How To Store Cooked Zoodles

Store Cooked Zoodles

Zoodles sounds more like the name for a children’s party snack than a vegetable-based alternative to pasta noodles. However, zoodles are very popular with health enthusiasts, vegans and other groups that desire an alternative to traditional wheat based pasta. While the name comes from the combination of zucchini and noodles, which is the original zoodle concept there are many varieties of zoodles that include beets, carrots, sweet potatoes, turnips, broccoli and butternut squash. With so many alternative vegetables available for making zoodles the storage of zoodles is bound to be complicated. If you’ve made and cooked your zoodles and want to store them we will guide you through storing them. First, let’s get crystal clear on what zoodles are.

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What Are Zoodles?

Zoodles are a group name given to vegetables that are spiralised or thinly vertically cut and stripped to resemble noodles. The name comes from zucchini noodles which are one of the more popular versions of these noodles. They provide an alternative to pasta for those who are gluten intolerant, allergic to eggs, vegan or looking for a lower carbohydrate alternative to pasta. There are 4 main methods for making zoodles which produce slightly different results. The most popular and best method is using the spiraliser which produces zoodles that look something like angel hair pasta. Long and curly noodles. The second method simply thin slices the vegetable and then cuts vertically to make strips that will look like shorter spaghetti noodles. The third method utilises the slicer to make thin flat zoodles that resemble fettuccine noodles. The fourth method is using a Julienne peeler which produces mid-length thin spaghetti-like zoodles.

 

Cooking Zoodles

There are a few methods of cooking your zoodles and which to use comes down to a matter of preference or the recipe you are following. There are 3 methods you can use to cook your zoodles and all of them involve very short cooking periods, unlike traditional pasta noodles. It is best to blanch the zoodles in hot water for around 3 minutes. You can also sautee the zoodles in a pan and this should only require about 3 minutes as well. The third acceptable cooking method is to place uncooked zoodles into your regular pasta sauce then cooking for 3 minutes as well. In either case, zoodles do not require a long cooking period. You may have to make an allowance for some vegetables which need a little longer to cook. For example, potato zoodles will take a little longer to cook than zucchini zoodles. It should be apparent to you that the method of storing your cooked zucchini noodles will be determined by how they were cooked.

 

In The Refrigerator

Our first port of call when storing cooked zoodles is the refrigerator. As a bit of background, it is very common for people to store uncooked zoodles in the refrigerator. The problem with uncooked zoodles is the constitution of the vegetables and fruits they are made from. They tend to be starchy like sweet potatoes, butternut squash and beets. Starchy vegetables are very good at holding water within the vegetable. When shredded or cut as is the case in making zoodles and then refrigerated they will lose moisture by weeping or seeping. While this doesn’t alter the taste of the zoodles this does compromise their texture which is an important element of zoodles. When dealing with cooked zoodles you are still looking out for the same problem but to a lesser extent. So when you want to store your cooked zoodles in the refrigerator you will need to take precautions for weeping. To do this you will need paper towels. Whether you are using a resealable freezer bag, glass dish or an airtight plastic Tupperware container you will need to place the paper towel on the bottom and then place the zoodles above it. The paper towel will soak up any moisture released from the zoodles in the fridge. You can expect to keep your cooked zoodles in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. The duration will vary depending largely on the vegetable they are made from and to a lesser extent the cooking method.

 

In The Freezer

It may seem counter-intuitive but you can store cooked zoodles in the deep freezer. This is great if you want to use them after more than 3 days or are not sure when you will use them. Freezing works best with blanched zoodles. It is important to put them in cold water straight after blanching to stop the cooking process. Be sure to drain them of all water afterwards and putting them on paper towels can help the process. Sautéed zoodles can also freeze decently. If your zoodles are cooked into a sauce they will also freeze decently. You will need an airtight container or a freezer bag, preferably resealable to store your cooked zoodles in. Place the container in the freezer as soon as possible. One caveat is to make sure your zoodles are not cut too thin. If they are cut thinly you may face problems in the thawing process and they will come out mushy and soft as they will release moisture in thawing. It is expected that the texture of frozen zoodles will not quite match up to fresh or cooked zoodles. Cooked zoodles will keep safely in the freezer for 10 to 12 months.

 

You can store your cooked zoodles in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. Just be sure to place paper towels under them to soak up any moisture. You can also freeze your cooked zoodles in airtight resealable freezer bags or any airtight containers for between 10 and 12 months.

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