Zucchini grows like crazy in Michigan: What to do when you grow a lot of it

Oh, zucchini!

Like art fairs and Pine Knob, you're part of a Michigan summer.

It's just there's so much of you, sometimes — especially now when you're so plentiful, a bumper crop as usual, showing up at farm stands and markets and in backyard gardens — some of us might forget how great you are.

"It’s just a crop that ... just grows like crazy and overwhelms. No one’s going to eat like 12 zucchini at once," said Greg Bird, executive director of the Michigan Vegetable Council and a home gardener who has been trying to give away some of the excess harvest from his own plot.

People, he admits, have a bit of a love-hate relationship when it comes to the summer squash.

So, in defense of zucchini:

Because of zucchini ... we're No. 3!

Michigan ranks third in the nation in the production of zucchini, Bird said. "No. 3, you know, that's kind of cool … We’re actually No. 1 in winter squash, but that's pumpkins … that's butternut."

It shows up early

Zucchini is one of the first crops of summer, usually ready for picking at the beginning of July and continuing to produce into September or until the first frost, according to the Michigan State University Extension. And when it comes to picking, get it when it's still young. If you can easily pierce the skin of the zucchini with your fingernail, it's ready to harvest, the extension reports.

Don't let it get bigger than 8 or 10 inches or it could be tough. Big zucchini is best used for breads or muffins.

It's relatively easy to grow

As long as the weather cooperates, zucchini will grow just about anywhere, though Bird said it's especially fond of sandy soil. Which is why so much is grown in western Michigan.

Zucchini doesn't like too much water, said Robert Ruhlig, sales manager of Ruhlig Farms, which produces as much as 44,000 pounds a day — yep, you read that right — during peak season, supplying grocery store chains and independent markets. Cool, wet weather makes the zuccini prone to powdery mildew and other disease.

"Florida and Georgia are both big producers of zucchini," said Ruhlig, whose growing operation is in Monroe County. "When it gets too hot in the South, zucchini stops producing. All that production shifts to the Midwest. Last night we loaded a semi … going to Florida.”

"It's just a very productive vegetable," said Ruhlig. "When it's producing, it really kicks off. A lot of times, you'll see the price of zucchini, sometimes it'll be high and when it really starts to come in, it will drive the price down really quickly."

Zucchini was 3 for $1 at Eastern Market recently.

It's low calorie!

A cup of raw chopped zucchini contains just 21 calories. It also contains: 1.5 grams of protein, 3.86 grams of carbohydrates and 1.25 grams of dietary fiber, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

And it's full of good stuff., including vitamin C, folate and modest amounts of calcium, potassium, copper, magnesium and phosphorous, according to Trinity Health System

More: Got zucchini? Try something different and make pesto

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It's versatile

"There's lots of new recipes for it," said Ruhlig. "You can even do zucchini lasagna where it's layered. Zucchini noodles. Kabobs. … It's not just for the vegetable portion of your plate. … It can also be made into dessert like zucchini bread, zucchini cupcakes, chocolate zucchini cake."

Though Ruhlig admitted with a laugh: “When we first have it, I eat it a couple, three times a week. Now that I’m inundated with zucchini every day, I’d rather not look at it."

Dogs like it

"I don't want to say it's dog food," Bird said, but his 5-year-old Newfoundland loves raw zucchini as a snack and as a supplement to his regular food. "He's my leftover zucchini person. ... Zucchini's a gold mine for him."

According to the American Kennel Club, plain zucchini — steamed, raw or cooked without spices makes a good snack or treat for dogs. It's especially good for overweight dogs because it's so low in calories. And, by the way, when it comes to treats, the AKC said they should only make up 10% of your dog's diet.

And if it's good enough for our fur babies, it's good enough for us.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Zucchini squash plants grow well in Michigan gardens: How to use them