Can You Freeze Zucchini? Yes, and Then You Can Enjoy It All Year

Save your summer zucchini for the winter by chopping it up and freezing it. We'll teach you how to do it in just four steps.

Knowing how to freeze zucchini is key for preserving the extras from your summer garden during the cooler months. Our Test Kitchen tried several of the most popular ways to preserve zucchini. And now we're sharing our secrets for the answer to "Can you freeze zucchini?" (spoiler: yes!), including details about freezing shredded zucchini, freezing zucchini noodles, and the best way to freeze raw zucchini to prevent freezer burn. Follow our instructions, and you can thank yourself in advance for making dinners easy—and delicious—in a few months when you have tasty summer squash ready to toss into your recipes.

How to Freeze Zucchini

No matter your preferred way to cut zucchini for freezing, you'll follow the same four steps.

Step 1: Cut Zucchini

Using a sharp knife, carefully slice the zucchini into whatever shape you like for freezing. Depending on how you're planning to use the zucchini later, we recommend choosing one of these three cuts:

• Bite-size pieces or slices

• Shredded

• Zucchini Noodles cut with a spiralizer ($48, Target)

We're sometimes asked, "Can I freeze a whole zucchini?" You certainly can, but it will be much more challenging to thaw and use later. (Imagine trying to shred a soggy whole thawed squash.) So instead, we recommend tackling the shape in advance so you can put the frozen zucchini to quick use when you're ready.

For reference, 1 pound of zucchini usually yields between 2½ and 3½ cups, depending on how you chop it. In general, you can expect the following:

• About 3½ cups coarsely chopped zucchini

• About 3¼ cups ¼-inch-thick zucchini slices

• About 3¼ cups loosely packed, shredded zucchini

• About 2⅔ cups packed shredded zucchini

• About 2⅔ cups coarse zucchini spirals

Can you freeze zucchini for baking bread, muffins, or cakes? Yes, for these recipes, freezing shredded zucchini is your best bet. For soups, stews, and pasta sauces, try sliced or chopped. And if you're all about lower-carb noodle soups and pasta tosses, try zoodles.

Related: 32 Fresh Zucchini Recipes to Squash Your Summer Cravings

Step 2: Blanch Zucchini

Blanch the zucchini in boiling water 30 to 60 seconds, depending on the size of your pieces. We recommend using a stockpot with a pasta insert to boil the zucchini, which makes it easy to lift the zucchini from the boiling water in one step. Immediately add the zucchini to a bowl of ice water.

Test Kitchen Tip

Can you freeze zucchini without blanching? You certainly can freeze it as-is after Step 1, but a quick hot water bath and ice dunk deactivates enzymes that would make it more likely for you to end up with mushy discolored zucchini once you freeze and defrost it. Simply put, blanching helps the frozen zucchini stay firmer (and prettier).

Related: How to Blanch Vegetables to Add to All Kinds of Recipes

Step 3: Dry Zucchini

Drain and thoroughly pat the zucchini dry using paper towels. You can also use a salad spinner to dry the zucchini or help remove excess water after drying with paper towels. Getting all the excess moisture out helps prevent freezer burn.

Related: 17 Fresh Zucchini Recipes that Take 45 Minutes or Less

Step 4: Freeze Zucchini

The last step to master for preserving zucchini is to place the blanched, dried squash in a single layer on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet and freeze overnight. Once frozen, transfer the zucchini to freezer bags or airtight freezer containers. Seal, label, and date the packages, and store them in your freezer for up to 3 months.

The Best Ways to Use Frozen Zucchini

While frozen zucchini won't work well as a swap for fresh in raw preparations or for stuffed zucchini boats, you can use frozen zucchini in most cooked or baked recipes just as you would use fresh zucchini.

• If you shredded your zucchini before freezing it, try using it for baking zucchini bread.

• For zucchini noodles, try making Zucchini-Noodle Lasagna, serving it with your favorite pasta sauce, or adding a handful to other spaghetti dishes, like our Summer Spaghetti Salad.

• If you froze zucchini slices, try grilling, air-frying, or sautéing them for a healthy, delicious side dish.

No matter how you serve them, you'll be thankful you saved some zucchini for later.

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