Golden Zucchini

Golden Zucchini is a type of squash that’s used for culinary purposes in almost all cultures and countries. It originates from the Mesoamerica from which it was wide spread and found its place in diets of all kinds. Originally it’s dark or light green, but golden one is an artificially produced hybrid.

It has a rich and appealing yellow flower and all parts of the plant can be edible even though they are rarely used. Zucchini is commercially grown in the US starting in the 1920s.

Golden Zucchini Trivia

• It can substitute pasta
• The name means marrow
• It contains steroids

Golden Zucchini Buying Guide

Look for vibrant and rich colors when purchasing a zucchini. It shows that it’s fresh and that it will be tender when prepared. Choose the smaller ones, because larger they are, the waterier and flavorless they are.

Make sure that it still has a good chunk of stem attached to it because that shows that it was harvested recently.

Golden Zucchini Production & Farming in Texas

Golden Zucchini grows well in all areas of Texas. It’s a warm season garden vegetable meaning that anyone can grow it at home as well as commercially if they do it in the proper timeline. They take up a lot of space meaning that they won’t do well in small gardens.

It feeds of and helps feed the plants around it. That means that it won’t do well as monoculture. When they were grown by Native Americans it was done in a form of three sisters planting, the other two plants being beans and corn.

It grows best in the soil with enough of organic matter. That’s accomplished by having enough compost, leafs or by having a cover crop that will grow before it and that you’ll be able to use to protect and enrich the soil.

They will require a lot of water and you’ll do best to water the soil once a week.

Golden Zucchini should be harvested before it’s fully grown. That way it will be more tender and easier to manage and transport. It’s put to cut it and not pull it from the vine.

Pesticides

Golden Zucchini wasn’t on the dirty dozen list but it is on the dirty dozen plus list meaning that it’s still one of the vegetable that’s considered to be healthy but it heavily depends on pesticides that can be found on it for a long time.

Geography

The plant originates in the Mesoamerica and from there it found its way to Europe and then to other parts of the world. That’s mostly because it can be cultivated in just about any moderate climate. It’s also a plant that can satisfied the needs of a small garden due to its size and it easily became popular.

The plant became popular in Italy because it worked well with Italian cuisine and it was brought to the United States by Italian immigrants. Commercial and large scale production began in California in 1920s.

Packaging

When they are harvested on a regular schedule they are roughly of the same size which makes them easy to pack, store and move. There’s no need for any additional protection due to the nature of the plant itself. It’s packed in cardboard boxes and moved to the stores.

Sometimes they are wrapped in individual plastic while in the store, but there’s a move to use less plastic on the part of the grocery shops so that’s no longer the practice for some.

Enjoying Golden Zucchinis

When served raw golden zucchini is a tasteless and boring vegetable, but it’s one that can be used in a variety of different foods and it mixes well with a lot of different flavors often complementing them. It’s therefore a great addition to pastas and great when roasted so that it picks up the flavor of what it’s roasting with.

They will be much more useful in a dish when they are oiled up and not able to stick to the surface on which they are prepared. You should also be rather generous with seasoning and flavoring since there’s not much of a flavor on its own.

Storage

Zucchini is rather simple to store. Keep them unwashed, dry and whole. Place them in a simple plastic bag and keep that bag in the cold part of the fridge and you’ll be to keep them for about one to two weeks. When you notice the skin starting to shrivel, they are starting to go bad.

Cooking

There are countless ways to make Zucchini and here are just a few recipes chosen at random that you should try. Feel free to experiment with others as well.

Cut ends of zucchini and cut in half lengthwise. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat 1 T oil in skillet medium hot. Place zucchini cut-side down and cook until golden and tender, about 6 minutes

Another way to go is to mix the zucchini with corn. Here’s a simple recipe to try:

Melt one butter stick in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and cook corn and onion, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until corn starts to brown. Stir in zucchini, garlic, oregano and black pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes. Stir in broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Nutrition

Zucchini are low in food energy (approximately 71 kJ or 17 kcal (or “food calories”) per 100 g (3.5 oz) fresh zucchini) and contain useful amounts of folate (24 μg/100 g), potassium (261 mg/100 g), and provitamin A (200 IU [10 RAE]/100 g). Zucchini can be shaped into noodle-like spirals and used as a low-carbohydrate substitute for pasta or noodles.

Zucchini is also rich in antioxidants.  Antioxidants are beneficial plant compounds that help protect your body from damage by free radicals.  Carotenoids — such as lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-carotene — are particularly plentiful in zucchini. These may benefit your eyes, skin, and heart, as well as offer some protection against certain types of cancer, such as prostate cancer.  Research indicates that the skin of the plant harbors the highest levels of antioxidants. Yellow zucchinis may contain slightly higher levels than light green ones.

Zucchini may promote healthy digestion in several ways.  For starters, it’s rich in water, which can soften stools. This makes them easier to pass and reduces your chances of constipation.

When Are Golden Zucchini in Season in Texas?