How To Prepare Zoodles
Spiralizer – I’ve been using my Paderno World Cuisine Spiralizer for nearly 3 years now, and I absolutely love it! The one I have costs around $25 and is well worth it, as I haven’t had a single issue with it. It comes with 3 different blade attachments to make different zoodle shapes, from thin or thick spaghetti “noodles,” to wide fettuccine-type noodles. This creates very long zoodles, which can easily be cut so they’re shorter, if you prefer.
My Opinion: Using a spiralizer to make zoodles is by far my favorite method!
Julienne Peeler – A julienne peeler is a great option for saving space, as it’s not much larger than a regular vegetable peeler. It also creates short zoodles, which are only as long as the zucchini.
In conclusion, while a julienne peeler won’t produce lengthy
Hand Held Spiralizer – I haven’t actually used a hand held spiralizer myself, but I have friends who use it regularly and like it.
In conclusion, I think that the only real drawback is that some larger zucchini won’t fit, but smaller zucchini should work.
Vegetable Peeler – A regular vegetable peeler will create thin, wide zoodles, which creates more of a fettuccine type “noodle.”
My Verdict – A vegetable peeler works great in a pinch, and I’ve even used it to create the zucchini noodles for my Beef Stroganoff!
How To Store Zoodles
Refrigerator: Keep your zoodles in a paper towel-lined, covered container in the refrigerator. As the zoodles sit in the refrigerator container, they will release moisture, and the paper towels will absorb that moisture and help your zoodles stay fresher for longer by preventing them from getting soggy. You might want to replace the paper towels as soon as they get damp if you plan to keep them in the refrigerator for longer than a day or two.
In my opinion, this is the greatest—and essentially the only—way to store zoodles. They’ll last about 4-5 days in the fridge.
Freezer – Unfortunately my method for freezing zoodles didn’t work, but I’ve read about other freezing methods that do work great, which would be worth trying yourself! For this post I tried freezing my freshly made zoodles in a zip top bag. I took them out of the bag and set them on paper towels to defrost. They were left very mushy and sitting in a ton of water. So definitely don’t go with my method, and instead try this method of boiling the zoodles to defrost them.
In conclusion, boiling the zoodles to defrost them seems to work for others, though I haven’t tried it myself yet.
How to Meal Prep with Spiralized Zucchini
Please note: spiralized zucchini should not be frozen. When attempting to thaw it, it will wilt and turn into a mushy mess.
Because zucchini contains a lot of water, it can be difficult to prepare in advance. The dish will become more watery and mushy the longer the zucchini is left in the sauce, as more moisture is released. This applies for cucumbers as well.
However, the following advice will help you avoid some of that sogginess if you’re storing leftovers from a spiralized dish that contains zucchini noodles:
