Large Zucchini Recipes

We can check the garden daily, but eventually, if we are lucky, we’ll find a monstor zucchini in the garden! Funny how that happens, those beautiful green babies are so delicious when they are small. But larger ones get firmer and seedier. So, let’s jump right in and see what we can do with them!

Let me say first, you don’t have to use the larger zucchini for these recipes. A bounty of smaller fruit works just as well for many of these ideas and recipes. A couple of these recipes really do work better with a larger zucchini, since the fleshy part will be a bit sturdier.

When zucchini are very large, the seeds can fully form and they are usually tough and unpleasant. Take a spoon and scrape out the pulp, leaving the fleshy part. I prefer to leave the peel on for many of the uses listed below, but you can certainly peel them if you’d like.

Large Zucchini Uses

• Winter Soup Base Mix
• Zucchini Gummies – Unique, delicious treats using fresh fruit syrups!
• Zucchini Fritters
• Zucchini Bread
• Confetti Mac n Cheese!
• Stuffed Zucchini Boats
• Zucchini Hummus
• Fermented Garden Seasoning
• Cold Summer Soup
• Dried Zucchini Shreds
• Extra nutrition in smoothies
• Zucchini peel used in seasonings

Prepare Zucchini

1. After harvesting, sorting, selecting a few large fruits, wash zucchini in a sinkful of water with about 2-3 tablespoons vinegar added to remove residue or dirt.
2. Depending on the use, you can peel zucchini. I always save the peels in a freezer bag for Fermented Garden Seasoning
3. Cut large zucchini in half. If seeds are large, you can scoop out the seed pulp with a spoon. Peel if you prefer, but the peel has such wonderful nutrients, color and flavor.

Making Zucchini Shreds

1. Wash and cut zucchini as above.
2. Cut large zucchini into manageable pieces, 4 to 5 inches long.
3. Using a vegetable shredder (I love this shredder!) or cheese grater, shred the zucchini. It can be used fresh, salted to remove some of the moisture, or dehydrated.

Drying Zucchini Shreds for Soups and Sauces

Grated zucchini dries quickly even though fresh zucchini is very juicy. Drying the shreds without squeezing or removing the juice makes for a tastier product after dehydrating.

Spread the shredded vegetables evenly on dryer trays and set at the lowest temperature setting, usually 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Allow the shred to dry about four to six hours, longer if needed. Tips on dehydrating food here. Once the shreds are dry, they can be stored in a jar with lid tightly closed. I love to toss a handful into winter soups. Add nutrition to tomato sauces. And when my son was young, he loved Confetti Mac n Cheese!

Winter Soup Base Mix

I love to have fresh soups on a cold day. On busy days, I can open up a jar of bone broth and have soup ready in about 30 minutes.

Winter Soup Base Mix

Zucchini Fritters

This is the best side dish! Easy to use up small leftover bits of vegetables from previous meals.

Zucchini Fritters Recipe