Freezing zucchini

Zucchini was on sale last week, one of those end-of-summer produce sales that was just too good to pass up. Locally grown zucchini, for the last time until next summer? I already had the week's menu planned, but figuring that I'd find some way to use them, I picked up three zucchini anyway.

Then they disappeared into the bottom of the vegetable drawer. Every couple of days I'd remember them and ask myself, "Can I make zucchini work with supper tonight?" or "Should I just bake with it?" The answers were always "No" and "There's still a loaf of zucchini bread in the freezer," so there they sat... until this morning, when I gave up on using them fresh and pulled out the cheese grater.

Shredded zucchini freezes very well, and is so easy to thaw and throw in recipes later. Three good-sized zucchini gave me about six cups; my zucchini bread and vegetable lasagna both call for three cups, so Little Bear and I divided the zucchini into two quart freezer bags. Kit was very helpful, napping in the sling the whole time! In my experience, it's easiest to measure the zucchini before freezing it; that way, you aren't confronted with a giant chunk of frozen squash when you just need a little bit. You don't need to bother blotting the shredded zucchini dry before freezing, because you'll have to do so once it thaws regardless.