Zucchini

Do you have zucchini piling up on the counter and getting tired of making Zucchini Soup or Zucchini Bread? I found Pineapple Zucchini Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, Use It Up Zucchini Brownies, and Zucchini and Banana Bundt Cake here! The first cake recipe is similar to Carrot Cake, and is said to be so yummy! When I get more zucchini I will be making this one--my husband will love it! (Any summer squash can be used interchangeably with zucchini in recipes, with no noticeable change in taste). I found another list of zucchini recipes, where Jane requested recipes from her blog followers and they responded with quite a variety that runs the gambit from sweet to savory. Give them a try--I am!

Zucchini Soup II Revisited

Today I made Zucchini Soup II and it is in the canner at this moment! I forgot to give credit to those that created this recipe---The Sister's Cafe, http://sisterscafe.blogspot.com . They have the most incredible recipes there! Don't go to their blog if you are on a diet!

The Zucchini Soup II is really tasty, even without the add-ons! I made some minor changes, but it shouldn't taste any different than the original. I used:
--4 cups of sliced zucchini instead of three (one large, not huge!, zucchini)
--because the canned chicken stock is in a 14 oz. can (the recipe calls for 16 oz.), I added a spoon of powdered broth and another 3-4 oz. of water to the can of broth
--I added one clove of garlic, crushed

I like having a small canner so I can can small batches of new things to try. It heats up fast, too. I like having my big canner so I can can large batches of foods I really like. In a couple of days I will open a 1/2 pint jar of this soup and have a taste-test with the little bit of leftover soup that wasn't canned---comments to come.

Zucchini Soup II

I was excited about finding a recipe that used zucchini (something we have an abundance of in the summer) and was an official "canning" recipe--that was Zucchini Soup I. After considering it a while, I thought it looked a little bland. I found a delicious sounding recipe for Zucchini Soup (II) that was not a "canning" recipe, but is the one I will make tomorrow. See if you agree that is sounds better! (Even my husband might like this soup!) [This is actually a picture is of this soup recipe, not of the other zucchini soup].

Zucchini Soup II = 2 pints

1 c. onion, chopped
1 tbsp. butter
3 c. zucchini, sliced
2 c. chicken broth

In a large saucepan cook onions in butter until tender. Add sliced zucchini and broth; bring to a boil. Simmer until tender, about 15 minutes.

Processing: because it has chicken broth it is considered a "meat", and it is low acid, it needs to be processed in a pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure: pints 75 minutes and quarts 90 minutes.

When reheating to serve, add:
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c. half-and-half or milk (optional)
1 c. grated cheese (optional)
1/2 c. sour cream (optional)
4 slices bacon, cooked until crisp, and crumble (optional)

Zucchini Soup I

Here is a recipe that I will be canning later this week--






Zucchini Soup I--per pint (double for a quart)

1 1/4 lbs. zucchini
1/2 tsp. canning salt
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/8 c. water

Cut zucchini in half and remove seeds. Slice or cube and simmer in water until soft, about 20-30 minutes. Puree in food processor or with a blender. Return to the pot, bring to a simmer, and add the salt and lemon juice.

Hot pack leaving 1" headspace. Process in a pressure canner for 30 minutes (40 minutes for quarts)--10 pounds pressure.

I have a second zucchini soup recipe that I will post Thursday. I will can both the same day!