What is zucchini? Zucchini are the fruits of a variety of zucchini which occurs in summer. It has a smooth texture with a sweet taste, being the ideal food in diets because it only provides twenty calories per cup.
What are the types of zucchini?
These are going to vary depending on the shape have the money. It can be an open gourd that has a bushy and dense appearance, although on the other hand it is the closed gourd which is shaped like a more closed bush
Zucchini properties
The main characteristic of zucchini is that is a source of Vitamin Ccan be dissolved in body fluids and also helps protect cells from free radicals. Eat a lot vitamin D it helps us in the diet and also makes it easier to metabolize cholesterol.
On the other hand, we also have to mention some phytonutrients provided by zucchiniThese are zeatin and lutein, two elements that help us improve vision and protect the eyes from sun damage.
When we eat zucchini we are also ingesting manganesethis is important to take care of our tissues of the free radical attack. Manganese is essential in the production of collagen, it helps us heal wounds.
What are the best zucchini?
The best zucchini are those that have not grown much, that is, the zucchinibut if what you want is to be guided by the light variety, it is preferable to take a large zucchini, this does not have so many nutrients but it has a lot of water what makes it help us in diets.
Zucchini can be used in many waysthey can be made boiled, fried, in creams, in stews and much more.
Zucchini flowers
They are often used in all kitchens in the world, many have been shown ways to eat themThe most common form is battered, sautéed and stuffed, although it has also been used to make soups and to flavor salads.
Is little by little it has been incorporated into children’s foodsince they prefer zucchini before many vegetables, thus giving mothers an advantage to take advantage of this food that provides many nutrients to their children.
How to plant zucchini
The first thing you have to do is think about what is the best place to start your harvestYou can also think about buying a small plant and then start taking care of it. If you want to grow it yourself, you have to work with the seeds for a few days before planting them.
You have to look for the ideal seedsRemember that there are several types of zucchini so you should look for the one you prefer.
Then you have to take into account the day you are going to plant itsince normally this type of vegetable usually grows well in summer so it is recommended to start planting them on this date. But the truth is that everything has to do with the fruit, it is recommended plant them a little before the arrival of summer in a climate below twenty degrees centigrade.
For all this it is important find the ideal place where they get at least ten hours of sun, the area must be humid for it to grow normally.
After start sowing the seedsif you do not feel safe, you can start doing it at home a few days before transplanting them, you should place them in a place where they receive light and that it has at least one centimeter of soil, when it begins to sprout and the leaves come out is the best time to move them from place
When you have the place you must dig a hole of at least two centimeters and place your seed, but if you are going to plant a plant you have to make the hole a little bigger, you also have to leave one hundred centimeters between each so they can grow smoothly.
Then you must cover each seed with soilbut it is not more than one centimeter so that enough light and water can reach it, but if you are going to transplant you only have to cover the root with enough soil, after it is ready add a little water to start to work.
An advantage is that these plants do not require much care so you just have to remove the weeds and add fertilizer to make it grow healthy and strong, then you must cut off dead fruit or branches so you don’t have to put in a lot of effort trying to grow.
For the plant to start growing it has to be able to pollinate and for this, insects will be necessary, but if there are not these in your area, you can pollinate it yourself.
When the zucchini start to grow it is important that you water the plantthen when the fruits are already more than ten centimeters you have to cut them and if you want to take out a lot of zucchini tYou have to cut them when they are ripebut if you only want to have them for decoration, just leave two and let them grow by themselves, that will start production again.
Things to keep in mind
Zucchini taste the same, but the yellow ones are the best if you want to produce a lot of zucchini.
You also have to keep in mind that this is a plant that usually attracts the attention of pests so you have to be very careful, especially with whiteflies, fungi, viruses, nematodes, mold and spider mites. You can manually pollinate female flowers to make sure improper pollination is not a problem.
What can I do with the zucchini?
With the zucchini hundreds of delicious dishes can be preparedThis is a food that has a very pleasant taste so it can be combined with all kinds of foods.
The most common way to do it is through soups and creamslike the renowned zucchini cream and although many of us are scared just hearing the name, the truth is that it is a very nutritious meal which can be accompanied by other vegetables to give it more flavor.
We can also find dishes that are not so common but that are worth trying like the zucchini sponge cake with cheesethe spinach and zucchini meatballs, the zucchini lasagna or the zucchini and chicken pie.
As well can be used for snacks at partiesTo do this, you only need to cut the zucchini into slices and dip them in an egg and bread them, so you heat the pan and fry them for a while, after they are golden and hot you can place a little cheese on top so that it melts and take this special flavor.
Another way to do it for chopping is by doing the same procedure above but without adding the cheese, instead of this some tomato slices are placed and then you have to place a little cheese on top, if you can, put them in the oven for a few minutes so that the cheese melts, all the better.
Whichever way you prepare it, zucchini is a food rich in vitamins and it brings many benefits to our body so it is recommended in diets and is a good way to give vegetables to children, because zucchini has a special flavor that everyone likes.
