How To: Freezing Zucchini

Zucchini is one of my favorite this to pack away for later use. Every time we have a garden we seem to grow an absolute explosion of zucchini that I can’t use as it comes fresh out of our garden. My Mom always froze zucchini when I was younger so it just made sense to me when we started gardening to put the excess into the freezer for later. This year I packed away 13 cups of zucchini into the freezer and gave away several more.This veggie is SO easy to get ready for the freezer. You only need to have a food processor on hand with the shredding attachment in place. If you have a large mature zucchini you will need to remove the seeds. However, if it is smaller zucchini you will not need to remove the seeds, they will grind right up and won’t be noticeable. After you’ve washed the zucchini and removed the seeds if necessary, you will need to cut it into slices that fit into the top of your food processor. I find that if I cut each half in half again or even in thirds if its an extremely large zucchini it fits into my processor. After that it’s as simple as running each piece through the food processor to shred it.Depending on how many zucchinis you are doing at once you may need to do them in batches. If this is the case I find it easiest to dump the shredded stuff into a large empty bowl until I’m done. After you’ve finished you then need to portion your prepared veggies into freezer packets. I choose to do them in 1 Cup packets since that seems to be the amount I use them in. You can of course, portion them into any size packet that you think you will use. Make sure that you don’t put too much into the packet since it will not last long in the fridge before it molds.When you’re ready to use one of these packets simply defrost the packet in the fridge for 12-24 hours then use as normal in a recipe. Since it has been frozen with the excess water you may need to add a little bit of extra flour to get the right consistency. Typically though recipes that call for zucchini will already have taken that into account, simply be aware if your recipe calls for drained zucchini or not.

Zucchini-Lemon-Blackberry Mini-Bundts

When I made these everyone was in awe of this flavor combination. I believe more than one person said they were “heavenly”, so you’re definitely going to want to try these out. I kind of made these by accident. I was going through my freezer trying to get rid of some of the things that had been there for several months and I came across blackberries and zucchini. I decided they would make the perfect combination along with a little lemon to zest it up.Instead of making cupcakes I wanted to make something a little more special. I love making Mini-Bundts and I thought this would be the perfect recipe for them. I actually have three mini-bundt pans from Nordic Ware that I really love. If you’re looking for one I highly suggest theirs. You will need to double this recipe if you want to make it in a regular sized Bundt pan.You have two options for the icing on these. I tried it both ways and I decided I prefer the way laid out below. You can also not thin the icing and it will be a regular cream cheese frosting. I found it was hard to spread evenly on the mini-bundts though, and it detracted from their shape since it pretty much just hid their cute tops. When you heat the frosting, it thins and turns into a glaze. You maintain the beauty of the mini-bundts without sacrificing any of the flavor.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:214]Source: Adapted from Betcha Can’t Eat Just One

Paleo Zucchini, Banana, Flax Muffins

 I thought it was about time for another Paleo, grain free recipe here on the blog. These muffins are perfect for a light breakfast or snack since they are chock full of wonderful ingredients. These muffins are light and fluffy and completely grain free. They are also free of refined sugar since it is sweetened with honey. I highly suggest using local organic honey for this recipe since you will get the very best taste.I’ve used fresh zucchini (pretty much straight out of the garden) for this recipe. It really gives it a better flavor if you do this. However, if you only have frozen zucchini on hand make sure to use the water in the container too. This will keep the muffins from getting too dry in the end.This recipe includes almond milk rather than coconut or soy milk. I find that if I use coconut milk in addition to coconut flour and/or coconut oil the flavor is just mostly coconut and I’m not actually a huge fan of that. You can of course substitute whatever type of milk you prefer although just make sure it is unsweetened so as not to add additional refined sugar. If you do use almond milk it is best to make your own since commercial varieties can include non-paleo ingredients. [amd-yrecipe-recipe:92]

Gluten Free Zucchini Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Cake

My second guest post is up on Poverty Luxe today! I’ve created a gluten free recipe for Ginger Mango Cupcakes with Ginger Mascarpone Frosting. You should definitely check it out! If you’ve journeyed over to my blog from Poverty Luxe, welcome! This week I have five different gluten free recipes for you to check out. I look forward to sharing them with you.This recipe is amazing. Growing up my Mother would make this recipe every year when the zucchini were fresh out of her garden. I decided this was the year to turn this recipe gluten free so I could have it again! The cake is light and fluffy. It has incredible chocolate flavor and will satisfy your sweet tooth.Using fresh zucchini will get the best results for this cake. I used a medium zucchini fresh out of a friend’s mother’s garden to make this. However, I’ve used frozen (and then thawed) zucchini. Simply make sure you use the water/juice that is in the container if you defrost it.Instead of a frosting on this cake we have always sprinkled it with powdered sugar. This gives is a wonderfully light taste without the heaviness of a frosting. If you want to add a frosting anything with a vanilla base would complement the cake nicely. I have to honestly say though, don’t add a frosting. The cake is pretty much perfect without it.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:91]