Zucchini is the vegetable that just keeps on giving, even if you don’t want it to.
Marta Nielsen with USU Extension shares three different ways to preserve your extra zucchini.
Zucchini Relish
Yield: about 4 half-pint jars
2 cups zucchini, chopped or shredded (about three medium)
1 cup chopped onion (about 1 medium)
½ cup chopped green bell pepper
½ cup chopped red bell pepper
2 tablespoons salt
1 ¾ cups sugar
2 teaspoons celery seed
1 teaspoon mustard seed
½ teaspoon turmeric (optional)
1 cup cider vinegar, 5% acidity
Ball Pickle Crisp (optional)
Prep:
Wash zucchini and green and red bell peppers under cold running water; drain. Remove stems and blossom ends from zucchini. Chop or shred zucchini; measure 2 cups chopped or shredded zucchini. Peel onion and chop; measure 1 cup chopped onion. Remove stems and seeds from green and red bell peppers. Chop green bell pepper; measure ½ cup chopped green bell pepper. Chop red bell pepper; measure ½ cup chopped red bell pepper. Combine zucchini, onion, green pepper, and red bell pepper in a large bowl. Sprinkle salt over vegetables. Pour cold water over vegetables just to cover. Let stand 2 hours. Drain vegetables. Rinse vegetables under cold water, drain.
Cook:
Combine sugar, spices, and vinegar in a large saucepan. Bring mixture to a simmer (180°F). Add vegetables; simmer 10 minutes.
Fill:
Pack hot relish into a hot jar, leaving ½ inch headspace. Add 1/16 teaspoon Pickle Crisp to half-pint jar, if desired. Remove air bubbles. Clean jar rim. Center lid on jar and adjust band to fingertip-tight. Place jar on the rack elevated over simmering water (180°F) in boiling-water canner. Repeat until all jars are filled.
Process:
Lower the rack into simmering water. Water must cover jars by 1 inch. Adjust heat to medium-high, cover canner and bring water to a rolling boil. Process half-pint jars 10 minutes (add 10 minutes to adjust for altitude in Utah). Turn off heat and remove cover. Let jars cool 5 minutes. Remove jars from Canner; do not retighten bands if loose. Cool 12 hours. Check seals. Label and store jars.
Pineapple Zucchini
Yield: about 8 pint jars
4 quarts ½-inch cubed or shredded zucchini (about 32 small, or 2 monstrous)
3 cups sugar
46 ounces bottled unsweetened pineapple juice
1 ½ cups bottled lemon juice
Prep:
Wash zucchini under cold running water; drain. Remove stem and blossom ends. Peel zucchini and cut in half lengthwise. Remove seeds. Cut zucchini into ½-inch cubes or shred it using a food grater.
Cook:
Combine zucchini, sugar, pineapple juice, and lemon juice in a large saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to a simmer (180°F). Simmer 20 minutes, stirring to prevent sticking.
Fill:
Pack hot zucchini and juice into a hot jar, leaving ½ inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Clean jar rim. Center lid on jar and adjust band to fingertip-tight. Place jar on the rack elevated over simmering water (180°F) in boiling water canner. Repeat until all jars are filled.
Process:
Lower the rack into simmering water; water must cover jars by 1 inch. Adjust heat to medium-high, cover canner and bring water to a rolling boil. Process pint jars 15 minutes. Turn off heat and remove cover. Let jars cool 5 minutes. Remove jars from canner; do not retighten bands if loose. Cool 12 hours. Test seals. Label and store jars.
Note: Use only commercial bottled pineapple juice and bottled lemon juice in this recipe to achieve the correct pH level (acidity) for safe processing in a boiling-water canner.
Hummingbird Muffins
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed banana (2 ripe bananas)
½ cup pineapple zucchini, with juice
2 large eggs
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
½ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 300°F. Spread pecans onto a lined baking pan. Toast for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool, and then chop. Turn oven up to 350°F (177°C), then prepare muffin tin by coating with cooking spray.
Whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, and salt together in a large bowl.
Whisk the rest of the cake ingredients in a medium bowl. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and whisk until just. Fold in 1/2 cup toasted pecans.
Fill each muffin space ¾ full, and top with remaining pecans (if icing, reserve pecan garnish for after baking). Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove muffins from tin and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
Pineapple Yogurt Icing (optional)
Whisk together 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt, 1 cup powdered sugar, and 1 tablespoon juice from pineapple zucchini. Add more juice as needed until icing is pourable consistency. Drizzle muffins with icing, and top with remaining pecans.
Ultimate Zucchini Brownies
2 cups zucchini (fresh or frozen)
½ cup oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour
1 ½ cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
½ cup cocoa
1 cup chocolate chips
In a large bowl, mix together zucchini, oil and vanilla. Add in flour, sugar, salt, soda, and cocoa. Stir to combine. Mix will seem very dry (depending on how wet the zucchini is), but continue stirring until mix comes together and resembles stiff cookie dough. Fold in chocolate chips. Spread into a 9×13 baking dish, lined with aluminum foil and sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Once cool, use foil ends to lift out of baking dish. Cut brownies into desired size, and dust with powdered sugar before serving.
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