When the squash begins to get ready, it’s kinda bittersweet. I’m always so excited to pick those first squash but I know that soon, no matter how few plants I’ve planted, I’ll be begging people to take squash.
Squash
It’s one of those things you don’t think a whole lot about until you have a garden but right at the beginning of growing season, we have asparagus every day, then sweet peas, then sqaush, then green beans . . whatever is in abundance, we eat a lot of it.
I’ve tried freezing squash, canning squash, dehydrating squash, making squash casseroles and freezing them and I’ve never been real happy with anything I do to preserve squash so any suggestions are appreciated. Once the zucchini gets too big, and it’s real easy to miss them under those big leaves, I grate or spiral cut them, stick them in a zipper bag and freeze them. Then on the really hot days, I grab a bag and dump it out for the chickens, still frozen, and it’s like a veggie pop to help cool them down.
Everything in the garden is looking pretty good so far. Vince hasn’t had a chance to work on the keyhole garden so I’m not sure I’m even going to try to plant anything in there til maybe fall. It’s getting late for planting any summer veggies.
We’ll pull the sweet peas out this weekend and get that area ready to plant black beans or maybe purple hull peas towards the end of July. I’ll see how the other beans are doing by then . . I may not even want to think about additional beans!
Things could change but right now, I’m thinking this is going to be one of the best gardens I’ve had in several years. It’s a good thing because after last year’s horrible garden, I had said that if this year’s garden didn’t do better, I was giving up gardening in Texas.
Mary Lines says
You can make a pretty good relish from zucchini. Just follow a recipe for sweet pickle relish. Also, check out a blog called ‘Food In Jars’ for more zucchini ideas.
cilla says
Last year I had an abundance of zucchini ad yellow squash. I mixed it 50/50 with canned crabmeat, formed into patties and froze. Great on the grill in warm weather or fried in butter on cooler days. So then I thought….why no canned baby shrimp? They came out well also. I grate the squash and wring out very well in toweling. Add any seasonings you want…..(I know, Slap Yo Mama…lol. We don’t have that up here in NH). I add onion and finely chopped celery to some of them.
Lynne In Hawaii says
You can easily get Slap Ya Mama by ordering through Slap Ya Mama or by order through Amazon. It comes in three different heat levels. Judy and I use the hot! Ordering them online is the only way we can get it.
cilla says
THANK!!!!!!!! Amazon has everything. I just don’t think to use it. Plus I have Prime. l’ll go check that out. I’d use the hot also!
Elaine/MuddlingThrough says
I love fresh squash, but we’ve never had success with it here. The squash vine borers destroy it every time no matter what we do.
Deb says
For Elaine and anyone else fighting squash borers —– Bob Webster is one of the local gardening guys on the radio and has a dual broadcast with Garrett aka as the Dirt Doctor. Just think organic gardening gurus. I have been plagued with squash vine borers every year and while I have been able to keep them from totaling killing the plant, they have markedly reduced my production. I tried Bob Webster’s approach this year which is to inject BT into the stem that is affected by a squash vine borer. It may be a little early to declare total success but I have 4 areas in stems that show the scar of a vine borer. So far the plants are looking healthy and certainly none the worse for my nursing care of injecting the BT solution. Additionally, the gash that is characteristic of a vine borer has not widened and is stable.
Elaine Perez says
Thank you, Deb. I’ve never tried injecting, but I have used BT.
katie z. says
Congratulations on a great year! We’ve scaled back; I can’t hack it with six kids, including one with autism. Something had to go, so the garden shrank.
Paula (Texas) says
I’m a first time vegetable gardener. My zucchini blooms, but no zucchini!
Pauline Kennelly says
Use the extra zucchini for chocolate z cakes. Delis!
jennifer says
we grow lots of zukes, and they’re my favorite! I pick them when they’re quite small, and chop them up into coins. then I sauté them in either EVOO or bacon grease. I like to serve them with noodles and pesto, with just a bit of parm cheese over the top. cherry toms, too, if you have them!
Pamela Bray Crane says
I am sure you are still grateful for your squash. My garden has been invaded by a squash borer beetle and I can’t grow it anymore.
Mary says
Zucchini bread is delicious! You can freeze the bread and it is so nice to have in the winter. Muffins, too!
Amy in PA says
We make fake crab cakes with zucchini, similar to the recipe above. Grate it, drain a little, bread crumbs, egg, old bay, whatever other seasonings you like, cook in a pan on the stove or in the oven. I can barely tell it’s not crab meat, they’re really good!
We also bake cream cheese filled zucchini muffins, should be free recipes online, they’re incredible.