I love kitchen tips that save me time in the kitchen and help me eat healthier. Just recently, I’ve learned how to store spiralized veggies for the week. I’m using spiralized zucchini for today’s example but the method is the same for nearly all spiralized veggies.
Zucchini Spaghetti
Spiralizing ahead of time and storing it properly so it’s conveniently ready for me in the refrigerator when I need it has been a game changer for me.
In the last couple of months, I’ve partnered with Wolf to bring you delicious recipes and kitchen tips that hopefully inspire you to make more homemade meals your family will love.
Today, I thought I would share this kitchen tip with you, since one of the things I’ve learned through the hundreds of comments you’ve left in the Reclaim the Kitchen campaign posts is that you, too, want to make healthier changes in your eating habits but don’t have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen.
Furthermore, not only do you want to eat healthier, but you also want to know how exactly one pulls it off when you are tied up at work or after school activities until shortly before dinner.
Finally, you also wanted tips on how to make veggies more appealing to kids. So overall, I believe you are going to love this post because it encompasses all the above.
I’ve you’ve missed the other delicious recipes, check out How to Roast a Chicken, Skillet Lasagna Recipe, Pizza Mini Quiches and Spiralized Zucchini and Tomato Recipe.
The recipes I’ve shared with you in the Reclaim the Kitchen series are easy to make, healthy, and quick to prepare. If you are not familiar with spiralizing, that’s ok! I’ve recently discovered how easy it can be to turn veggies into noodles! I also feel spiralizing is a great way to introduce more vegetables and make food more fun! Check out this quick video to see how the process is done.
Our favorite veggie to spiralize is zucchini; mostly because it’s available year round and when peeled, it yields a coil that looks like white “spaghetti”. You can also spiralize sweet potatoes, rhubarb, large carrots, parsnip, turnip, rutabaga, beets, broccoli stems, jicama… and much more.
This is the spiralizer I own. It’s inexpensive and it works great!
My three year-old loves to spiralize. I’m not sure if it’s the fun of turning the veggie into spaghetti noodles but he never walks away from the spiralizer until everything has been made into thin spaghetti-like noodles.
As you can see, spiralizing can be a great way to get our kids to be more involved with the foods they are going to eat!
How to store zucchini noodles
So, how does one save time with these veggie noodles? For starters, you can spiralize once and store the veggie noodles in a paper towel lined glass container or sealable plastic bag for 4-5 days! The paper towel absorbs excess moisture and the airtight container holds your veggie noodles for the next meal!
Can You Freeze Zoodles?
One question I get all the time is can you freeze zucchini noodles (aka zoodles)? The answer is, yes and no. Since zucchini is naturally high in water Zoodles tend to be a bit watery when you thaw them out.
You can definitely freeze sweet potato zoodles, squash zoodles, onion zoodles…. and more, but we prefer to stick with the fridge method listed above when it comes to zucchini noodles.
How to cook spiralized zucchini noodles
Cooking them is easy. Spiralized noodles can be sautéed lightly with a little oil and be on a plate in a snap! This means, that from fridge to plate a meal can be done in five minutes or less. I think this is the ultimate healthy fast food!
After you make your spiralized noodles, make sure you try one of my Spiralized Zucchini recipes. Or check out my kids’ favorite way to eat spiralized zucchini – topped with my homemade Spaghetti Bolognese Sauce. However, you can use spiralized veggies in any recipe in which you’d normally use pasta.
Have you tried spiralizing? If you have, share your favorite veggie to spiralize or your favorite way to eat spiralized veggies.
Sandy
Just got my spiralizer to work but how do you incorporate it into a cold salad? Do you still use lettuce as the base of the salad??
Laura Fuentes
You can use spiralized veggies as your base or mixed with lettuce. the possibilities are endless.
Tim W
have been freezing veggie noodles for yrs. The key for the ones higher in water content is salt and drain prior to freexing. Make noodlez sprinkle with sea salt. Give it a light tossing to spread the salt evenly. In a collander over the sink and let drain for 30 to 45 mins. Into vaccum bag and seal and freeze.
Laura Fuentes
great tip!
maryanne
I have only dabbled in spiralizing, but am looking forward to doing more. My favorite recipe is a spiralized cucumber with shrimp and a mild sriracha dressing(it origonally called for crab but shrimp is my favorite). Thanks for a great site!
Allyson
I’m curious about your success in spiralizing rhubarb….how’d you get it to work? Have you ever tried celery? Never crossed my mind to do a stalk veggie.
Laura Fuentes
Zero success with celery and rhubarb with a spiralizer.
Heidi
I spiralize zucchini, carrots, sweet potato and onion, add some minced garlic and olive oil and stir fry in a pan adding salt and pepper to taste… love it this way
Laura Fuentes
From spiralizer to pan to table. Love it!
Melanie
I have a spiralizer and I love it! I recently experimented with what I could spiralize. I did an onion, turned out nice. Then I did peppers, oh my wow! I used the ribbon cutter they were so nice and thin it was all one piece but I just trimmed it to the length I wanted! I will never cut an onion or pepper by hand again.
Heather
Does storing work okay for sweet potatoes and potatoes. Would I put in fridge for those? Would white potatoes darken? I love to spiralize sweet potatoes and would love to store them. Just don’t want to store in wrong place! Thanks.
Laura Fuentes
white potatoes would darken a bit. I typically only store those a day or two ahead of time in between a moist paper towel. Enjoy!
Michelle
If you prep cut potatoes the night before for Mashed potatoes, to keep them from turning brown, you want to put them in a bowl, cover with water and store in the fridge. I would think this may work the same. (Only for a day/over night tho)
Debbie
I just bought this Spiralizer and I am in love with it 🙂 So far I have spiralized zucchini, summer squash and cucumber:D
Laura Fuentes
awesome!
Scottia
I started making spiral squash a couple months ago. I usually use zucchini and yellow squash in equal parts. My favorite is to make a Kale Pesto with pine nuts, stir it all together with fresh shredded Pecorino Romano just until melted, then serve on plate with more Romano. It is tasty and healthy. For added flavor, I halve cherry tomatoes and add to the pan when heating up with the Pesto. 🙂
Linda
I haven’t vegetable noodles but I have a pickey eater grandson so this might be fun for him I let u know
Olivia W.
I haven’t tried spiralized veggies, but I have tried spaghetti squash, and I absolutely love it. You just cut the squash in half and bake it. Instant veggie spaghetti! :] Noms
Laura Fuentes
that’s one of my favorite veggies to eat too!
Veronique Barnes
Hi Laura!
Just starting to convert my family into eating more whole foods. We have started by eliminating fast food & taking in more veggies. Zucchini seems to be a fav for them only when I put it in soup. I was buying whole wheat pasta but would love to get away from the grains althougher eventually. I’ve never eaten, or made spirilized veggies!
Thanks for all fun, yummy recipes! ☺️
Laura Fuentes
Thank you Veronique! I hope your family loves them!
Susan
I have never tried using one but would love to try as I am really trying to make healthier meals for my family.
Sylvia
I’m new at making zoodles. I plan to freeze some of the bumper crop that my neighbor is sharing with me!