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Topic: If you have an over abundance of zucchini

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joann10
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Posted: Aug 20 2008 at 12:22pm \| IP Logged

this is the yummiest, chocolatey Zucchini Bread "cake" that I have ever made!!

And the kids don't even know that there are vitamins in there....

missionfamily
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Posted: Aug 20 2008 at 12:37pm \| IP Logged

Joann--You can blanche your zucchini and freeze it and also grate it for usei n breads and such and freeze it in the portions you need, then add later. Ours didn't do so great this year, but I've been able to pick up large over-ripe bags full at the Farmer's Market to freeze.

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joann10
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Posted: Aug 20 2008 at 2:00pm \| IP Logged

missionfamily wrote:

Joann--You can blanche your zucchini and freeze it and also grate it for usei n breads and such and freeze it in the portions you need, then add later. .

Colleen, I have done this before, but it got very watery after I thawed it out. Do you just drain the water and use it that way? Because mine didn't measure as the same amount after frozen.

nissag
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Posted: Aug 20 2008 at 2:08pm \| IP Logged

I'm not Colleen, but I would say, "yes", drain the liquid off and use it as normal. You may want to add a little bit of liquid to your original recipe if it seems a little heavy or dry. Otherwise, the zukes are just the same.

Blessings,

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Nissa
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SusanJ
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Posted: Aug 20 2008 at 2:25pm \| IP Logged

I drain the zucchini before freezing--just put it in a cheesecloth/tea towel and squeeze it out. Takes up less space in the freezer, too!

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PDyer
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Posted: Aug 20 2008 at 4:26pm \| IP Logged

My friend canned mock pineapple for the first time this year, and she said it turned out well. And the subtitle on the linked page made me laugh:

Quote:

Something new to do with zucchini instead of placing in unlocked cars of unsuspecting strangers just to get rid off it.

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Patty
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JodieLyn
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Posted: Aug 20 2008 at 4:30pm \| IP Logged

I don't drain zucchini.. I figure it would be in the bread if I used it fresh so I measure before filling the bags and then use that measure for adding to recipes (I measure what I would use for my recipes).

So I have 4 cups of shredded zucchini in a bag and when I make the double recipe of zucchini bread I just dump in one bag.

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Michaela
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Posted: Aug 20 2008 at 7:51pm \| IP Logged

I have a question.

I planted my first garden this year. The zucchini are going strong, but none of the books tell me when to HARVEST (that goes for everything!

).

Is there a certain length or girth to look for when I harvest?

I'd really like to try the recipe.

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nissag
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Posted: Aug 20 2008 at 7:55pm \| IP Logged

LOL. The funny thing about zukes is that they don't know enough to stop growing.

You can get them to the size of a caveman's club. You want to harvest them when they're about the length and diameter of a cuke or a yellow squash generally. In my experience, overgrowth doesn't really hurt them, though they may be a little less sweet in flavour.

Blessings,

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Nissa
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JodieLyn
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Posted: Aug 20 2008 at 7:57pm \| IP Logged

zucchini is one you can harvest at many stages.. and some of it will depend on the use.. basically the bigger they get the more seedy they will get.. even if one gets huge you can scoop out the seeds and use the flesh.. when you use them really small like the grocery stores sell them.. there's no noticiable seeds. I like mine about 3-5 inch diameter and whatever that is for length.. I do like to get the largest size I can to get the most.. rather than harvesting them small. If they get too "seedy" in the middle you can slice lengthwise and scrape the seeds out.

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PDyer
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Posted: Aug 20 2008 at 8:14pm \| IP Logged

nissag wrote:

You can get them to the size of a caveman's club.

I remember once being handed a zucc that was so big I instinctively held it like a newborn.

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Patty
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nissag
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Posted: Aug 20 2008 at 8:19pm \| IP Logged

Oh that's bad, Patty.

My SIL brought two clubs to me last year. We just admired them for about 48 hours - then I made more zucchini cake than a large family can eat in a year. Or maybe just more than they *should* eat in a year. Because we *did* eat it. It was good!

Blessings,

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Nissa
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Kristie 4
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Posted: Aug 20 2008 at 10:43pm \| IP Logged

For us it was always zuccinni potato soup! Just chop up lots of both and voila, the caveman's club is gone!!

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monique
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Posted: Aug 20 2008 at 11:22pm \| IP Logged

I will have to try that! We are picking lots of zucchini right now. I just made some zucchini chocolate chip muffins that were pretty good. That recipe sounds delicious. I love chocolate!

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glinNC
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Posted: Aug 22 2008 at 9:36pm \| IP Logged

missionfamily wrote:

You can blanche your zucchini and freeze it and also grate it

Do you HAVE to blanche the zucchini before freezing it? I chopped mine up as needed for a casserole and just put it in the freezer. (I also shredded some and put it right into the freezer.)

I got the idea from Holly Perliot's article in Faith & Family magazine from a long time ago! I always thought I needed to use up the veggies before they went bad ... never thought of freezing the stuff!!

Always learning...
glinNC

JodieLyn
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Posted: Aug 22 2008 at 9:46pm \| IP Logged

grated doesn't need blanching.. I have 14 4cup bags of shredded zucchini in my freezer now.. each bag makes 4 loaves of zucchini bread.

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ladybugs
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Posted: Aug 25 2008 at 10:47am \| IP Logged

Here are some more recipes for zucchini dishes:Dish 1

and dish 2.

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