garnish type recipes, this is one of the more filling ways to preserve zucchini. Adding zucchini to tomatoes and caning them can be a fun way to shake up the normal stewed tomatoes. Here is a tutorial on how you can tomatoes and zucchini.
Dehydrator
Dehydrated faux “pineapple” with zucchini
Getting tropical flavors can be a trick in a temprate pantry. Zucchini “Pineapple” can be a way to get that taste. Here is a recipe for dried zucchini pineapple, and here is one for canned “pineapple”.
Dehydrated Zucchini Pasta
This one gets me excited. I love a good zoodle (zucchini noodle) and this is a way to enjoy them year round.
Look at the instructions here from A Slice of Texas Blog.
Freezing
Frozen zucchini is so convenient and easy to use. Freeze it shredded, in slices, as zoodles, you name it! Freezing is probably the most popular and straight forward way to preserve zucchini. Freezing is also a way to preserve zucchini that allows you to eat it as a meal rather than as a garnish. Here is a wonderful guide to freezing zucchini from Homestead and Chill
Preserving Zucchini: Low Energy Recipes
Preserving Zucchini in Oil
One of my favorite ways to eat fresh zucchini is fried in just a little oil. This method of preserving zucchini is a way of making them last longer into the season.
Sun Dried Zucchini
I am SUPER excited about this one and can’t wait to try it. This method is outlined here by Christina Cucina and looks like a fabulous way to sun dry zucchini. I would also like to try this with different shaped zucchini and see how it goes.
Some people dry zucchini and then powder it and add it to soups and other dishes in an all around veggie powder.
Fermenting to Preserve Zucchini
These recipes are all lacto fermented, non-canning recipes. Lacto fermented foods are fabulous for your gut health and are tasty too!
Lacto Fermented zucchini Pickles
Fermented Zucchini Relish
Here is zucchini relish again, but lacto fermented instead of canned. Fermenting For Foodies has a recipe for it here.
Fermented Zoodles
Here is another way of preserving zoodles, but with a probiotic kick.
Happy Preserving!
I hope this compilation of recipes has helped you know what to do with that giant zucchini or that bumper crop of zucchini or summer squash.
P.S. Check out our Homesteading Resources page for more helpful books and resources.