Courgettes

[Chrystal Tips]

I'm growing a selection of veg but I was wondering if you can freeze courgettes? All the other stuff I'm growing can be frozen or kept in the dark etc to keep for as long as possible.

It looks like I'll be getting quite a crop of courgettes so any ideas how to preserve them?

[Muddypause]

Hello CT; welcome to the site.

Like a lot of vegetables, you can freeze courgettes if you blanch them in boiling water for a couple of minutes first. Not sure how long they can stay in the freezer after this, but a few months, at least.

Cut them into useable chunks or slices, bring some water to the boil, immerse the cougettes in the water, then bring it back to the boil for a minute or two. Remove from water and let cool.

If possible, freeze them in a 'layer' first, so that they don't all stick together in a frozen mass which is difficult to use later. I usually use a very large freezer bag, with the contents spread out and laid flat - a tray of some sort would do, too. Once it's frozen you can transfere the contents to a smaller bag.

When you blanch vegetables, you are not cooking them, but you heat them enough to destroy the enzymes that cause decay. Apparently.

I often do a lot of different veg., one lot after the other, in a big pan - you are left with a great vegetable stock.

[Urocyon]

Summer squash can be frozen, but the results aren't so great--the texture goes rather squishy. We grew at least a couple of varieties every year when I was growing up, and always just ate them until thoroughly sick of them, gave some away, and most years pickled some. They do work well in most mixed pickle or cucumber pickle recipes.

I'd particularly recommend a sweeter pickle recipe like this one: http://www.chefrick.com/html/breadbutterpickles.html, substituting courgettes for the cucumber. A couple of spoonsful of curry powder, substituted for most of the celery/mustard seed, is a nice variation. (The pickling salt called for is just non-iodised salt, like most of the stuff I've seen here in the U.K.; added iodine will make them taste funny.)

It's not hard turning out small batches of this sort of thing--sounds more complicated than it is. I usually put up about half that recipe's size at a time. If you're not used to canning, here's a pretty good looking intro: http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles/clay53.html. You don't need to worry about jar lids and rings; old mayonnaise jars and the like work just fine, and the lids are usually good for a few more sealings, since they don't get bent when removed from the jar.

Good luck!

[ina]

I froze quite a lot of courgette soup last year, in portion size tubs. After defrosting and heating I just added cream or creme fraiche, or chopped parsley or other herbs (also frozen). I find that way - already put through the blender - it comes out of the freezer best. And I made a lot of courgette-based pasta sauce, frozen and bottled, which kept very well.

Ina

[Urocyon]

*nod* I did forget to mention in my earlier reply that it's fine to freeze if it's already cooked in a dish--I do that all the time, putting leftovers/extra casseroles in the freezer. It's just the usual "blanch then freeze" vegetable freezing method that gives not-so-great results if you try to use the thawed stuff like you would fresh.

[IrishAbroad]

If you go to the recipe exchange I've just posted a recipe for Courgette Cake. Sounds yuck but is surprisingly moreish

[Chickenlady]

I agree with Ina - courgettes are only really nice frozen as a liquidised soup. I will try the pickle, though - thanks

[Jo]

Small bags of grated (in the food processor) courgette keep for several months and are great for bulking out pasta sauces, cottage pies (veggie or meat) and suchlike.

Our local poundshop occasionally has 80 ziplock bags for £1 and I find these good for freezing things like the courgette (or pasta/tomato sauce) as you can get the air out easily. This means I can squeeze more into the freezer....

Jo

[shiney]

My courgettes get the ratatoullie treatment. I make a pan full and freeze it in family sized portions. Nice and tasty side dish or top it on pasta and rice with some cheese.

[Chrystal Tips]

Thanks for all the replies-I'll try all the ideas and see which works best!!
(not replied till now cos I've been on my jollies!!)

[Millymollymandy]

We are starting to eat a lot of courgettes now too! Round ones, yellow ones and normal long green ones.

[diver]

I've also got a glut of courgettes so has anyone got the recipe for freezable courgeete soup please, thanks

[QuakerBear]

I don't have a freezer, any other ideas on how to preserve courgettes?

[red]

chutney...

[SueSteve]

So far we have had ratatouille, put them in lasagne, bolognaise, eaten then raw, fried with garlic, steamed. Then I bought the book, 'what shall I do with alll those courgettes' (or something similar).
3 days ago I made the first courgette soup, it was really nice. Last night I made chocolate courgette cake. We picked another 5 courgettes yesterday! So now about 12 in the fridge. Hmmm, what shall I make today?!!

I have about 21 plants, but 8 are not producing (Yet?). I reckon I am getting at least one fruit off each every 3 days! I do remember though a few years ago in the height of the summer I was getting one fruit per plant per day!
Chutney sounds good!