Flavor Saver

CSA Share 7/17/2012

• Green leaf lettuce
• Swiss Chard
• Carrots
• Zucchini and summer squash
• Cucumbers
• Garlic
• Onions
• Broccoli

You may have noticed an abundance of zucchini in your shares lately.  It will likely keep on going, with the zucchini getting larger and larger until they become what the Brits refer to as "vegetable marrow."  What you will also notice is that you will run out of things to do with said zucchini - there are only so many sautees a person can eat.

If you are like myself and my fiancee, you will miss the taste of freshly picked organic farm produce in the winter months, when you're picking up insipid produce (trucked over from the West Coast or flown up from South America) at your local grocery store.  The answer to this dilemma is right in your kitchen - your freezer!  Now, you can't just stick the zucchini whole into the freezer and hope for the best.  Here's a method on how to freeze your zucchini and enjoy it come the shorter, colder days of the year.

How to Freeze Zucchini, Summer Squash & Pattypan Squash

• As much of the above soft-shelled squashes as you could conceivably (and conveniently) fit into your freezer, cut into 1/4 inch slices or half-moons

This proccess is called "blanching."  Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.  [Note: Some people advocate for salting your blanching water, as it will improve flavor and possibly shelf-life.  I do not, since we all already get too much salt in our normal diets, and hypertension is rampant in our nation.]  While your water is getting there, set up a large salad bowl filled with equal parts water and ice cubes, and set it next to the pot.  Next to that, set a salad spinner or a bunch of paper towels, and next to that, some freezer bags. 

Working in batches, dump the veggies into your boiling water and leave them for under 3 minutes.  You want them just barely soft.  Fish them out with a slotted spoon and plunge into your ice water.  This halts the cooking process.  Once your veggies are chilly, dry them off in the spinner or with paper towels. This step is essential, as it will prevent a good deal of freezer burn.  When they're chilly but dry, put them in your freezer bags, push all the air out and seal them.

These will stay good up to 6-7 months in your freezer.