How to Freeze Squash and Zucchini Using a Foodsaver

We are using the food saver vacuum sealer system to preserve our harvest of zucchini for the off-season in the freezer. NOT a sponsored video. We just love it!!! :D In this episode, we will show you how to freeze zucchini, and some food saver tips and tricks too.
The food saver we use: amzn.to/2fgoc2u
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[@mrjoshryan14hockey]

so cute that you keep" saying "unthaw" but it's actually "thaw", if you actually unthawed something, you'd actually be freezing it again, lol. Love your videos!!

[@TravelEmpress]

I was thinking the same thing. 😊 Is unthaw even a word?🤔

[@heethn]

I was thinking the same thing. So silly how we speak sometimes, I do plumbing work and hear "hot water heater" on a daily basis. We don't heat hot water. I'll be unthawing a bunch of squash and zuchs this week myself!

[@sandrainontario6710]

Another KZbinr that I adore says expresso talking about her coffee instead of espresso. But it's cute.

[@June-rb1nx]

My dad started freezing corn on the cob years ago, this way : Get some wash tubs ( he had old metal ones my grandma used years ago ) and fill 1/4" of the bottom of the tub with ice. Then take a row of corn that has been husked and lay it on the ice. Continue to do this, laying corn on ice, then top with ice, then corn etc. Let the corn get really, really cold 30-40 minutes. Put in freezer bags and toss in freezer. When eating this corn, it tastes just like you went to the garden and picked it fresh !

[@1975Jdonov]

I have been food saving for almost 13 years. One thing you should do is make the bag slightly bigger then you need. This allows you to reseal the bag if you want to store it again. These bags get expensive.

[@MIgardener]

We buy the bags in bulk, and we also buy them direct when they are on sale. We actually got 50% off bags and bought the large rolls, it is almost less than ziplock bags.

[@1975Jdonov]

MIgardener | Simple Organic Gardening & Sustainable Living I always buy in bulk but that doesn't mean I shouldn't be even more thrifty! Keep the videos coming.

[@MIgardener]

Oh I hear you for sure! We have re-used ours when we can.

[@stancysingh2505]

This is a good tip for cheese that I have stored in the fridge. I start with a bag that is larger than I need. I cut it open when I need some and then reseal the same bag when done. You always lose some of the bag when cutting it open. This so so worth it for cheese....I can keep it going to long long time!

[@1975Jdonov]

Stancy Singh I reuse with fish filets and deer meat since I usually store more than I can eat.

[@CaliKim29]

Great method, Luke! I"ll be doing this for our zucchini abundance!

[@lisabooker6405]

Thanks for this Luke. I have the same FoodSaver and love all aspects of it including the jar sealer. Though before I had it (still use now too) I used a break bleeder to seal my jars. Sounds weird but it really works. I LOVE the idea of stopping the vacuum before it cracks your veggies. I never even thought of it. I certainly will be doing that from now on. Thank you. My best to you and your family, Lisa

[@kater4052]

I use the silpat baking mats to lay my squash on instead of the parchment or waxed paper. They work great for this and you can use them over and over again.

[@AcornHillHomestead]

Now why didn’t I think of that??? I have two small and one large one. Perfect for this. Thanks for sharing 😉

[@dedebites7378]

I have a food sealer. Love it. Never thought about pre-freezing in discs… Thanks a lot

[@bcvaldez9]

I love the inclusion of the food saver. I strangely enough inherited one from my grandmother roughly 6 years ago and use it all the time to store everything from food to seeds and even emergency clothes in my car for myself and my kids. I love it.

[@sislertx]

Im a granny and bought one for my daughter who refuses to even think of using one...im pissed..she is a stubborn fool. Had been since birth

[@travispeck8633]

Hey Mr. Gardener! I am living in an apartment and would love a video on high intensity growing in a 5 gallon bucket! It sounds like a fun challenge to see how much and how many variety of foods you can get in just one bucket! Love your videos, keep them coming?

[@michelebrooke3206]

I appreciate that you as a guy show you can be into the harvest you work so hard to produce while your wife is busy with the baby and her work. You're the man; a real partner. Good for you.

[@carlide7347]

Thanks! First time using our Food Saver tonight for squash and zucchini, this was a huge help :).

[@tresheureuse]

You are my go-to for all gardening questions, but this is a very helpful video too. Thank you!

[@kathleenbaron1405]

Zucchini relish is the best! It can go with just about everything!

[@momman2874]

Thank you so much for the video!! I see you posted it five years ago. Just wanted to let you know that it is still helping folks out. I am new to this skill set and you’ve helped me immensely! God Bless you 🙏

[@barbarastedillie1336]

Just what I was looking for for our ‘abundance’ of zukes!! I love zucchini and it breaks my heart to not be able to use all of it during the season...until now!! Thanks for keeping it short and sweet as well!

[@kimberlyguimond4186]

OH thank you for this video. I usually get so tired of zucchini by the end of the season, but a month later I'm wanting it again. I'm totally getting a food saver!

[@barbaradumler6503]

If you go to the food saver web site they have all kinds at different prices. They are so worth it.

[@kristyp2585]

You have my food saver! I've had mine for years and we use it for everything. We love it. I will do this with our garden produce.

[@janicesnyder5649]

I have been using this method for awhile now. I would live to get model like this mine is very simple and bought it for maybe 20.00 on clearance 5 years ago when I picked up gardening again. Great video

[@jenniferb9506]

Your videos are brilliant! Keep them coming. I share them on FB, they're so informative!

[@debbiegallett1125]

I had no idea you could do this with summer squash. Brilliant

[@rorykeeton218]

Thank you, I alwayz enjoy your video's. I used to live in St. Joesph, Mi.

[@JohnDoe_88]

Great idea with how much zucchinis produce, yeah food dehydrating would be great to see as well

[@tara_a_santiago]

We love our food saver!!!! We used to blanch but stopped doing that when we realized everything was fine without blanching first

[@lorr.jones8887]

I really hate blanching. The veggies really do turn out okay without it? What types of veggies do you freeze?

[@tara_a_santiago]

Nancy Ruggeri some stuff can be very mushy when you blanch it, the purpose of blanching is to stop the enzymes... I have found using a food saver to package my frozen veggies is enough. Ziplock type freezer bags do not get enough air out , even using the bag in the water method. non blanched food do have a rubbery consistency in my opinion when they are in Ziplocs. That is why I invested in the Foodsaver.

[@tanyacraft4985]

wow pre freezing is the trick! love this channel

[@lawstar138]

hey Luke. what do think of lengthwise slices on the zucchini? any down sides to trying to freeze pieces that large? love my food saver. been using it for years on different items.

[@jacquelynpatrick6291]

Thanks-mine is already putting out this year. Love yourvodeos

[@dianadenetdale5514]

Hey Luke....too answered all my questions. This helped with a vacuum sealer I just bought as well.;)

[@rorykeeton218]

Keep up the great work.

[@debbriggs5811]

Thanks for the demonstration.

[@jackiehorsley9263]

That is such a handy idem I seen them before there well worth it

[@erikasmith4427]

Thank you so much! You're very cute and super helpful. I love your channel!!!!!

[@cxvd7996]

Very informative video!

[@colleenh2939]

I've been using one of these for years. We love ours. Around the holidays they have sales on the bags, so I stock up. btw invest in a dehydrator. They are under $50 and well worth it. PS Zucchini pickles are delicious!

[@SamPlaysBlackOps]

Your videos helped me grow enough that I need to freeze them, and then looking for a video that teaches me to freeze them, I heard the intro and said YES outloud in a waiting room.

[@markkristynichols845]

LOVE our Excalibur dehydrator!

[@CandidlyKelly]

My plants are producing so many zucchini right now & my aunt just gave my 3 big ones from her garden lol. This will be helpful

[@debbie2663]

Now I want one of those? Great video.

[@MIgardener]

They are on sale right now if you grab one!

[@donnayoung5942]

Thank you! Great info.

[@melaniewhittington7857]

Thank you for your information!

[@mollysmith6055]

Be sure to keep checking your frozen bags, my Foodsaver bags fail at about a 75% rate and then I have freezer burn. When they used to have purely flat bags I never had fails but since they switched to the diamond-pattern bags I've had a terrible time with them. Now I have a Nesco Professional dehydrator and dry out my zucchini instead of relying on freezing. The rehydrated product has a really satisfying 'tooth' to it that thawed zucchini is lacking. However, I DO use my Foodsaver to vacuum seal the dehydrated foods in mason jars. At least the unit isn't a total waste of money.

[@vajra0765]

Thank you Luke for Brandywine yellow tomatoes. It's very tangy and full of tomato flavor.Ideal for Indian cusine.

[@MIgardener]

MMMMmmmm curry

[@rmjames83]

Hey Luke, I've heard you can actually cook your food or reheat food in those bags! I wonder how it would go, since you freezed the zucchini before loading the bag, if you could put your zucchini bags in boiling water for a few minutes (maybe even microwaved them) then cut open the bags to get steamed zucchini (steamed in their own moisture!) Been thinking about a food saver for ages! I think I gotta get one coming into our spring/summer grow season, as planning to grow big! More canning/preserving vids please! Picked beets/tomato sauce, etc. please!

[@ritagibson225]

Yes you can boil them in Food Saver bags, I've done it. Keeps the flavor. I've been using FoodSaver for over 30 years. I started with one of the original units (white, low and wide and Very Heavy). One item I love to save in a FoodSaver sealed jar is coffee beans. They keep fresh for a very long time on the pantry shelf. Good luck with your purchase. You may want to check eBay or CraigsList for used or new units. I have two used units I'll be listing soon (I upgraded). Costco sometimes puts together a deal with additional FoodSaver containers.

[@mainiacgardener5628]

Something that is very, very overlooked for dehydration is using the modern frost free refrigerator. Frost free refrigeration is a very effective slow non heat dehydrator that preserves all of the goodness in food. I dehydrate all sorts of food stuffs with my fridge. Spread what you want to dehydrate on a cookie sheet with parchment paper and refrigerate until dry.

[@judycarlin2428]

Love you! Thanks!

[@PinkChucky15]

That looks really cool, it's going to keep them fresh for so long :-)

[@WizardVespian]

If you are enjoying that, the new one would be well worth looking into for someone who uses it as much as we do. The new one has two sealing bars, one for making bags and one for vacuum sealing the food. That means no more waiting for it to cool off! :) It's also a bit quieter.

[@MrVjay70]

Love it

[@cindybluett4963]

Zuchinni pickles are easy and great tasting. Try them.

[@katalew6688]

Hey Luke, if I lived in your neighborhood you could borrow my dehydrator. Dehydrated tomatoes taste like candy. When you try it you will totally love it. I'm going to invest in a Food Saver! Looks great.

[@Sattva468]

Hi Luke! Did you blanch the zucchini before freezing the slices? Thank you for posting this helpful video! I will be picking up a Foodsaver at Costco!

[@stevemcdermott8263]

Thanks, Ordered a food saver on amazon.. :)

[@Converted2truth]

I have a SHTF size zucchini harvest but no sealer! I will try the freezing on wax paper then baggies. Thanks Mr Mi.

[@MIgardener]

Used that method for years and it works great!

[@kehlarr5525]

When you're in the market for a DHer, check out the Cabela's brand. It has a horizontal flow like the Excalibur but at a middle of the road price point. Might want to do it soon though, I think that company is changing hands so you may be able to get it cheaper. That style is excellent for making homemade yogurt.

[@leroneerwin7605]

Thanks man!

[@opcn18]

So you went with the big and expensive food saver. Had you paid about twice as much you could have had an entry level chamber vacuum sealer. A chamber sealer is nice because you can vacuum seal soups and wet things more easily without air pressure forcing them out of the bag. Also it's nice because the bags don't need that textured surface inside so you get about 30 times as many bags for the price. If you use a vacuum sealer regularly it's extremely easy to spend $40 a year on bags. Over the expensive food saver you've got here a chamber vac (that does more) could pay for itself in 5-6 years. The one exception is like, if you are making extra long bags to freeze whole fish or something.

[@barbaradumler6503]

Emerson, I have a food saver but was thinking of also getting a chamber one also. What brand do you have? My problem is I'm running out of counter room.

[@twocvbloke]

I keep thinking of getting one of them foodsaver things as I tend to buy large packs of meat (usually pork) to divide up and freeze for later making it easier to portion out and not have some go bad from not being used quickly enough, I do use zip-lock type bags, but there's always some air left in them, so a vacuum-sealer would work great... :)

[@MIgardener]

buy meat on sale or raise your own. This keeps meat fresh for THREE YEARS. No joke. It is amazing.

[@twocvbloke]

I tend to buy my meat when it's cheap (reduced to clear or in a sale cos of some seasonal thing), don't really have the room to raise animals (that and local rules state no 4-legged farm animals in gardens, could grow chickens though), so something like this would be useful to fill the freezer with a nice stock of meat... :)

[@eiseli99]

Believe me, sweet-sour zucchini in jars are really awesome. We eat them with fondue cheese in winter and we're always sad to see the last jar go...

[@tarilwright9242]

Recipe, please?

[@ThePlantBasedHomestead]

Thank you! My parents bought us one of these last year and while we've used the canning jar option and the storage jars, we haven't used the bags yet. We have a ton of zucchini so this comes at good timing.

[@garyjohn316]

I like to double seal mine, I will pull out the bag a half inch and seal again.

[@lindapayton8136]

I used to have a food saver many years ago when we had a large garden. We didn’t garden for years and put in raised beds and we are going to be freezing lots of veggies. When you make zucchini bread or muffins you grate the zucchini. I was thinking about shredding it before freezing the correct amount I would need in a recipe. Does freezing shredded zucchini change what you do? Would I still need to freeze the zucchini first?

[@msdixie1972]

You can shred it and just freeze it! You can also squeeze out some of the liquid with a tea towel before freezing if you like.

[@oldchickenlady]

I loved my NESCO dehydrator so much, I got a second one!

[@bethanyhutchinson6714]

We use our Food saver for pesto. 42 3/4cup bags!

[@lindapetrongolo3478]

Did you blanches them first ? Thanks for video.

[@mrssamwinchester100]

Just so you know, I have made zucchini pickles and they are a delicious way to preserve zucchini! Do you know how to preserve grated zucchini? I have frozen it in 2 cup amounts for my zucchini bread recipe. I have grated and frozen it in zip lock bags, but this way looks better, except for the liquid from the zucchini in the foodsaver. Thanks, Deborah

[@jeanneluddeni5159]

Yup i do this also but I have a dehydrator and like it better

[@cct9194]

How is the consistency of the product when you thaw it as far as zucchini goes? Does it keep its shape if we used it for kabobs or something where you want the shape of the vegetable in your dish?

[@deliarivera902]

Can you vacuum seal in bag or mason jar spiralized zucchini?

[@clickclackpow2730]

Did you ever find out the answer to this?

[@gardentogether9298]

Does anyone know how long sqaush and zucchini will last sitting out? In a cool dark place?

[@jjay226]

What are some preventative measures you take to prevent botulism from thriving, as putting fruits and vegetables in a FoodSaver(cryovac) could possibly provide an ideal environment for the anaerobic bacterium?

[@silentrockstube]

How long do you find the frozen food lasts in the food saver bags

[@SDQuilter]

Thank you so much for this video. We have been looking at dealership, this helped.

[@barbaradumler6503]

You need to start with a much larger bag. They are reusable as you only cut off an inch. I've been using the Foodsaver since it first came out.

[@valeriehowden471]

I am going to try this when the zucchini overruns my house. I've used frozen grated zucchini for adding into pasta sauce and chocolate zucchini cake but only after thawing and draining. Never thought of using my dehydrator which would be great for added to soups, stews, chili's etc. Enjoy your foods average.

[@valeriehowden471]

Please enjoy your foodsaver. Oops, in a rush.

[@tarilwright9242]

@@valeriehowden471 auto correct strikes again! Lol!

[@kathybrochu1057]

Did you grow butternut squash??? and if so when do you pick it???????

[@cathiegalbraith475]

Are there any other vegetables that can be frozen this way? I have not been very happy with the results of the blanching routine on beets, beans, etc.

[@hannahstrieter5318]

In my own research, I found that the blanch method is more for the purpose of safety against listeria. Do you have any proof against this with your method? This is my first year and I had primarily chosen this exact method, but wanted to air on the side of safety, thus my question.

[@jodyjacobson1141]

Do you have to blanch the zucchini before freezing?

[@TheInspector911]

no

[@kennethseegar9632]

I weigh my food before freezing. That way I have just enough for every recipe, rather than opening a bag of frozen veggies and then having leftovers. Use my foodsaver for everything- even bananas and garlic!

[@therising1]

Does anyone know why almost all the directions for freezing zucchini require blanching first? I understand that it stops the enzymes from creating bad gasses, but if you fresh freeze the zucchini, then vacuum seal and put back in the freezer, why would it matter? Also, how long will these generally last vacuum sealed and frozen. I know this is an old video, but I'm having trouble finding information on NOT blanching first.

[@lisadeluca5714]

You are so darn adorable.

[@logantracey2191]

Can you please do a tutorial on how to pickle banana peppers????

[@barbaradumler6503]

Preparing and Canning Pickled Vegetables Pickled Yellow Pepper Rings 2½-3 pound yellow (banana) peppers 5 cups cider vinegar (5%) 1¼ cups water 5 teaspoons canning salt 2 tablespoons celery seed 4 tablespoons mustard seed Yield: About 4 pint jars Please read Using Boiling Water Canners before beginning. If this is your first time canning, it is recommended that you read Principles of Home Canning. Procedure: 1. Wash and Rinse 4 pint canning jars; keep hot until ready to use. Prepare lids and bands according to manufacturer's directions. 2. Wash peppers well and remove stem end; slice peppers into ¼-inch thick rings. In a 4-quart Dutch oven or saucepan, combine the cider vinegar, water and salt; heat to boiling. 3. Place ½ tablespoon celery seed and 1 tablespoon mustard seed in the bottom of each clean, hot pint jar. Fill pepper rings into jars. 4. Cover pepper rings with boiling hot pickling liquid, leaving ½-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed. Wipe rims of jars with a dampened, clean paper towel; adjust two-piece metal canning lids. 5. Process in a boiling water canner, as recommended in Table 1. Let cool, undisturbed, 12 to 24 hours and check for seals. 6. Shake jar to disperse spices before using contents. Table 1. Recommended process time for Yellow Pepper Rings in a boiling-water canner. Process Time at Altitudes of Style of Pack Jar Size 0 - 1,000 ft 1,001 - 6,000 ft Above 6,000 ft Raw Pints 10 min 15 20 Developed by the National Center for Home Food Preservation at The University of Georgia, Athens, GA. Released by Elizabeth L. Andress, Ph.D., Department of Foods and Nutrition, College of Family and Consumer Sciences. March 2003.

[@barbaradumler6503]

This is the site for the National Center for Home canning. You can download the book for free. There are apprx. 8 different sections. This will teach you how to can safely so you don't kill anyone :) nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_06/yellow_pepper_rings.html

[@logantracey2191]

Barbara Dumler umm thanks. But i am a visual learner

[@barbaradumler6503]

You could check with your local extension office and they may have some hands on training. That's how I learned. I ended up taking the Masters class and I learned so much. I didn't want to kill anyone with canning and with Botulism you can't see it or smell it. It is very important that you use a researched based recipe that has been tested for safety.

[@lisabooker6405]

Barbara Dumler Thank you for adding this. So nice of you to take the time and trouble.

[@michelebrooke3206]

Do you have a dehydrator as of today?

[@joyceslusser3148]

i also skip the blanch. does unthaw mean freeze? does unfreeze mean thaw? :-)

[@lisadeluca5714]

do you have to blanch them first?

[@stevep2325]

length of time stored that way do you know?

[@qltygrl3187]

How would you freeze zucchini noodles?

[@MichelleLathrom]

How long is the freezer shelf life?

[@AcornHillHomestead]

Well now Im sad because I threw away most of my frozen zucchini because conventional “wisdom” says to blanch zucchini before freezing. Now I have a bunch of blanched. I kept a bag or two of sliced unblanched pieces for a veggie lasagne. Ill do a taste test soon! 😉

[@michellen.9657]

#newby Why do you freeze them first before sealing?

[@carmenc4926]

If you did it the other way, the slices would freeze into one large block. This way you can take out what you need with out thawing the whole thing.

[@shantalsheldon1827]

Does anyone know if we blanch first?

[@missourigirl4101]

How do you use zucchini saved in slices

[@raynechantel2738]

good video. Love my Excalibur well worth the investment. Your method would be good for making a skillet zucchini casserole in the winter when zuc isn't so readily available. Also not being a jerk, but you thaw not unthaw! Ha please don't be upset - I know we all say things we don't even realize. I used to say irregardless until someone pointed out - it's just regardless! LOL

[@boundlessvoyageur5302]

Hi I was wondering what happened to Larry's orchids?

[@MIgardener]

They went out of business, but the KZbin channel is still there because the password was lost.

[@vimalah190]

Wont they get soft when unfreezed?

[@vajra0765]

I'm freezing tomatoes like that with food saver.

[@susantiano1988]

Can you peel skin off before you freeze

[@OriginalOneEleven]

Just an FYI: Most people seem to say”unthaw for thawing. My family was doing the same, and then one day my husband thought about it. To unthaw is to freeze. How many of us do that? I still have to catch myself.

[@johnwalters7415]

Does it have that funny taste after you freeze it

[@shesonfire_]

when u thaw them are they soggy?

[@theoneandonly1158]

5:20