How to Freeze Zucchini Noodles?

Having a great way to freeze zucchini noodles in your freezer is a wonderful idea! You can even reheat them in soups or noodle dishes. To freeze zucchini noodles, you first blanch them, then pre-freeze them before putting them into a freezer-friendly bag.

How to Freeze Zucchini Noodles (2)

How to Freeze Zucchini Noodles?

Check out zucchini noodles as a healthier alternative to pasta made of wheat. It is made of fresh veggies, low in calories, and abundant in vitamins and minerals.

Stocking up on zoodles might be preferable to choosing normal pasta. It must be frozen to avoid going bad.

We contacted health-conscious individuals to learn how to freeze their noodles.

It turns out that there are various reasons why different freezing techniques are used for zucchini noodles. We list two strategies that you ought to use.

  • Salt the zucchini noodles after drying them, then freeze them.
  • After dipping the zoodles in boiling water, freeze them.

The approaches are both simple and extensive. You need not worry because we have outlined all the steps you must follow for each approach on this page.

To select the freezing technique that best suits your preferences, scrolls down.

Blanching

Whether you’re looking for a healthy alternative to wheat noodles or want to keep your recipes moist, blanching zucchini before freezing is the best way to preserve its freshness and firmness; keeping the freshness of zucchini is vital to the texture of your frozen zoodles, and the process can also extend their shelf life.

The process of blanching zucchini involves quickly cooking the vegetable in boiling water, followed by a brief dip in iced water. This helps deactivate enzymes that can cause discoloration and mushiness. Keeping the zucchini’s texture intact will ensure that it stays firm when you thaw it and that the flavor of your dish is preserved.

Before freezing, the zucchini should be washed, cut, and drained. It should be stored in a freezer-safe container or zip-lock bag. You can store shredded zucchini in this same method.

When ready to freeze, remove the air from your freezer bag or containers and seal them. If you don’t use the bag immediately, you can defrost the contents by placing the bag in a larger bowl of ice water.

Pre-Freezing Zucchini Halves Before Placing them into a Freezer-Friendly Bag

Using the right technique for freezing zucchini halves can make them last a year or more in a freezer-friendly bag. But, to keep your veggies as fresh as possible, you must follow a few simple steps.

The first step is to cut your zucchini into small pieces. This will prevent the clumping that can occur when they are frozen. You can slice the zucchini or use a peeler to remove the skin.

Next, chop the zucchini into a size appropriate for your dish. Usually, one-cup portions work well for most recipes. However, you can also grate the zucchini or shred it with a food processor.

You should also consider blanching your zucchini. This will help preserve the texture and flavor of the vegetable. It is a very easy process and takes just a couple of minutes. Alternatively, you can flash-freeze your zucchini. This will freeze the sliced zucchini and take up less space in your freezer.

Reheating in Soups and Noodle Dishes

Depending on how you cook your zucchini noodles, there is a chance that they will become soggy if you reheat them in a soup or noodle dish. To avoid this, you should take the time to drain them properly. Whether you use the oven or the stovetop, these tips will help you reheat your zucchini noodles to perfection.

First, the most important step in preparing your zoodles is to get them drained. You can soak them in water or spread them out on paper towels. Then, wipe them dry.

Next, you can boil them in boiling water. However, using a metal filter is the best way to do this. This is the best way to avoid the mushy texture you might see after reheating.

It’s also a good idea to toss them with salt and black pepper. This will help them retain their freshness and add extra flavor to your soup or noodle dish.

Is it Possible to Freeze Raw Zucchini Noodles?

To remove the vegetable’s water content, we advise blanching the fruit before freezing.

Noodles made from raw zucchini can be frozen. It’s crucial to remember that high humidity makes up about 95% of the makeup of a zucchini.

The untreated, raw zucchini noodles were frozen, resulting in mushy, flavorless noodles.

Is it Needed to Blanch Shredded Zucchini Before Freezing?

Before freezing, most fruits and vegetables can be blanched. If zucchini is blanched, it can be frozen for a longer period. It keeps the vegetable’s nutrients and flavor intact.

The aging enzymes in fruits and vegetables have a harder time developing. The amylases continue to be active when zucchini is frozen and eat away at its freshness.

The zucchini continues to grow even after being frozen. After a thaw, you have a soggy texture.

Always immerse your zucchini for a few minutes in boiling water to maintain flavor and texture.

If you don’t intend to keep the zucchini in the freezer for five days, you can freeze it.

How can I Freeze Freshly Shredded Zucchini?

Stack the zucchini in the freezer bag, squeeze out the air, label it, and freeze if you prefer it to shred. That’s how simple it is.

For increased vacuum sealing capacity, utilize FoodSaver bags, containers, and vacuum sealers. It ensures that food will stay fresher for longer if you wish to maintain it that way.

Additionally, defrosting is quite easy. Zoodles should be removed from the freezer and kept in the refrigerator for eight hours or overnight to thaw naturally.

The microwave can be used to defrost food quickly. Due to hydration and aging enzymes, shredded zucchini can only be frozen for 8 to 10 months.

Is it Possible that Spiralized Zucchini Freeze Well?

The majority of you feel that zoodles should resemble traditional pasta, so you use a spiralizer to create your zoodles.

It must be frozen until everything is in order. The zucchini that has been spiralized doesn’t freeze well. The water content is still the underlying cause.

The excess water in spiralized zucchinis stays in them because they are unstable and crumble quickly under pressure, unlike sliced zucchini, which can have the water squeezed out of them.

According to Ali Maffucci, the author of Inspiralized, spiralized zucchini noodles lose their flexibility when frozen, making them unsuitable for storing.

How to Freeze Zucchini Noodles with Salt?

A solvent is a salt. Salt helps to dehydrate the zucchini noodles through the process of osmosis. The inside of the zucchini noodles, which has a lower solvent content, transports moisture to the outside, which has a larger solvent concentration, as your salt massages your zoodles (the outside of the zucchini noodle). The zoodles will defrost firmer if you reduce their moisture content before freezing them.

How to freeze zucchini noodles is as follows:

  1. Amass your resources. You’ll also need a bowl, salt, dish towels or paper towels, and a spiralizer.
  2. Get your zoodles ready. Spiralize your zucchini after trimming the ends off to make zoodles. I advise chopping them into manageable pieces for freezing and defrosting if they’re longer than 8 to 10 inches.
  3. Your zoodles can be salted and massaged. Add 12 teaspoons of salt for every 2 cups of zoodles to a big bowl with the noodles. About 2 cups of zucchini noodles can be made from a medium zucchini. Massage the salt into the noodles for a few minutes until you can easily squeeze the water from them.
  4. You can line a colander with a dishcloth and press the water out of many zucchini noodles. Place the noodles in a dishcloth or cheesecloth and wring off any extra water. Squeeze, twist, and gather the towel’s edge until you’ve gotten as much water out as you can.
  5. On a dry dish towel or piece of paper, spread. Spread zoodles in a single layer on paper towels or dry dishcloths to absorb any extra water. Layer dry dishcloths or paper towels on top of the zoodles and let sit for half an hour.
  6. Label, package, and freeze. Zucchini portions should be measured. This could be for specific recipes or general serving sizes. Place them in a freezer-safe bag, press the air out, label them with the date, and freeze them.

Some people skip step four and salt the noodles, flip them over, salt the other side, and let them rest once more. They then let them rest for 30 minutes on paper towels or in a colander. While this will draw out some water, squeezing the zoodles will remove more moisture.

Should you Blanch Zoodles Before Freezing them?

Vegetables (like kale, for instance) are frequently blanched before frozen. Reducing or stopping enzyme activity aids in preserving the veggies’ color, flavor, and texture.

Zoodles can be blanched before frozen, but I like to salt-dry mine. Why? Zoodles are delicate and simple to overboil. They may become soggy as a result and may not thaw properly.

If you decide to blanch the zoodles, you can boil them for 1-3 minutes or until they are barely tender but not falling apart and the zucchini skins turn bright green. To prevent them from continuing to cook, remove them right away and submerge them in icy water. Drain and dry the zoodles after they have cooled. If you’d like, you can flash freeze them to stop the zoodles from sticking together.

Conclusion

Before freezing, you don’t need to knead in salt or blanch your zucchini noodles for a few minutes.

Raw zucchini noodles shouldn’t be frozen because they could lose their texture and flavor.

If zoodles are placed in FoodSaver bags, they can be kept fresh, minimizing waste. Making more zoodles for your next recipes doesn’t need to be a concern.