12 Creative Ways to Preserve Zucchini for Winter Enjoyment

Zucchini is such a versatile vegetable, and there is always an abundance available, more than we can use fresh. Here are over a dozen ways to preserve zucchini for winter. We have used all of them at one time or another. Pick one or two, or use them all. 12 Creative Ways to Preserve Zucchini for Winter Enjoyment.

There are wide varieties of zucchini, and you will see that we use them interchangeably for different recipes. However, if we find that a certain variety works better than others, we mention that. 

Marrow squash is closely related to zucchini and can be used in most of these recipes just like zucchini. The names Marrow, courgette, or zucchini are often confusing. In a sense, they are all the same, just different varieties or harvesting times. 

Keeping zucchini in cold storage

Since zucchini belongs to the squash family, you can store it the same way as squash. Depending on the variety, it stores well for months. The Dark Star Squash Zucchini is a great variety that has a long shelf life and a great, creamy taste.

Here is a picture of a zucchini taken on January 11th, having been stored for at least 4 months. It has lost its dark color, and I would not leave it any longer. 2-3 months is a good storage time. But we were pushing the limits to see how long a zucchini can last. We simply stored it on the shelf in the cold room. Note: The room is not very cold at harvest time, leading naturally to some curing.  

For cold-room storage, choose a mature, good-sized zucchini with firm skin. Try it, take notes, and see how long it can go.

Freezing shredded zucchini

Tip on freezing zucchini row. Even though you can freeze shredded or diced zucchini, as well as zucchini noodles, the vegetable has so much moisture that it doesn’t last well. So make sure to drain it well, or better yet, dehydrate it briefly.

Shredded vegetables are so easy to freeze. Whether it’s carrots, cauliflower, or zucchini, it’s the same. Just shred them and freeze. No blanching is needed. They are ready to go into zucchini bread or another recipe.

Freeze zucchini noodles

Zucchini noodles, also known as Zoodles, are the new big trend. They are easy to make and just so tasty. You will need a noodle maker/spiralizer. We find the small OXO Good Grips Handheld Spiralizer does a great job.

Strain the zucchini noodles to remove as much moisture as possible, then freeze. Because the spirals are small, they do not need to be blanched.

To use them later in cooking, they will only need a minute in boiling water. My favorite way is to put the frozen zucchini noodles into a strainer and pour boiling water all over them. Let them drain, then add them to the pan without any additional liquid and heat for a few minutes.

Freezing diced or sliced zucchini

Diced zucchini needs to be blanched. Just a minute in boiling water is enough, though. Strain and put in ice water to stop the cooking process, drain, and freeze. I find the blanched cubes or slices keep better than the just shredded-up zucchini, but both have their merit.

Canning zucchini

We share recipes for canned zucchini. Both are delicious and make a great side dish. You can find the zucchini salad here, and the zucchini tongue recipe here. The Ikra recipe also uses zucchini. 

Pickling zucchini

For pickling, choose small zucchini that closely resemble cucumbers. Or make sliced zucchini pickles. Pickle them the same way you make your cucumber pickles, and you might even like them more than regular pickles. I certainly would encourage you to give it a try if you haven’t yet.

Zucchini also tastes good in a pickled vegetable medley.

Making zucchini relish

Many relish recipes use zucchini alone or in combination with other vegetables. The Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving has several zucchini recipes, too.

I like to make Ikra, aka “Poor man’s caviar”. This is a tried-and-tested recipe based on carrots and zucchini from my home recipe book. I don’t even know where I got it from anymore, but it is very tasty. 

Freezing zucchini bread or muffins

Bread freezes very well, and so does zucchini bread. Whenever you are making a loaf, make two and freeze one. I like to cut it at least in half, so we can take it out in smaller portions and enjoy it.

Dehydrating zucchini

You can dehydrate zucchini slices for cooking, or sprinkle them with seasoning to make zucchini chips. Both are easy to do and are very tasty. A simple Food Dehydrator works for this, or if you have a Tray Deluxe Dehydrator it would do the job even better. We suggest making the slices at least 1/8″ thick, dehydrating at 125°F for 12-16 hours. Store in an airtight container. Also, as mentioned before, you can partially dehydrate zucchini and then freeze. 

Fermenting zucchini

I have to admit that this was something we didn’t care about as much. The book Fermented Vegetables: Creative Recipes for Fermenting 64 Vegetables & Herbs offers a Zucchini Kraut recipe that we haven’t tried yet. Maybe that’s the missing thing in our kitchen ;).

There you have all our ways to preserve zucchini. What is your favorite way to preserve zucchini? Please share in a comment below.

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