How Long Do You Steam Zucchini

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Zucchini is a versatile vegetable that makes a smashing healthy add-on to any meal. Steaming zucchini is an excellent choice of cooking method considering it spares the vegetable from having contact with boiling water, which helps preserve its color, texture, and flavour. Not only that, merely information technology's i of the healthiest means to cook vegetables because it doesn't require whatsoever oil or butter like sauteing or frying does. There are a variety of ways you can steam zucchini, so just cull a method based on what kitchen utensils and appliances you have available and steam away!

i
Cut up a zucchini into ^ane⁄₄ in (0.64 cm) slices. Set a zucchini on a cutting board and utilise a sharp kitchen knife to trim off the ends and discard them. Slice the zucchini horizontally into round slabs that are about ¹⁄₄ in (0.64 cm) thick.^[1]
- You can cut the zucchini smaller if you prefer. For example, you could cut each slice into halves or quarters if you lot desire smaller seize with teeth-sized pieces.
- Give the zucchini a quick rinse under running h2o before yous cutting it if information technology hasn't been prewashed.
- Always exit the peel on zucchini before y'all cook it. The skin contains most of the nutrients and the soft inside is mostly water, then it tin hands fall apart if yous peel and cook the zucchini without the skin.
2

Fill a pot with 1 in (two.5 cm) of water and bring it to a boil. Cull a pot that is large enough to hold your steamer basket and make full it with approximately i in (2.v cm) of cool h2o. Set the pot on a burner on your stove and plough it on to high estrus, then wait for the water to boil.^[2]

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3
Put the zucchini pieces into a steamer handbasket. Place your slices of zucchini within the steamer basket. Spread out the pieces to distribute them more or less evenly, so they cook evenly.^[3]
- A steamer basket is a type of metal or wooden handbasket with holes or slots in it. These baskets work by keeping any you're steaming above the water below, while allowing the hot steam to enter through the holes and melt the food.
- As an alternative to a steamer basket, yous tin use a metal colander that is big plenty to exist supported by the rim of the pot without touching the water in the bottom. The residuum of the process is exactly the same as using a steamer basket.^[4]
4
Lower the steamer handbasket into the pot, so information technology sits just to a higher place the boiling water. Advisedly set the steamer basket with the zucchini in it into the pot containing the boiling water. Brand sure that the steamer basket is sitting above the surface of the water, so the boiling h2o doesn't actually come into the basket and affect the zucchini.^[5]
- If the basket is submerged in the water, quickly remove it and advisedly pour out some of the boiling h2o to lower the h2o level in the pot and keep the steamer handbasket above information technology.
- Information technology doesn't matter how far the basket is above the h2o, as long as at that place is no water touching the zucchini pieces.
5
Let the zucchini steam for about v minutes or until information technology is tender. Expect 5 minutes, then carefully lift the steamer basket out of the pot using an oven mitt or pad. Poke the zucchini pieces with a fork to make certain they are tender enough for your liking.^[6]
- If you lot want your zucchini to be a bit more crisp, you lot can steam information technology for merely 4 minutes instead. Or, if you lot adopt it even more tender, steam it for 6 minutes.
- You can serve the zucchini right away. If you have whatsoever leftovers, just store them in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

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1
Piece a zucchini into ^ane⁄₄ in (0.64 cm) pieces. Cutting the ends off a zucchini on a cut lath using a sharp kitchen knife. Slice information technology crosswise into medallions that are approximately ¹⁄₄ in (0.64 cm) thick.^[7]
- Experience free to cut the medallions into smaller pieces like halves or quarters if y'all desire.
- Rinse the zucchini with running water before yous cut it if it hasn't been washed already.
- It'south best not to skin a zucchini before cooking it. Nearly of the nutrients are in the peel and the inside tin go very mushy and fall autonomously if you take the skin off before yous melt it.
two
Place the zucchini in a casserole dish with 2 Us tbsp (30 mL) of h2o. Put your zucchini pieces into a microwave-safe casserole dish. Pour in near ii United states tbsp (xxx mL) of water on top of the zucchini, which will add moisture to help it steam.^[8]
- If you don't accept a casserole dish, you could use whatsoever microwave-safe dish with loftier sides.
three
Encompass the dish with a lid or heavy-duty plastic wrap. Put the dish's lid on top of it if it has i. Stretch a layer of heavy-duty, kitchen-form plastic wrap over the dish to cover it if it doesn't have a chapeau.^[nine]
- You have to encompass the zucchini and trap all the moisture inside the dish in society for information technology to steam.
4
Microwave the zucchini on high for about v minutes. Place the dish with the zucchini into your microwave and prepare the power to loftier. Set the cook timer for 5 minutes and get-go the microwave.^[10]
- If you desire slightly more than well-baked zucchini, endeavor microwaving information technology for but 4 minutes. If you want it to be softer, yous can effort microwaving it for upwardly to vi minutes.
5
Stir the zucchini effectually halfway through the cook time. Break the microwave afterwards 2-3 minutes and take the dish out using oven mitts or pads. Use a spoon or other utensil to stir the zucchini around a couple of times. Put the dish dorsum in the microwave for the remaining minutes.^[11]
- Microwaves have hot spots, so stirring the zucchini around halfway through the cook time volition help ensure it steams evenly.
- You can eat the microwaved zucchini right abroad. Identify any leftovers in a sealed container in your refrigerator and consume them within 2 days.

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ane
Cut a zucchini into quarters and then into ^one⁄_iii in (0.85 cm) pieces. Identify a zucchini on a cut lath and slice off the ends with a precipitous kitchen knife. Cut the zucchini lengthwise into halves, then cutting each half down the heart, so you lot take 4 separate quarters of your zucchini. Slice each quarter into pieces that are virtually ^one⁄₃ in (0.85 cm) thick.^[12]
- If you desire bigger pieces of zucchini, you can leave the zucchini whole or in 2 halves instead of cutting it into quarters at the beginning.
- Wash your zucchini with running h2o to rinse off any clay before you melt it, if it hasn't been washed already.
- Go out the peel on zucchini for cooking because virtually of the nutrients are contained in the peel. The within is very liquidy and can quickly go mushy and fall apart if you don't go out the pare on.
2
Put the zucchini pieces in a steamer basket and put it in your Instant Pot. Choose a steamer basket that is small enough to fit comfortably inside your Instant Pot. Distribute the zucchini pieces in an even layer in the handbasket, then lower information technology gently into your Instant Pot.^[thirteen]
- If yous don't have a steamer basket that will fit into your Instant Pot, you tin use the Instant Pot'due south trivet handbasket accompaniment instead. However, this volition work better if you leave the zucchini in larger, whole round slices that won't fall through the cracks in the trivet.
3
Pour 1 c (240 mL) of h2o into the Instant Pot and put the hat on. Measure out out nigh 1 c (240 mL) of water using a liquid measuring loving cup. Cascade it into the Instant Pot, and then lock the pot'due south lid on to seal the zucchini and h2o inside.^[14]
- Make sure the zucchini is higher up the h2o. If the steamer basket is partially submerged in the water, remove it and pour out some of the water until the surface of the h2o is just below the steamer basket.
- As long every bit there is no water touching the zucchini pieces, the steaming will work. It doesn't affair exactly how far above the water the basket sits.
4
Set the Instant Pot to steam style and steam the zucchini for 1-ii minutes. Push the button that says "steam" on the control panel of your Instant Pot and ensure that the pressure level is set to loftier. Set the timer for i infinitesimal if you desire more crisp zucchini or 2 minutes if you want softer zucchini. Press the "manual" or "pressure cook" button to outset steaming, so await for it to finish cooking.^[15]
- Make sure the sealing valve is set to "sealing" before y'all plow on the Instant Pot. Some models do this automatically when you put the lid on, while others require yous to close the valve yourself.
5
Vent the steam using the quick-release feature, so take out your zucchini. Turn the sealing valve to the venting position to quick-release the steam. This will ensure your zucchini doesn't go along cooking and get likewise soft and mushy. Look for all the steam to stop venting before y'all take off the lid and remove the zucchini.^[16]
- You lot tin tell the steam is done venting because y'all won't come across any steam coming out and the floating valve, which is the piffling round valve next to the sealing valve, volition sit below the surface of the pot's lid.
- You can serve and eat the zucchini as shortly as it's done steaming. Put whatsoever leftovers in a sealed container and store them in your refrigerator for up to ii days.

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You tin can serve steamed zucchini as a stand-lonely side dish or try tossing it into a pasta or serving it over rice. The sky's the limit!^[17]
Try tossing steamed zucchini with most one Us tbsp (15 mL) of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste for a basic seasoning. If you want more than complex flavors, yous can try adding some mashed garlic or lemon juice as well.^[18]

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Be careful when you're handling hot steamer baskets, casserole dishes, and other hot kitchen items. Use oven mitts or pads whenever you have to pick something hot up to avoid an unpleasant burn down.