If you’ve ever grown zucchini, you already know.
You don’t really harvest zucchini.
Zucchini happens to you.
You pick everything you can see and somehow return two days later to find a vegetable approximately the size of a baseball bat hiding under a leaf.
So what do you actually do with all of it?
Eat It Fresh
Grill it, sauté it, roast it or add it to pasta.
Smaller zucchini tend to have a more pleasant texture for fresh cooking.
Make Zucchini Bread
The classic.
Zucchini bread is also freezer-friendly, which gives you another way to preserve part of the harvest.
Shred and Freeze It
Shredded zucchini is useful for future breads, muffins and other cooked recipes.
Portion it before freezing so you’re not defrosting an enormous block later.
Make Zucchini Fritters
Shredded zucchini, seasonings and a few basic ingredients can turn an overflowing harvest into dinner.
Add It to Soup
Zucchini works well in vegetable soups and other dishes where perfect texture isn’t essential.
Make Zucchini Noodles
If you have a spiralizer, larger zucchini can become noodles for quick summer meals.
Give Some Away
This is also a completely legitimate preservation strategy.
Neighbors.
Family.
Coworkers.
Anyone who accidentally makes eye contact with you while you’re carrying zucchini.
Grow What You’ll Actually Use
An overflowing garden is exciting, but it’s also a lesson for next year’s planting plan.
Sometimes self-sufficiency doesn’t mean growing more.
It means learning how much your household actually needs.
Although with zucchini…
You’ll probably still plant too much.
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