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Zucchini and Other Sorrows

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By now you are probably regretting ever planting summer squash. Though delicious, zucchini bread easily pales after the 20th loaf. And those sadistic plants just keep on producing. There are some alternatives however to just yanking them out of the ground. Contrary to popular thought, you can actually preserve your summer squash for winter use.

One of the best ways to put up summer squash is to dry it. I discovered this when I’d just bought a new dehydrator and was drying everything I could get my hands on. I had one empty tray in the dehydrator. I thought, what the heck, and threw in some zucchini. Turned out great!

Slice your zucchini, patty pan, or other summer squash into thick pieces. Place them on the trays of your dehydrator, leaving generous spaces between the slices. Summer squash are mostly water, so they take a very long time to dry completely. For this reason I prefer to dehydrate the slices to the rubbery stage. They are rather like dried mushrooms at this point. Store the dried squash in zippered plastic bags in the freezer. Because you haven’t removed all the water, they will mold if you don’t. In the freezer, they should keep well for at least a year.

I’m told you can also use your oven, set on barely warm, to dry foods. I've never tried it, so I don’t know how well this works. You would have to be careful the oven didn’t get too hot. The maximum drying temperature for most dehydrators is 145 degrees F. Prop the oven door open to release the moisture. I have dried herbs in the microwave, and they do nicely, so maybe zucchini would also. It won’t hurt anything to try a few slices and see what happens.

To use your dried summer squash, simply remove it from the container. There’s no need to rehydrate the slices for most recipes. I especially like dried summer squash in vegie lasagna. Replace either the meat or noodle layer with slightly overlapping dried squash. Make your sauce slightly more watery than usual, as the dried squash will absorb the water as it cooks.

Dried summer squash can also be used for…..ahhh!…..zucchini bread. Though you can make several loaves in the summer and freeze them, they often get freezer burnt before you can use them. To incorporate dried squash in breads, soak the slices in warm water until moist and use as you would fresh squash.

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