Zucchini Butter Is The Spreadable, Caramelized Version Of Your Favorite Summer Vegetable

Zucchini's mild, earthy taste often leaves little to be desired, giving veggie lovers a lot to work with in terms of flavor. Thankfully, there are an abundance of creative ways to use up your summer zucchini harvest. The summer squash is often pickled and jarred, chopped and roasted, or sliced into savory zucchini noodles.

However, zucchini really shines when it's caramelized. The natural sweetness of the zucchini comes out to shine, enhancing the taste of the vegetable. It's super versatile and can be roasted in the oven, or even made into sweet zucchini butter. That's right, the mild squash can be transformed into a buttery, savory condiment that carries the taste of summer all the way into autumn and winter.

By cooking it down until the sugars release, and adding in a melody of herbs and spices, you can create zucchini butter that tastes incredible on egg toast, as a spread for charcuterie boards, slathered onto sandwiches, or mixed into pasta. Read ahead to see what steps to employ to create this buttery, summer delight.

After washing your zucchini, shred it up using a box grater to transform it into smaller pieces. These will cook more quickly and make your butter more readily spreadable. Set these pieces aside in a bowl and peel and chop garlic, shallots, and ginger. Heat oil or butter in a pan and add the aromatics, stirring for about 30 seconds as the flavors release. While they're browning, dump the zucchini into a cheesecloth and squeeze out any excess liquid.

Lower the heat of the stove and pour in the zucchini — we recommend sprinkling in salt to taste, as well as black pepper and paprika. Allow the zucchini to simmer down (approximately 15-30 minutes), pouring in a little water once it starts to stick to the pan. Ensure that it simmers into a stew-like consistency instead of crisping up. Once it's softened up into a smooth, spreadable texture, you can add lemon zest or a squeeze of lemon juice.

Remove your mixture from the heat and top it off with basil and fresh mint, or whatever garnish you desire. Once it's ready, get creative by spreading your homemade zucchini butter on your morning toast or quiche, or incorporating it into another dish like pasta. Best of all, you can store all the remaining butter in a jar. Zucchini butter can last up to a week in the fridge or for six months in the freezer, meaning you can enjoy the flavors of summer all winter long.