Zucchini

How to select

Choose firm, slender zucchini with a bright green color and free of wrinkled skin and soft spots. As zucchini get longer and bigger around, they become tougher and develops more seeds. These larger zucchini can be shredded and used in zucchini bread.

How to prepare

Rinse the zucchini just before preparation. Zucchini doesn’t have to be peeled so it's easy to add to meals.

How to store

Store fresh picked or purchased zucchini in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to 1 week for best quality. Be sure the zucchini is dry and unwashed when you put it in the bag as moisture will encourage mold and spoilage. You can also store unwashed zucchini in perforated plastic bags (marketed as “fresh produce” bags) in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator. For best quality, use zucchini within 3 to 4 days. Wash zucchini just before preparation. Zucchini makes a quick addition to meals as it doesn’t have to be peeled!

Peak season

Summer

Ways to use

Grate zucchini and use in a zucchini bread recipe.
Top sliced zucchini with tomatoes and cheese for a refreshing snack.
Sauté and mix with whole grain pasta, brown rice or quinoa.
Stuff a quesadilla with zucchini.
Make a “boat” by cutting it in half lengthwise, scooping out the inside, and filling with rice and lean ground beef. Bake in the oven.

Fun facts

The flowers of the zucchini plant are edible.
Fried squash blossoms are a delicacy in some areas.
The biggest zucchini on record weighed 65 pounds.

Nutrition info and facts

Great source of vitamin C to help the immune system. High in vitamin A, which promotes healthy eyes and skin. Provides potassium, an electrolyte that helps maintain fluid balance.

1 cup sliced zucchini = 19 calories, 4 g carbs, 18 mg calcium, 20 mg magnesium, 43 mg phosphorus, 295 mg potassium, 20 mg vitamin C, 136 µg beta carotene