Zucchini is just one of those plants that sneaks up on you and then pelts you with an abundance of produce one after another. It’s great, don’t get me wrong, but sometimes you have to figure out what to do with all that zucchini. You can only leave bags full of zucchini on your neighbors porch so many times before they aren’t going to want to be your neighbors anymore.
So let me present you with another option that is so much better than making enemies out of your neighbors.
Let me present … melt in your mouth, nutty chocolate zucchini bread.
Now you are probably wondering why I said this was a new way to PRESERVE zucchini. It is, it’s just in bread form. And nutty chocolate zucchini bread is soooo much better after it’s been frozen. It’s like all the flavors melt together and the bread is magically more moist. Moister? More moister? Moist is such a funny word, who cares how I write it. The point is, this bread is way better after it’s been frozen, and it gives you a new and better way to preserve all that zucchini sitting on your counter right now. The recipe calls for 3 cups of shredded zucchini, sometimes I even put in 4 and it’s still delicious.
As a bonus, it’s the perfect thing to have on hand for when you need to take a gift to someone, or when you have surprise guests.
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So here is the recipe, and then down below I will tell you how to freeze it and what to do with it when you are ready to eat it.
Once you have your nutty chocolate zucchini bread cooked to perfection, you need to let it cool completely. Unless you are eating it fresh, in which case I highly recommend eating it while it is still slightly warm.
Lay out two pieces of aluminum foil.
Set your bread in the middle and wrap it up, one foil at a time.
Then put the whole thing in a gallon freezer Ziploc bag, label it, and stick it in the freezer.
The double layer of aluminum foil plus Ziploc bag will help prevent freezer burn. It will also keep the moisture in while it’s thawing, which is what makes this bread so much better after it’s been frozen.
When you are ready to eat your bread or to give it away, just take it out of the freezer about 2 hours before you will need it. Remove it from the Ziploc bag and open the foil just a little bit. You are basically just giving it a vent so that it doesn’t get soggy. You want moist bread, not soggy bread. All I do is open up the top about an inch, so I can peak down in and see the bread.
Leave it on the counter until you are ready to devour this melt in your mouth treat.
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Each year I try to make 20 loaves to put in the freezer, and we always use them all. The hardest part is not eating them right after I make them. I’d say about half of them don’t make it to the freezer. We just can’t resist it when the whole house smells like chocolate. It’s nice that the recipe makes two loaves so we can freeze one and eat the other!
Try it, you will love it!
If you like to preserve things, check out How to make watermelon chips RIGHT HERE.
or
How to can incredible raspberries in 4 easy steps RIGHT HERE.
Happy preserving!
~Farmer’s Wife
For smaller families like us, I make them up as muffins and freeze.
excellent idea! Thanks for the suggestion