I planted zucchini this year for the 1st time. I just came back from a 2 week vacation and I have several zucchini's that are huge, like 18-24 inches and very large around. I am guessing that these fruits are too large to eat and will be tough, am I correct?
If they are editable, anyone have any suggestions on how to use these or should I just compost them?
The kids kept the tomatoes and beans picked but not the zucchini.
Thanks in advance
Dee
Zucchini-how large is too large
Zucchini Bread!!!
You can eat the larger ones, but the texture isn't usually considered desirable. They develop large seeds inside. Zucchini bread is an excellent idea. Depending on your tastes and how large/tough they are, you may also find that you can use them in some recipes, soups maybe, if you scoop out the seeds.
The main thing I wanted to mention is that you really need to pick them right away, as they will otherwise prevent the plants from producing more. If the mature fruit stays on the vine too long, the plants will stop bearing and die back. I figure you have likely already removed them, but just wanted to be sure.
I'm jealous - I usually treat everyone to Zucchini Bread in late August, but we got squash vine borers this year and didn't even get enough to satisfy me fresh off the vines. Boo-hiss!
They make great door stops. You can also save them and use them in fall harvest decorations.
There used to be a zucchini festival somewhere in the midwest every summer -- can't remember where but it had some great contests. Biggest zucchini that wasn't there yesterday, best zucchini in cuke's clothing, etc. or was it best cuke in zucchini's clothing? Wish I'd saved the article about it that I saw. Anybody else know anything about this?
BTW, I made my first two loaves of zucchini bread yesterday and they were great. Only used 3/4 of the humongoloid zucchini I picked, fried the rest in an omelette, then gave the other 4 or 5 monsters to neighbors who hadn't planted any and were sorry!
I've grown zucchini for years, and my test is whether the flesh is too "spongy" and the seeds are too firm. This year, for the first time I grew Burpee hybrid zucchini and I've been absolutely delighted, since fruits that are over a foot long still have firm flesh and no maturing seeds. Just great!
LAS
You can also remove the seeds and grind the zucchini in the blender to make zucchini "water". This can be frozen to be used later in soups or to replace water when making pancakes, bread or cakes.
Oooooh! Excellent.
Excellent info for determining ripeness, LAS.
Excellent idea to capture the flavor and nutrients of even the most overgrown zucchini for later use, garalore.
I get happier people when I make zucchini cupcakes than bread, the kids even get out the cream cheese frosting for them...
Sequee,
I have had the same problem with vine borers too. They ruin my vines so quickly.
Anyone have any good ideas for controlling squash vine borers?
Helen
I have squash vine borers, too. From everything I've read the only options are:
(1) Prevent them from getting on plants to begin with - this usually requires using row covers to keep the adult stage (I think that's a flying insect but not positive) off the plants so it won't deposit eggs/larvae. You have to uncover them briefly for pollination or try to do it yourself with a small paintbrush.
(2) Once the plant is infected but before the vines wither and die, use a hypodermic to inject beneficial nematodes into vines to kill the borers. I've not tried this. I love squash, but this sounds like an awful lot of work (you have to inject nematodes into every vine) and expense since nematodes are pricey.
If anyone knows of another method that works (or has used one of these successfully), I, too, would love to hear about it. Also, I think I saw another thread specific to the issue of squash borers.
Here's a link to the other thread..
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1116066/
In England we call them courgettes (french) and you call them zucchini (italian). In England they are supposed to be picked when no larger than a big man's thumb; but I find here in Finland they're more like a small woman's forearm! When they grow really large they are no longer courgettes but marrows. We stuff them, or make them into marrow chutney or marrow jam.
you can take them and add them to a nice pot of vegetable soup.
Creole for me- sausage, tomatoes and zucchinis, sauteed up with white onions, green onions, seasoning
patgeorge,
My friend in Beesheba says that's how they gow veggies for market in Israel - the bigger, the better! I was going on and on about the massive amounts of snowpeas I had this year and she went on a mojor hunt to find some that were under 6" - to no avail, I might add!
Fascinating how different cultures view our gardening endeavors.
Boy I am also jealous not even a squash this year, mine were decimated by the squash borers as well, I might try the row covers next year and see if I get better luck, thank you for the recommendation.
I'm going to schedule my plant out late so the larvae will have hatched and moved on. I printed the article and posted it to the gardening bulletin board by my desk. AND made notes in the "Tips for Next Year"section of my gardening log.
We will beat 'em - one way or the other!
Amen Sequee, any idea on what their life cycle is and when is a good idea to plant them out? I am also having problems with leaf footed bugs and also stinkbugs, they just keep coming back I am wondering if a bug vac will work on those or not.
I will make a copy of the article I have and send it to you with your seeds.
Thanks Sequee I appreciate it.
What article are you referring to, Janice?
I have found that silver mulch seems to help a lot with SVBs. Mine fell to squash bugs this year, though. If it isn't one thing, it's another.
I used to love the huge zucchini boats. I'd slice them lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, bake them turned cut side down in a cookie sheet with a little water until they were getting soft, and then stuff them with ground lamb and pine nuts and tomato and eggplant and garlic and whatever else I had that seemed to fit, sometimes placing some cheese on the top. Or you could leave out the lamb and just do vegetarian, with breadcrumbs and cheese mixed with the veggies.
Wow greenhouse that looks like an excellent recipe I will have to definitely give it a try if I ever get any squash next season. I don't mean to offend anybody but I just came from Lowes hoping to get some row cover to protect the veggies from unwanted bugs the lady there had no idea what row cover was at all and people there always seem to point me to products I don't want to use like Sevin dust etc..., I just came to the conclusion that some of them are not knowledgeable at all about vegetables or plants.
I have found that you can only get row covers and more specialized garden supplies at a garden store or on line, not at Home Depot or Lowes. There are people who are knowledgeable at some of the stores but it's a hit or miss situation, I think.
I thought the SVBs over winter in the soil so covers won't keep them off the plant. And that they last for years in the soil... Geez what a pain.
I think planting after they emerge and are gone might be the best bet.
Helen
SVBs fly, so if you move your squash every year the row covers could keep them off. They didn't work for me; the plants got too big, and having to remove the row covers for pollination seemed to invite SVBs at that point. Silver mulch does seem to help.
I suppose you could use row covers and plant the squash so that you wouldn't need to remove them until after the SVB cycle was over.
Well for what I was reading some plants can self pollinate so there is no need to remove the cover for those type, but yes you do have to remove the cover for others like squash etc... or just try to hand pollinate. My plan was to use the row cover and place it on the plants until the point where they start flowering and then I would either have to remove it completely or just remove the cover in the mornings, not sure of what to do there. I have had a few problems with SVB but the one that is really destroying my garden by the hundreds is the leaf footed bug and also the stink bugs they are just everywhere. My idea is to use the row cover and to also buy a handheld vacuum and suck as many as I can, hopefully at least this way I can keep them at bay. I will be planting my squashes hopefully next year after the SVB dissapear in my area and see if this will also help. I guess the only thing I can do is try I guess.
I also bought an row cover for the winter time frame, purchased both covers from Gardeners supply Company and I was able to get free shipping using a code I found on the net, both covers have excellent reviews so that is why I decided to give it a try.
I understand the SVB has a short gestation period, so if you plant out your seedlings after a certain point, you will be safe. The link to this info is on the SVB thread.