20 Baking Recipes to Use Up Your Zucchini (2024)

FAQs

What can I do with large amounts of zucchini? ›

What Does Zucchini Replace in Baking? Zucchini acts as a wet ingredient in baking. It doesn't necessarily replace a fat like oil or a binding ingredient like eggs, but it does add moisture and volume.

Nope! There's no need to peel zucchini. In fact, the skin is a big source of zucchini nutrition (the deep green color is a dead giveaway) so you definitely want to leave the skin on. How to cut zucchini: after giving the zucchini squash a good rinse under cold water, slice off the stem and discard it.

Don't bother peeling the zucchini.

Unless you really dislike seeing tiny flecks of green in your bread, you don't have to go through the extra step of peeling zucchini, especially if you use smaller zucchini instead of big ones.

We're sometimes asked, "Can you freeze zucchini whole?" You certainly can, but it will be much more challenging to thaw and use later. (Imagine trying to shred a soggy, whole, thawed squash.) So, instead, we recommend tackling the shape in advance so you can quickly use the frozen zucchini when you're ready.

While freezing zucchini is a great way to extend its life, it's not as simple as just popping a few squash into your freezer. Raw zucchini gets weepy and watery after thawing. To effectively save it, you should chop and blanch it first. This helps set the texture and color and makes it last longer.

A medium zucchini will result in approximately 1 cup of shredded zucchini. If you happen to be using a larger zucchini and the seeds are large, cut the zucchini lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds.

Zucchini contains a variety of vitamins, minerals, and beneficial plant compounds. Cooked zucchini is particularly high in vitamin A, though raw zucchini contains slightly less.

Zucchini is made of over 90% water. When cooked, it gets soft and slowly releases that water into whatever dish you're cooking. If zucchini is overcooked, it will have a mushy, soft texture. In certain recipes, the author may recommend that zucchini be patted dry or salted and drained before cooking.

Zucchini is 94 percent water, which is why it gets mushy when cooked for too long. The first step in this recipe involves salting the flesh of the zucchini and allowing it to stand for 15 minutes. The salt draws the moisture from the flesh which helps ensure that the vegetable stays firm during roasting.

How do you keep zucchini crisp when cooking? ›

Don't overcrowd the pan, which can cause the zucchini to steam instead of roast. Unless you have time to salt and drain the zucchini, wait to salt it until after they're cooked so the salt doesn't draw out the moisture in the oven—this can lead to sogginess.

Yes! I simply squeeze the water out of the zucchini over the sink before using in this recipe. Sometimes, I squeeze the zucchini twice to make sure the excess water is removed. Some zucchini are very wet when grated and others relatively dry; squeezing out the excess water helps to regulate ingredients in the recipe.

The clue was in the recipe: “Don't peel, but remove the seeds.” If a zucchini has seeds so big you need to remove them, chances are the peel is so thick it will never melt away into a cake.

The most common reason for zucchini breadand other quick breads (and cakes) to collapse as they cool is the ingredients are too vigorously or quickly mixed, which incorporates lots of less stable air bubbles into the batter.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, then spread the raw zucchini pieces into a single layer. Try to keep the pieces from touching, so they won't stick together later. Place the pan in the freezer and let the zucchini freeze until firm to the touch, about 1 hour.

Zucchini vines need lots of room. Crowding may indeed be your problem. Also, Zucchini have both male and female flowers. The female (fruiting) flowers have a longer stem which is where the zucchini forms.

Zucchini thrives in a dry environment, so pop it into the crisper drawer whole, preferably in a plastic or paper bag with one end open for ventilation. The minimal humidity will keep it from going bad. Stored properly, it'll last one or two weeks, though you'll probably see the skin shrivel as the days pass.

Salting and draining ensures the zucchini doesn't turn into a soggy mess while frying. This method also works for roasted zucchini, grilled zucchini, or baked zucchini if you're looking to remove as much water as possible.