Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Eating and Drinking => Cooking, Storing and Preserving => Topic started by: Ourveggiepatch on September 08, 2009, 21:35

Title: What to do with courgette glut
Post by: Ourveggiepatch on September 08, 2009, 21:35

Hi

Sorry have a brain block on how to spell courgette but anyway, I read in a book that you can actually freeze courgettes, so, I decided a small experiement.

par-boiling and then freezing - forget it, they don't freeze well as they hold too much water.

the best way is to chop them into either small chunks ready for use i.e in a risotto and then just freeze them in the portion size you want.

Freezing them in one bag as a bulk lot will mean you wont be able to take out what you need as they freeze hard together.

so I dice the courgettes and freeze them in smaller portions in small tesco freezer bags.  when ready to use them i simply cook from frozen.

hope this helps for next year's glut as this years glut is now nearly over.

OVP

Title: Re: What to do with courgette glut
Post by: Poolfield2 on September 09, 2009, 22:44

You can also roast slices of  them in olive oil and garlic and then freeze them.

Title: Re: What to do with courgette glut
Post by: Sue33 on September 10, 2009, 12:16

i have frozen the courgette soup made last weekend  :D

Title: Re: What to do with courgette glut
Post by: maverick on September 10, 2009, 13:08

make a huge batch of ratatouille and freeze in smaller batches  :)

Title: Re: What to do with courgette glut
Post by: titch on September 10, 2009, 22:28

choc courgette cake

i made a vat of ratatouille at the weekend - very sloppy kind as i use it as a base for other things

Title: Re: What to do with courgette glut
Post by: aelf on September 11, 2009, 09:33

our spare (or very large) courgettes get diced and put through the juicer. The pulp is then seasoned and heated till simmering. Once cooled it is portioned into store bags and into the freezer. Its great as a base for stews, casseroles etc instead of water.

Title: Re: What to do with courgette glut
Post by: Christine on September 11, 2009, 19:53

I found that marrow, courgette, onion, apple and vegetable stock cube make a very pleasant soup - the cooking apple gives the flavour a twist.

That was a back of the fridge, what can I do with these veg option.

Title: Re: What to do with courgette glut
Post by: Ourveggiepatch on September 12, 2009, 20:45

Thank you all for your really helpful replies, love the idea of the roasting them in oil and garlic before freezing them.

Never thought about making batches of ratatoulli and then freeze that, made some this eve it was delicious.

All the best

OVP

Title: Re: What to do with courgette glut
Post by: LittleRedHen on September 14, 2009, 09:26

In America, they stuff them into a paper bag, quietly place them on their neighbour's front stoop, ring the doorbell, and RUN!  When I lived there, I got tons of them that way!   ::)

Title: Re: What to do with courgette glut
Post by: Ourveggiepatch on September 14, 2009, 22:48

Why do they do that in america?  Is it some kind of festival thing or a practical joke?

OVP

Title: Re: What to do with courgette glut
Post by: Wombat18 on September 15, 2009, 22:21

I've made courgette jam and courgette chutney.  I've probably used about 6kg up as well as some of my less presentable apples.    This weekend I will be making marrow run with one very overgrown courgette I've been saving for the purpose.  And next year I will definitely be planting fewer courgettes!   :happy: