You might wonder, why make zucchini purée? Sure, it tastes good, but it can be tricky to get it right. However, it’s an efficient way to freeze zucchini. Unlike soup, it doesn’t take up too much space, and unlike freezing zucchini in pieces, the texture remains intact.
Once frozen, zucchini purée is a handy ingredient to have on hand, especially during the winter. You can even transform it into a soup by adding water or broth, making it an excellent option for preserving zucchini soup as well.
The challenge of water content
Zucchinis are high in water, which can make it difficult to achieve the right consistency. To handle this, there are three stages where you can remove excess water:
- Before cooking: Grate or finely chop the zucchini, salt it lightly, let it sit to release water, then drain and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
- During cooking: Cook the zucchini in a wide pan (to encourage evaporation) over low heat, stirring to avoid burning.
- After cooking: Let the purée drain for a while to remove any remaining liquid.
After going through these steps, 1 kilogram of zucchini will yield around 400 grams of purée.
Important: Once the zucchini is blended, it’s too late to remove the water. Reheating purée can lead to a “volcano effect,” where water evaporates in the form of steam bubbles that pop and splatter hot purée everywhere!
Should you peel the zucchini?
Yes, you should. The long cooking process required to evaporate the water can give the skin a bitter, metallic taste. Although the skin contains nutrients and fiber, it’s best to remove it—but don’t worry, you can still use the peels (more on that below).
How to thicken zucchini purée
Despite your efforts, zucchini purée may remain a bit thin. Here are two ways to thicken it:
- Mix it with mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, or even carrots.
- Add a bit of flour, potato starch, or cornstarch, then cook for a few minutes while stirring.
Basic zucchini purée recipe
Zucchini purée
Equipment
- blender
Ingredients
- 1.2 kg zucchini or 1 kg peeled
- salt
Instructions
- Peel and prepare: Peel the zucchini, then grate or finely chop it. Lightly salt (not too much if you plan to use the drained water). Let it sit for at least 30 minutes.
- Drain and squeeze: Drain the zucchini and squeeze out as much liquid as possible using your hands.
- Cook: heat the zucchini in a pan or pot over low heat with a small amount of water. Cover to start cooking.
- Reduce water: once cooking starts, remove the lid and stir frequently. You can increase the heat as long as there’s liquid in the pan. Continue cooking for about 30 minutes until most of the water is gone.
- Mash and cook further: mash the zucchini and continue cooking for a few more minutes.
- Drain the purée: transfer the mashed zucchini to a fine-mesh strainer and let it drain for about 30 minutes.
- Blend: blend the drained zucchini into a smooth purée using a food processor or blender.
- Final drainage: to remove even more water, place the purée back in the strainer over a bowl in the fridge and let it drain overnight.
Sustainability tips:
- Zucchini peels: you can use the peels in soups, sauces, pesto, or even make crispy zucchini peel chips.
- Zucchini water: don’t throw away the drained water—it has a great flavor! If you didn’t over-salt it, you can use it in broths or sauces.
By following this guide, you’ll be able to make a smooth and flavorful zucchini purée that’s perfect for freezing or immediate use in your favorite dishes!