Article content
Zucchini or eggplant form very popular side dishes for grilled meat in the summer months and are very easy to grow. If you harvest more than you need, there are several ways to store them so you can enjoy their excellent flavor in winter as well. Freezing, however, should be done with regard to their very watery texture. Let’s look at how to approach it for these two types of vegetables.
Freezing zucchini
Given the relatively large volume, which is formed mainly by water content, it is better to prepare the zucchini before freezing so it can be used immediately after being taken out of the freezer. Three main methods are typically used:
- slicing
- pre-frying
- creating a mixture for vegetarian patties
Freezing should be very quick so the vegetable retains the maximum of its original minerals. For ordinary freezing without additional preparation it is necessary to cut or grate the zucchini into smaller pieces, dry it in a tea towel or cloth and then portion it into plastic bags. Prepared this way it will keep in the freezer for several months.
Freezing zucchini with pre-preparation
In addition to the usual cutting of the vegetable, you can also prepare a frozen semi-finished product. If you decide on pre-fried zucchini, you need to cut it into strips and lightly fry for 2–3 minutes in a pan until golden brown, dry it and then put it into the freezer – after thawing it is excellent in mayonnaise with garlic. Another method involves creating a mixture together with grated carrot, coarsely chopped onion and herbs – from the mixture you can then quickly form patty dough.
Freezing eggplant
Czech home cooking is still finding its way to eggplant, although some gardeners already grow it themselves. Besides the classic dark purple color it can also be pink, yellow or striped, and it is excellent lightly roasted or fresh in salads or with meat. Freezing eggplant, similar to zucchini, requires pre-treatment because it contains a lot of water. Eggplant is always salted before freezing – the simplest way to prepare it is to remove the cores, cut it, salt it, dry it, then put it into plastic bags and freeze quickly.
Other ways of freezing eggplant
In addition to classic freezing, eggplant can also be pre-prepared – if it will be used under meat or for cooking, it is good to peel it before freezing and then cut it. Another way is to slightly pre-bake it until the skin softens and then neatly stack it into a plastic container and freeze. Pre-baked eggplant is good as a side dish; we thaw it directly in a pan with other vegetables.
