# zucchini??



## barry (Jul 13, 2007)

Due the the abundance of zuchinni in our garden, I got to thinking. Has anyone ever made a good wine out of it, or should zuchini be kept to bread where it is known to be good?


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## Sacalait (Jul 14, 2007)

I once made a squash wine (the stripped type) that turned out pretty good. Go for it.


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## MUMBA (Jul 15, 2007)

*zuk*

i dont no about wine but you can try batter frying the flowers and eatting
them they are a real treat


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## smurfe (Jul 19, 2007)

Go ahead and give it a try. Here is a recipe from Jack Keller.


ZUCCHINI WINE
5-6 lbs fresh zucchini, chopped 
2-1/2 lbs finely granulated sugar 
1 11-oz can Welch's 100% White Grape Juice Frozen Concentrate 
1-1/3 tsp acid blend 
1/2 oz fresh ginger root thinly sliced 
1 crushed Campden tablet 
6-1/2 pts water 
1 tsp yeast nutrient 
Hock, Sauternes or Champagne yeast 

Bring 3 cups water to boil and dissolve sugar in it completely. Set aside. Meanwhile, Select, wash and chop the unpeeled zucchini cross-wise into 1/2-inch pieces. Mix all ingredients except the yeast in primary, cover, and set aside for 10-12 hours. Add activated yeast and recover primary. Stir every 6-8 hours for 3 days, then strain off solids and transfer liquid into secondary. Press solids lightly and hold liquid from them, covered. When vigorous fermentation subsides, add reserved liquid, top up if necessary, and attach airlock. Rack after 4 weeks, top up and reattach airlock. Rack again after additional 4 weeks. If wine has not cleared, add amylase according to instructions and set aside additional month. Fine with Bentonite if desired, rack 10 days later, stabilize and sweeten to taste. Wait 3 weeks before bottling to see if wine is indeed stable. Wine should be aged 3 months after bottling. [Author's own recipe]

http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/request189.asp


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## barry (Jul 20, 2007)

Thanks a lot. I think I will try it!!


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## VineRipe (Dec 22, 2009)

MUMBA said:


> i dont no about wine but you can try batter frying the flowers and eatting
> them they are a real treat



No kidding? The things I've learned around here. 

I know I chop my green stems up instead of feeding them to the werm herd now and use them with a bit of sake and EVOO and soy sauce to make stir fry with. Once I tried them, I really was saddened that I had turned so many into castings over the years. They really do add a nice flavor... especially the mustard green stalks. 

Love inventive natures and inquisitive minds.


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## Old Philosopher (Dec 22, 2009)

The other thing folks throw away, and are missing out on, is broccoli leaves. They're great in salads, and of course make a great cream soup, along with the stems.


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## VineRipe (Dec 22, 2009)

You know, we eat a LOT of both broccoli and cauliflower around here. You've got me wondering about using both in a cream soup. It certainly tastes reasonable on my mind's "tongue".

It's not like the werms are missing out. As long as one neighbor keeps tossing out his newspapers, and the other's cows and rabbits keep tossing out *their* "leftovers", the werms are NOT gonna go hungry.

I think that is a vanishing tradition - the whole "nothing on the hog goes unused except the hair and the squeal" way of doing things. 

Shame, too.

Any other ideas you have? Will try to think of some of the ways I utilize edibles in an unconventional manner and perhaps we can swap ideas?


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## arcticsid (Dec 22, 2009)

Barry, Allie shot a recipe your way, but as an idea( this cracks me up, our gardening days were done like the first week in SEPT).

heres an idea.

cut them into disks like maybe 3/4" around or so, toss them into water.

Shake the water off and run em into flour, Shake the flour off and dunk them into a buttermilk eggwash then put them into your secret bread crumb mixture,

Put them back into the egwash and then back into the breadcrumbs.

Freeze them on waxe paper and fry them as you need them.

I didn't mention spices, thats up to you, but add the spices to the breadcrumbs, not the flour. I like zuchinni real well, but it is hard to do anything with. my neighbor is the Zuchinni king, he grows really big ones. he likes to cut them into portions, blanch them, and freeze them right away. They seem to hold theyre texture nice by doing it this way. but my take is the breaded way. just fried up some the other day. They were froze for like 3 months and were just as good as the day I made them up!


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## arcticsid (Dec 22, 2009)

Vine a year or so ago, I came across some folks who sliced their zuchinnis thin, not like potatoe peeler thin, but dust it with your secret spices, and then they dehydrated them. Sone of a gun, they were quite tasty indeed!

Once i had some zuchinnis and I did slice them thin(these were fresh of course0 and popped them into the deep fryer. Quite yummy! I have done this with carrots and sweet potateos also. not just for pies anymore!!


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## Old Philosopher (Dec 22, 2009)

VineRipe said:


> You know, we eat a LOT of both broccoli and cauliflower around here. You've got me wondering about using both in a cream soup. It certainly tastes reasonable on my mind's "tongue".
> 
> It's not like the werms are missing out. As long as one neighbor keeps tossing out his newspapers, and the other's cows and rabbits keep tossing out *their* "leftovers", the werms are NOT gonna go hungry.
> 
> ...


The cream of cauliflower soup can be a bit strong, but throwing in a few "flowers" of both broccoli and cauliflower makes the texture better.
You need to spend some time visiting some "self-sufficiency" boards. Not even the hair goes unused with those folks.


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## arcticsid (Dec 23, 2009)

My freezer is loaded with the neighbors "throwaways". got lots of brussel sprout greens, broccoli greens, cabbage greens, and some other kind of green. Like OP said, to throw away somethin edible is just wrong!!!


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## Old Philosopher (Dec 23, 2009)

So..are they going into wine, soup, or salad?


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## arcticsid (Dec 23, 2009)

neither OP, they are just as tasty as anyother green, spincach, kale etc.I particualrly like the leaves from the brussel sprout plant!! First year I tried them and I am sold. Nowheres as good as those lil round morsels, but the leaves are just " fine and dandy"


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## Old Philosopher (Dec 23, 2009)

Old Philosopher said:


> So..are they going into wine, soup, or salad?





arcticsid said:


> neither OP, they are just as tasty as anyother green, spincach, kale etc.I particualrly like the leaves from the brussel sprout plant!! First year I tried them and I am sold. Nowheres as good as those lil round morsels, but the leaves are just " fine and dandy"


So...salad. A lot of stuff gets overlooked, or ignored. Dandilion greens, plantain, candied borage blossoms... The list goes on.


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