Courgettes are a staple vegetable in every kitchen – because they taste great roasted, boiled, baked, as soup, and even as zoodles (a pasta substitute). Want to have a “ready to go” supply year-round? Let’s learn how to properly freeze those delicious courgettes…
Can You Freeze Courgettes?
Yes, you can freeze courgettes for up to 3 months. Slice the courgettes into slices, batons or chunks and pop them onto a tray and into the freezer. Once the courgette has frozen solid, portion it into bags and return it to the freezer.
Do Do Courgettes freeze well? Sometimes
Can you refreeze Courgettes? No
How to Freeze Courgettes
The method for freezing courgettes isn’t too complicated but there are a few worthwhile steps you’ll want to take if you don’t want to ruin your courgettes during the freezing process.
This is the best method for freezing courgettes for later use:
- Prepare Courgettes
Decide how you want to freeze courgettes and prepare them accordingly. You can freeze them in slices, chunks, wedges or halves. It’s up to you!
- Blanch
Next, bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add your chopped-up courgettes to the boiling water, and set a timer for 45 seconds to a minute. It is important not to boil them for too long. Once the timer has finished, immediately plunge them into an ice bath.
- Drain
Once blanched, drain them in a sieve. Continue to drain and air dry. You may want to use a paper towel to remove excess moisture. Remember, courgettes already have a high water content so you need them as dry as possible. - Initial Freeze
Next, pop the courgettes onto a tray in a single layer and freeze for 1-2 hours. This will stop your courgette chunks from clumping together.
- Bag Up
Once the courgette pieces are frozen solid, pop them into a resealable freezer bag. Seal the bag up, removing as much air as possible as you do so. You could also use an airtight container here.
- Return to the Freezer
Label the bag with the contents and the date so you know when they need to be consumed and return the bag of frozen courgette pieces to the freezer.
Yes, courgettes can be frozen whole but this is far from the best way to freeze them. They’ll take a long time to thaw, the texture will be ruined and they’ll take up a lot of space.
Unfortunately, courgette ribbons are so delicate that they tend not to freeze particularly well. Once thawed, they’ll become incredibly mushy too.
You can freeze grated courgettes. There is a problem, however. It will often clump together, making it hard to grab a portion when needed. Instead, we recommend freezing the courgette in larger pieces and then grating it when you remove it from the freezer.
Freezer-Friendly Courgette Recipes
Try out one of these delicious recipes that are perfect for freezing:
How Long Can You Freeze Courgettes?
You can freeze courgettes for up to 3 months. Any longer than this will cause the veggies to get freezer burn. This will change the flavour of the courgettes.
When you freeze courgettes, make sure you write the name and date on the container, so you know when to use them.
When kept in a resealable plastic or paper bag, courgettes will keep for anywhere between 1 and 2 weeks in the fridge.
How Do You Defrost Courgettes?
Frozen courgettes are one of the easiest vegetables to deal with frozen and actually work best when cooked straight from frozen.
The best use for frozen courgettes is as a healthy way to thicken pasta sauces, soups, or stews, so throw the amount you want straight into the pan when you are cooking the meal.
They only take a few minutes to thaw out and cook.
If you want to defrost first, then take the amount you need out of the freezer and pop it into a bowl and put it in the fridge to defrost. It shouldnāt take too long before your courgettes are defrosted and ready to use.
Can You Refreeze Courgettes?
Courgettes are made of a lot of water. That helps them to freeze well the first time. The problem is when you defrost and then refreeze them, you’ll draw more moisture out of the courgettes.
This can ruin the texture and make them dry and flavourless.
Instead, we would recommend NOT refreezing them and, instead, freeze them in easy-to-use portions.
Do Courgettes Freeze Well?
“Can I freeze Courgettes?” is a bit different than “Do Courgettes freeze well?”
Sadly, courgettes will never quite be the same frozen as they were fresh. Freezing changes the texture and taste a little. However, it’s still a great way to store a bumper crop. If you grow your own, you know just how quickly courgettes come during the season.
This is why they are best used in sauces and soups as a vegetable thickener and healthy addition rather than a side dish of veggies.
As long as you are careful, you should be able to freeze and use your courgettes without too many problems. Blanching courgettes prior to freezing tends to produce the best results. It will reduce the amount of texture change there is.
Although it is safe to freeze courgettes without blanching, the texture, flavour, and appearance degrade if you don’t blanch courgettes before freezing.
Sources
We have verified the information on this page using the following resources:
Great advice. Thank you. Helen