Cocozelle Zucchini

Well we finally pulled up the zucchini before frost. There is too much of a good thing! My favorite variety of zucchini to grow is an old Italian heirloom called Cocozelle. This Italian heirloom was called Cocozella di Napoli in the 1800s. It is a smaller bush but bears prolifically with a sweet and nutty tasting fruit. Flavor wise this is my favorite. It is open pollinated and I save seeds.

Zucchini for me is a pretty no brainer crop and I usually always end up with way more than I need but the chickens love them so they just become food supplements for the chickens and rabbits. 

My husbands favorite zucchini recipe is the zucchini bread that I have made for years. I always make up a dozen loaves or so and freeze for winter. 

Zucchini Bread

3 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

3 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp baking powder

3 eggs

2 cups white sugar

3 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup vegetable oil

3 cups grated zucchini

1 cup chopped walnuts optional

1/2 cup raisins optional

Preheat oven to 350. Sift together flour, salt, soda, cinnamon, and baking powder. Beat eggs. Add sugar, vanilla and oil to egg  and mix well.  Add zucchini to egg mixture. Add dry ingredients, mixing well. Stir in nuts and raisins if desired. Pour into 2 loaf pans. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.. or until tests done. Cool on rack and then remove from pans. May be drizzled with a powdered sugar and milk glaze.  

Or maybe zucchini pineapple canned. 

ZUCCHINI PINEAPPLE

4 quarts zucchini, grated or diced

1 1/2 cups bottled lemon juice (standardized acidity)

1 can ( 46 oz. ) unsweetened pineapple juice

3 cups sugar

Remove peel from zucchini and seeds. Coarsely grate or cube zucchini into small cubes.

Mix all ingredients thoroughly and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring frequently. 

Fill clean hot jars with hot zucchini mixture leaving 1/2 inch head space. Adjust lids an

process 15 minutes for half pints or pint jars. ( Do not put in jars larger than pints. )

Remove jars and allow to cool completely. Test seal and store in a cool dry place. 

 And I even have 4 baseball bat sized ones on the table for seeds.

Blessings from The Holler

The Canned Quilter