Every vegetable has an expiry date and if we talk about zucchini it gets rotten very quickly. Either you grow it by yourself or buy it from the grocery store, it will spoil in both situations. So it is better to know if the Zucchini is bad, before cooking it. In this blog we are going to tell you the How To Tell If Zucchini Is bad, so read this full blog to get the complete information.
About Zucchini
Zucchini squash belongs to the summer squash family and the summer squash is part of the gourd family. So they have thin and edible skin but a shorter shelf life. Additionally, there are different varieties of Zucchini such as dark green and yellow. The only way to prevent food poisoning is to look at the freshness of food.
The consumption of bad Zucchini has many side effects like nausea and vomiting. It also causes harm to health when it becomes toxic.
How to identify Bad Zucchini?
It is easy to classify bad Zucchini as it seems dull and dead. In addition to this, it gets covered with spots when it gets rotten. The reason behind bad Zucchini is its exceeded shelf life and when it is not stored properly. The skin of the decayed Zucchini appears mushy and wrinkled. Moreover, you can also cut it, and if the inner flesh is stringy and consists of large seeds that means it is spoiled.
How to find fresh Zucchini?
The skin of the good china is glossy. If you grow it in your garden then it is ready to be harvested when it becomes about 6 to 8 inches long. Some varieties of Zucchini grow larger but if you leave on the plant too long then it loses its flavor (which should be juicy). The color of Zucchini is a little yellow, greenish or white. It has a slight butterfly-like texture.
Why does Zucchini have a bitter flavor?
There is a chemical present called cucurbitacins which naturally occur in all members of the cucurbita plant family which include zucchini and cucumber as well. These chemicals are responsible for the bitter flavor in these vegetables. But this chemical is only present in small amounts in zucchini. If it is present in large amounts then it can cause an extremely bitter flavor. If you have a zucchini that is highly bitter in flavor then do not eat it because highly bitter zucchini is bad and it can cause you problems like gastrointestinal upsets such as stomach cramping and diarrhea.
How to store Zucchini properly?
If your zucchini is damaged or got soft or wrinkles from only a portion then you can cut that bad portion only if the other portion of Zucchini has good color, texture, and taste. Moreover, if the Zucchini is only slightly ripened but looks good enough to use then you can cook it instead of serving it raw.
It is really important to store it properly. Zucchini needs a cool and dry place for storing like you can store it in the crisper drawer in the refrigerator. If you properly store it then fresh Zucchini can last about one to two weeks. The frozen Zucchini remains good for up to 10 months. Additionally, if you make canned or pickle from the Zucchini then it can last up to two years.
The final words
Being a fast-growing plant, Zucchini also got rotten quickly. So before eating or cooking it, you need to identify that your zucchini is not bad to ensure food safety. We hope that this article helped you in recognizing the signs of bad zucchini and now you will only eat it after identifying whether it is bad or not.