From zucchini you can cook caviar, include them in vegetable salads and even use it as an ingredient in creating sweet snacks, which makes these fruits universal in terms of harvesting. However, do not forget about the possibility of storing zucchini fresh - we will consider in the article exactly how this can be done and what you should know about the nuances.

Harvest dates and technology

No matter what time you plant the plant in your area, you need to harvest the fruit before the first frost, because frozen specimens are no longer suitable for further storage. You can determine suitable for collecting zucchini by a dense skin (when you tap on the surface a dull sound is heard) and the absence of growth defects or mechanical damage. In addition, quality specimens should have well-marked lines characteristic of a particular variety. Even if the collected fruits are not fully ripe, they will be able to reach the desired state in the room.

As for the harvesting technology, it is always worth remembering the correctness of the zucchini slicing: on each copy there should be a small tail 4–5 cm long, with an even cut line and no separation into several parts (this occurs if the fruit was tried to unscrew from the stem, and not cut with a sharp knife). Only by separating the fruit from the bush correctly, you can protect the internal flesh of the plant from the effects of pathogens and monitor the condition of the harvested crop during winter storage.

Freshly torn zucchini cannot be washed (it is possible to provoke the beginning of rotting processes) - on the contrary, after collecting from the garden, it is advisable to dry them additionally in a well-ventilated place and wipe with dry clean cloth.

Did you know? The most tender and delicious vegetables will be fruits no more than 12 days old. Their flesh is so soft and juicy that in addition to baking in the oven or cooking in a pan, they can also be eaten raw, added to fresh salads.

What varieties are suitable for long-term storage

Not all varieties of zucchini can be safely placed in a closet or cellar for long-term storage, so if you plan to plant a large number of fruits, then it is worthwhile to focus only on varieties that have increased shelf life.

These types of zucchini include:

1. Aeronaut - early ripe cylindrical vegetables, beginning to bear fruit 46–48 days after the appearance of young shoots. The weight of one fetus can reach 1.5 kg, and the duration of its storage does not exceed 4 months.
2. Asset - A hybrid variety of zucchini of Dutch origin with large fruits of 3 kg each. The seed chamber is practically absent, which gives the pulp additional tenderness.
3. Pear-shaped - a variety with fruits resembling a pear in shape and reaching a weight of 1.3 kg at the stage of technical maturity. Their orange flesh has a good aroma and does not lose its softness for a long time.
4. Yellow fruit - Small cylindrical squash weighing 0.9-1 kg each. Unlike other varieties, they have a high level of keratin and other beneficial substances that are stored inside the vegetable for about 3 months.
5. Ebony - A variety of zucchini, characterized by an unusual dark green color and an elongated fruit shape with tasty and delicate pulp. Subject to the requirements for the storage process, the harvested crop can lie in the selected place for up to two months, sometimes longer.
6. Anchor - an early ripe variety with a cylindrical shape of the fruit, which is characterized by light yellow flesh. After harvesting, each of them can be stored for up to 1.5–2 months.

In addition to the described varietal variations of zucchini, it is worth paying attention to the vegetables of the Gribovsky, Golden Cup and Festival varieties. Representatives of the varieties Genovese, Tsukesh, Zebra, Zolotinka, Squorushka, Multi-storey are characterized by a high level of sweetness and are suitable for storage in a processed form.

Important! When planting the selected plant, make sure that the plantings are not too thickened. This can adversely affect the quality of the ripened crop.

General rules for storing zucchini at home

Regardless of the chosen storage location, there are a number of general rules, compliance with which will not allow zucchini to deteriorate quickly.

First of all, it is worth considering the following:

1. It is possible to lay in storage only clean and dry fruits, without any signs of decay processes.
2. Wherever you place zucchini, they should be stored in open form, with constant air access (clogging in plastic bags is unacceptable).
3. The optimum temperature values ​​at the storage location are considered to be in the range + 4 ... + 10 ° C, although the fruits can be stored at room temperature (+ 18 ... + 23 ° C).
4. When placing vegetables (preferably on wooden pallets), make sure that they do not come into contact with each other or with other objects, which will prevent putrefactive processes in places of such contacts.
5. Rotting can also be avoided by treating the fruit tail with liquid paraffin or wax, because it is from this place that the rot begins to spread throughout the vegetable.
6. With the advent of spring, the fruits remaining in the storehouse are wiser to eat, previously peeled and ground on a grater.

   

In the absence of a basement and a limited place in the refrigerator, you can place cut zucchini under the bed or freeze them, having previously processed them on a food processor. Young and overripe fruits with soft flesh are perfect for making mashed potatoes.

Important! If one fruit has deteriorated, others will follow, so it is worthwhile to conduct a regular inspection of the crop and remove damaged or rotting specimens in a timely manner. Whole and dense fruits are best left on a clean and dry surface covered with dry sawdust.

Storage methods

Keeping zucchini fresh or as preservation can be done both indoors and in a cool room like a cellar or basement. Each of these solutions has its advantages and disadvantages, but the main thing is to strictly follow all the recommendations regarding the selected conditions and immediately determine at what temperature it is worth storing vegetables.

At room temperature

In the absence of a basement, the harvested vegetables will perfectly retain their properties inside a residential building or apartment, where they are usually placed in pantries, halls or directly under the bed in the room. The main thing is that the selected place should be away from heating appliances and in a room with optimal humidity (not higher than 70%).

For convenience, you can put the fruits in a special plastic or wooden box for vegetables, left near the front or balcony doors, with direct air access (often the temperature in such places is always several degrees lower than the average for the apartment). In extreme cases, in the absence of boxes, you can simply wrap each fruit in blank sheets of paper and leave it in an inconspicuous place. This also applies to canned preparations of zucchini, however, in this case, a pantry with shelves is best for them.

In the basement

A basement or cellar with a constant air temperature within + 4 ... + 10 ° C and humidity not higher than 80% is one of the ideal places for preserving squash fruits. To monitor and regulate these indicators, you can fix the thermometer indoors, ventilate the room in a timely manner, thereby preventing the development of putrefactive processes.

Important! A good ventilation system and properly organized protection against groundwater will help prevent mold in the room.

Before laying vegetables for storage, be sure to check for pests, among which rats, cockroaches and bugs are more common than others: any of them will easily damage the fruits, and they will become unsuitable for consumption.

For convenience, you can place zucchini on shelves erected along the walls. The hay spread on the shelves or the spread waxed paper will help reduce moisture and protect vegetables from rot.

In fridge

You can talk about storing zucchini in the refrigerator only when there are not many. To organize supplies of fresh vegetables for the whole winter, the volume of the device is clearly not enough - about 10 fruits can be stored in the vegetable compartment.

The process of laying vegetables in this case involves the following sequential steps:

1. Cleaning fruits from dirt (first wipe with a damp, and then a dry rag).
2. Placement of zucchini inside a plastic bag.
3. The organization of several holes in it (air flow is very important).
4. Bookmark prepared vegetables in a separate compartment for storing such products.

Do not forget to periodically inspect vegetables, because even in such conditions they can deteriorate. With the timely detection of a rotting specimen, the remaining fruits can be saved.

In the freezer

In a freezer, it is advisable to store zucchini in a crushed form, since whole fruits will take up too much space and there will be no more left for other products. The method of slicing depends on the further purpose of use: for example, to cook stew, you can cut the fruit into cubes, and so that after defrosting it is convenient to fry, it is better to cut them into circles immediately.

Preliminary preparation of vegetables is carried out in a standard way: zucchini is cleaned of dirt (you can remove the skin) and only after that they take their place on the pallet in the freezer. It is better to spread the pieces in one layer so that they do not stick together among themselves during the freezing process. After 2-3 hours in the rapid cooling department, the contents of the pallet should be packaged in bags and sent to the freezer compartment for further storage during the winter.

In order not to spoil the prepared zucchini and not deprive them of a significant supply of nutrients, you should always defrost exactly as much as you need to prepare one dish.

Storage time

Many varieties of zucchini can be successfully stored in the basement until spring, but experienced gardeners do not recommend keeping them there longer than February, since only until the end of winter they are able to maintain the maximum set of their beneficial properties. With the advent of spring, it is advisable to use all the last year’s remaining crop for cooking, having previously cleaned the fruits of the skin and rid them of seeds (during this period they can give zucchini bitterness). Alternatively, peeled pulp can be sent to the freezer, pre-packaged in portioned packets.

Regardless of the chosen method of storing fresh vegetables, their maximum shelf life (without freezing) should not exceed five months. In the future, with each week the peel of the vegetable will thicken, the seeds will begin to germinate, and the flesh will turn into a friable and bitter product. For this reason, try to eat the entire crop while it is still juicy and sweet, without even waiting for the boundary date for its possible use.

Recommendations for use

Harvested vegetables can be consumed in the same way as freshly cut from the garden beds. If we are talking about young zucchini with a delicate and thin skin, then they can be baked, boiled or fried without removing it. For mature fruits with a thick skin, this procedure is required, otherwise the taste of the finished dish will not be so soft. Stayed and slightly softened fruits are not so suitable for preservation as they have just been harvested, therefore, harvesting should be done only from vegetables that have been lying in the storage for no more than 1-2 weeks.

Did you know? The longest zucchini, which fell into the Guinness Book of Records, grew up in the garden of the Englishman Alberto Mercantonius from Hitchino. The length of the miracle vegetable was 1.6 m, which corresponded to the growth of the Briton himself.

It is advisable to defrost zucchini from the freezer on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator or simply on the table at room temperature. True, for cooking stews or fried foods, you can not waste time on this.

In general, storing zucchini will not require any undue effort from you, so no matter what room you take under the storage, subject to temperature conditions and maintaining the desired level of humidity in it, you can achieve a maximum shelf life.