How to dry zucchini for the winter: 3 harvesting methods

Of course, you can buy fresh zucchini in almost any store in winter, but vegetables grown in season differ significantly from “winter” ones, both in taste and in the amount of nutrients.

How to preserve zucchini for the winter? The answer is simple: this vegetable can be frozen or dried. We will talk about the latter option in more detail today in this article.

Preparing zucchini for drying

The type of vegetable makes absolutely no difference. These can be both early and mid-season varieties.

Before you begin pre-processing the zucchini, you need to wash them thoroughly with soap and then cut off the “butts” on both sides.

It is advisable to use young fruits that have not yet set seeds. Such zucchini does not need to be peeled, as it is still very tender at this time.

If you use larger specimens, then you should cut off the rough skin from them, and then, dividing the vegetable lengthwise into halves, remove the seeds.It is very convenient to scrape out the insides of the zucchini with a tablespoon.

Next, you need to decide on the method of slicing the vegetable. It largely depends on what you plan to cook with the dried ingredients. Small zucchini can be cut into rings up to 1 centimeter thick, and large ones into cubes or large strips.

Some housewives blanch sliced ​​zucchini in boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes before drying. After heat treatment, the slices are cooled sharply in ice water and then dried on paper towels.

In the second variant of pre-treatment, the slices are seasoned with salt and time is given for the excess juice to come out of the vegetables. After this, the zucchini is dipped in a paper towel and sent to dry.

Also, the dehydration process can be started without preliminary preparation of vegetables. The chopped zucchini is immediately sent to dry.

Three ways to dry zucchini

Sun drying

Natural drying is the longest process, taking from two to three weeks.

The chopped zucchini is placed on grates or sieves in one layer, while maintaining a certain distance between the slices. The containers are exposed to the sun and wait for the product to dry completely. Periodically, the workpiece should be turned over so that the process proceeds more evenly.

Drying zucchini on baking sheets or trays is not recommended, since air circulation on the underside of the product will be disrupted, and the vegetable may simply rot.

If racks and sieves are not available, then zucchini slices can be strung on fishing line or thick thread and hung to dry in a well-ventilated area.

In the oven

Place the zucchini slices on a baking sheet lined with baking paper.You should not pack the vegetables tightly; you need to leave a small space between the pieces.

The oven is heated to a temperature of 45 - 50 degrees and containers with vegetables are placed there. To ensure the outflow of moist air, the door is kept slightly open. From time to time, the zucchini needs to be turned over and the baking sheet moved so that the farthest pieces are closer to the door, and the closest pieces are further away.

The total drying time is 8 – 10 hours.

In an electric dryer

This method is similar to the previous one, only instead of baking sheets, racks are used, and instead of an oven, a modern electric dryer for vegetables and fruits is used.

The device is heated to a temperature of 50 degrees, and trays with products are installed in several tiers. To ensure more uniform drying, every hour and a half, the trays are rearranged. The average drying time is 7 – 10 hours.

Watch the video from the channel “kliviya777” - Dried zucchini. How to restore and cook

How to make candied zucchini

Zucchini is chopped into medium-sized cubes and covered with granulated sugar. The products are left in this form overnight. Add an orange or lemon, twisted in a meat grinder, to the resulting juice and boil the zucchini pieces in the contents for 5 minutes. After this, the slices are dried in an oven or electric dryer.

Video from the channel “Simple and delicious recipes!” will tell you how to make candied zucchini

How to store dried zucchini

The best containers for storing dried foods are glass or plastic jars with a tight-fitting lid. Containers are stored in a dark, dry place for 1 year.