How to Blanche Zucchini

When a vegetable is cut up for freezing, it is almost always best to blanch the pieces first. When the knife cuts across a vegetable's cells, compounds in those cells begin to oxidize and combine in ways that are often detrimental to the appearance or texture of the food. The most obvious example is browning. There are also enzymes in all foods that act to break them down, starting the process of decomposition. Blanching a vegetable, such as zucchini, by immersing it in boiling water stops both the chemical and enzyme reactions, and improves the quality of the frozen vegetable.

Things You'll Need

  • Zucchini
  • Cutting board
  • Sharp knife
  • Large pot
  • Salt
  • Large bowl
  • Ice
  • Colander

Instructions

  1. Place the zucchini on a cutting board and trim away the stem ends with a sharp knife. Cut the zucchini into the desired sizes and shapes for freezing.

  2. Place a large pot on a stove. Fill it with well-salted water, and bring it to a full rolling boil.

  3. Blanch the cut zucchini in small batches for two to three minutes. The water should remain at a full boil the whole time. If it doesn't, you've put in too much zucchini. Remove them and start over once the water returns to a boil.

  4. Remove each batch from the boiling water as soon as the time is up, and plunge it into a large bowl filled with ice and water.

  5. Repeat the steps with each batch until all the zucchini pieces are blanched. Drain them well in a colander, then package for freezing.

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