If you are like most people that garden there is a time in the middle of the summer where you have way too much zucchini to eat on a daily basis. This is probably why most people like to harvest them small so they can eat more of them.
Unfortunately the word on Canning Zucchini is that it is not recommended. Because Summer Squash like zucchini is very low acid the only safe way that was found to process it was pressure canning however because the processing time is so long the zucchini ends up being over processed. Adding acid like vinegar to make pickles might be a possibility but both the USDA and Ball have dropped their recipes for zucchini.
Since we can’t can it safely at home there are a couple other options. The first would be freezing. To freeze zucchini you can cut it in half inch slices and then blanch it for about 3 minutes. Remove it from the water and cool it quickly do not let it stand in the pot. If you have a large cookie sheet you can place them on parchment and slip them into your freezer. After they are frozen you can place them in ziplock bags. The length of time that they can be stored frozen will depend on the quality of the zucchini that you are working with. You never want to start off with anything that is mushy from sitting in your refrigerator too long. Freshly picked and packed is the best idea.
Another option is storing the zucchini in tomato sauce. I do this a lot and it seems to result in a less soggy product. Also since I am normally going to cook them in tomato sauce and serve over spaghetti it is a very easy thing to make portions that will be enough for one serving and stack them in the freezer. They can then be thawed in the microwave and then after the spaghetti is almost done i transfer it all to a frying pan and heat the zucchini with the spaghetti and maybe add a little more sauce at the end. Its a quick meal after a long day.
Dehydrating zucchini has two options. Some people like to make chips out of them. To do this you want to clean and blanch your zucchini and then place them in your dehydrator. The best thickness will be up to you to decide but 3/8th an inch is probably a safe starting point. Dry the chips until they are completely dehydrated and crisp.
Another option is to grate the zucchini and then dehydrate it for cooking or baking. Again you want to blanch the zucchini to remove the bacteria on its surface and then process it for dehydrating.
Final Note
Zucchini is a vegetable that is best served fresh. Although there are options to save it by freezing and dehydrating the storage times and resulting product will never come close to that fresh one right out of the garden.
Remember there are no acceptable ways to can zucchini at home. Adding Salt or Vinegar is not a tested method and the USDA found that even by doing so the processing could not be trusted. It just seems to be another product like pumpkin that you can buy at the store in a can but you really shouldn’t be canning at home.