Does Zucchini Belong In The Fridge?

If you've ever had a garden, chances are you've ended up with more zucchini than you know what to do with. Or, maybe you've scored a great deal on zucchini at the grocery store and want to stock up. Whichever instance, to ensure your zucchini doesn't go bad before you can use it up, the fridge is definitely their safe space. While the fridge won't preserve them for months on end, it can sustain their life for one to two weeks before the skin starts to shrivel or blemish. To successfully store zucchini in the fridge, keep it whole, raw, and unwashed in an open plastic or paper bag (for air flow) in the crisper drawer. 

Zucchini will stay fresh outside of the refrigerator for only a day or two before it starts to show signs of deteriorating. Larger zucchinis are more resilient, but storage practices remain the same. Regardless of size, unrefrigerated zucchini should be stored in a pantry or somewhere dark at room temperature away from any ethylene-releasing produce like onions, tomatoes, and potatoes. If your fridge doesn't have enough space, freezing them is the next best option.

From a dark pantry to the freezer: your zucchini survival plan

Unlike storing it in the fridge, it's better to freeze zucchini in slices. However, the slices shouldn't be frozen straight raw. Doing so results in weepy, watery zucchini when thawed, which is unpleasant to cook with. Instead, blanch the zucchini slices and then freeze them.

To do so, bring a large pot of water to a boil. While it heats, thoroughly clean the zucchini and slice them into ½-inch thick slices. Prepare a bowl of ice cold water and have a slotted spoon as well as a colander ready. Drop the zucchini slices into the boiling water and cook for 1 to 3 minutes. Remove with the slotted spoon and place in the ice bath to cool. Strain the ice bath into a colander and dry the zucchini on a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Replace the paper towels with parchment paper before arraying the zucchini in a single layer so they don't stick together. Stick the tray in the freezer. Once the food has frozen, transfer it to a freezer-safe bag with the air squeezed out. Thaw when ready and enjoy the fruits of your labor by preparing some zucchini casserole or grilling the zucchini slices. There are a ton of non-boring ways to cook with zucchini.

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