Frozen zucchini and squash taste bad

[uno]

I have been freezing some of the fresh zucchini and yellow squash that I grow and it tastes bad when I cook it only a week or so later.

Here is what I do.

First off I grow open pollinated yellow crooked neck squash and open pollinated zucchini.

I harvest the crooked neck squash when they are about 5 inches long and the zucchini at about 6- 8 inches long.

Then I wash them off really good and slice them and then put them in a zip lock bag and freeze them. All within a few hours of picking them from the vine.

After only a week of being frozen I steam them and they have an "off" taste like they are rotten or something.


I just wanted to see if anyone else has experienced this?


Thanks

Jim

[shelleybean]

Hmm, I haven't tried any of what I've frozen yet. The only difference is I blanch mine for just a minute or so, then into an ice bath for a little bit and then quickly out to drain. then blot it with paper towels. I freeze it on a sheet pan first to keep all the pieces separate and then move it to bags. I'll try to sample some of it this week and see how it tastes. You've got me curious.

[Wi-sunflower]

I never noticed a rotten taste. But because squash is so full of water to start with, it does have a soggy watery taste if trying to use it like fresh. It needs to be used in something well cooked.

I've froze zucchini as shreds and then used it in things like zucchini bread and it worked fine as far as I was concerned.

Carol

[shelleybean]

I had planned to use it for something like minestrone or ratatouille. I can totally see what you're saying about it being soggy just trying to serve it as a side dish. I'll try mine and report back.

[Father'sDaughter]

I think it does need to be blanched then plunged in ice water and drained well before freezing. My mother has been successfully doing it this way the last few years. After she drains the disks, she lays them out in a single layer on a cookie sheet and freezes them. Once they're frozen, she transfers them to a ziplock bag so she can pull out only what she needs.

[Barbee]

I shred mine and pack it in bags with no processing at all. It will thaw out more watery than fresh but if you thaw in a colander it drains itself and works fine. I have never noticed an off taste to it though.
Could there be something bad in the freezer that it is picking up odor from?

[uno]

Thanks Shelleybean, Wi-sunflower, Father's Daughter, and Barbee.

I still don't know why they tasted bad. I'm fine with them being mushy it's the bad taste that made me concerned.

I'm going to pay close attention to everything I do when I freeze more of them to see if I can figure it out.

Jim

[Tracydr]

Originally Posted by uno

I have been freezing some of the fresh zucchini and yellow squash that I grow and it tastes bad when I cook it only a week or so later.

Here is what I do.

First off I grow open pollinated yellow crooked neck squash and open pollinated zucchini.

I harvest the crooked neck squash when they are about 5 inches long and the zucchini at about 6- 8 inches long.

Then I wash them off really good and slice them and then put them in a zip lock bag and freeze them. All within a few hours of picking them from the vine.

After only a week of being frozen I steam them and they have an "off" taste like they are rotten or something.


I just wanted to see if anyone else has experienced this?


Thanks

Jim

What is your freezer temp? Is something stinking up the freezer?
Perhaps try vacuum packing, as this will reduce air, which can cause spoilage. Also, blanching will help by reducing spoilage enzymes.

[Tracydr]

Dehydrating zuchinni also works well. If you slice it evenly thin with a slicer it works better. Use parchment paper to prevent sticking.
I've marinated very thin slices with rice wine vinegar, salt and dill. Dried until crispy. The chips were addictive!

[bower]

Originally Posted by Tracydr

Dehydrating zuchinni also works well. If you slice it evenly thin with a slicer it works better. Use parchment paper to prevent sticking.
I've marinated very thin slices with rice wine vinegar, salt and dill. Dried until crispy. The chips were addictive!

Tracydr, it sounds addictive! How long did you marinate?

[shelleybean]

I used some of my frozen crookneck and zucchini last night in minestrone. It was perfect. I will try not to give so much away now. I'll freeze it for this!

[Tracydr]

Originally Posted by shelleybean

I used some of my frozen crookneck and zucchini last night in minestrone. It was perfect. I will try not to give so much away now. I'll freeze it for this!

My mom used to put up tons of diced or sliced squash for winter use in soups and casseroles. I've usually just grated it to use for bread all winter.

[Tracydr]

Originally Posted by bower

Tracydr, it sounds addictive! How long did you marinate?

Not long. Hour or two? I loved the rice wine vinegar plus dill. Use parchment paper. My first batch stuck like crazy.
I grow Costata Romanesco. Huge plant although not as productive as hybrid zuchinni. It has a much better texture, firm like some summer squash. Plus, you can let them get really big and they still have small seeds, firm texture.

[Labradors2]

I vote for something stinky in the freezer.

I had lunch in a restaurant recently and couldn't drink the water because I thought the glass hadn't been washed properly and tasted of garlic. The waitress knew what was wrong and brought me a glass with no ice cubes. Apparently it is quite common for ice to absorb freezer smells so I'm guessing that your zucchini did too!

Linda

[uno]

Thanks Tracydr and Labradors2

I tried steaming fresh picked zucchini and yellow crookneck...it was just picked from the vine a few hours before I steamed it. They both tasted fine.

I have other vegetables frozen in the same freezer that do not taste bad so I'm guessing that I'm doing something wrong with the zucchini and squash.

I'm going to give blanching a try and see if that does the trick.


Jim