- (Focus Area) Food
Dehydrated Zucchini Flour
Lynn Pastusak, UC Master Food Preserver Volunteer
I went out of town for four days and came home to massive zucchini!! What was I going to do with these monsters? I hate to throw away good food, especially beautiful home grown food. Then I had an ah ha moment, I could make zucchini flour!
Zucchini flour? What's that? It's mild flavored and gluten-free. That sounds nourishing, I thought, and I can hide it in my recipes! I'd never done it, but it sounded like a fun project and a great way to keep a big zucchini in a small container.
The very first thing to do is make sure all your kitchen supplies and surfaces are scrubbed clean and sanitized. Is there a difference? Absolutely. Find more information here about cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting. After everything is squeaky clean, scrub the zucchini with a vegetable brush under running cold water. Don't put the zucchini in a sink or bowl full of water. The germs and bacteria will just float around. The running water washes all the bad stuff down the drain.
Then cut the zucchini into manageable sizes and remove the seeds. I used a grapefruit spoon. Its little, sharp, serrated teeth worked perfectly and made the job of scraping out all those seeds and pulp easy.
Next, you will need to decide whether to pare or not to pare the zucchini. If you leave the peel on, the flour will be a bit greener in color. Also, the peel may be bitter. Taste the peel before you pare it and decide what is best for you. The peel was not bitter on my zucchini, but I wanted to see the color and texture difference of my flour. I'll show the results later.
Then, cut the zucchini into workable pieces and grate them using a handheld cheese grater - or if you have a rotary grater or electric grater, it will go a lot faster. I used my electric grater, and it was super fast!
Zucchini holds a lot of moisture. The wetter it is, the longer it will take to dry in the dehydrator so you will want to dry the grated zucchini as much as possible. You can do this by placing the grated zucchini in a colander for about 15 minutes and pressing down on it to squeeze out the liquid or by squeezing the grated zucchini with a potato ricer. Another way, and is how I did it, is to lay some paper towels on a cloth towel; place a layer of grated zucchini on the paper towels; place another layer of paper towels on top of the zucchini; roll the towel up tightly and squish with your hands to absorb the liquid.
After the zucchini has released enough liquid, preheat the dehydrator to 135°.
Place the drained grated zucchini on the dehydrator trays. The pieces are pretty thin, so you don't have to worry about spreading the grated zucchini out sparsely. It's ok if some are overlapping a bit. You might want to stir them gently after a couple hours of drying in case there are some patches not drying as quickly because they are overlapped and stuck together.
Heat the grated zucchini in the dehydrator. The University of Maine Cooperative Extension recommends heating zoodles, which is a type of grated zucchini, at 135° until the zucchini is very dry and crispy. It's difficult to determine the exact heating time as moisture in the air (humidity) has a major impact on drying time, but it should take about 7-11 hours.
Remove the dried grated zucchini from the dehydrator.
Now comes the fun part! Fill your blender, food processor, or chopper about 2/3 full with the dehydrated grated zucchini and grind it until it is finely ground. Any grinder will work. Some grind finer than others. I used my Vitamix and it ground it to a very fine consistency.* (Read the important note below before removing the lid.)
Congratulations! You've just made flour!
*Important! After you are done grinding, keep the lid on your grinder for a few minutes to let the dust settle. If you don't, you will have a cloud of zucchini dust puff out all over the place when you remove the lid. It can be quite messy and it's not good to inhale all those fine particles.
Remember, I mentioned that I wanted to experiment with leaving the peel on or off. I left the peel on the first batch and pared the second batch. It's difficult to tell with the photos, but there was a slight difference in color; the peeled zucchini was a pale green and the unpeeled zucchini was a bit darker green. I did not notice a difference in the texture or taste. Therefore, I just combined both flours into one container.
Store the zucchini flour in an airtight container, such as a mason jar with a tight-fitting lid. You can also vacuum seal the jar lids for longer lasting storage. The zucchini flour tends to pull moisture from the air which can cause clumping and molding. To prevent this, you may add a food safe silica packet to absorb the moisture. This is optional, but well worth it. You can read more about silica packets here.
Do not store the zucchini flour in the refrigerator. There is too much moisture in the refrigerator which will undo all your dehydrating work.
Use your beautiful zucchini flour within 6 months for best taste; however, it can be stored for up to 1 year, especially with a silica packet. Not sure if it is good? Smell it; it's no good if it smells musty. It's no good if it is wet and has large clumps of mold. Here's an article to tell you more about bad flour.
So, how much flour will you get? Roughly 3 ½ pounds of zucchini will make about 2 cups of dried shredded zucchini which will end up making a scant ½ cup of zucchini flour.
Now that you have successfully made the zucchini flour, what do you do with it? You can make cakes, breads, cookies, muffins, and quick breads that don't require a lot of rising time since there is no gluten in the zucchini flour. Zucchini flour can replace coconut flour (1:1 ratio). You can replace 1/4 to 1/3 cup of regular flour with the zucchini flour (1:3-4 ratio). (I've been told you might want to add 1-2 tablespoons additional water or oil and mix it extra well.) Try adding some of the zucchini flour to soups, stir fries, casseroles, smoothies, scrambled eggs, or pancake batters. Have fun and add color and nutrition by adding a bit (not a lot) when making pasta (1:10 ratio).
There are a variety of easy to make recipes using alternative flours, such as zucchini flour, available on food blogs. A quick Google search will turn up many options. Find a reliable source for recipes and have some fun experimenting in the kitchen!
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- Author: Brianna Aguayo Villalon
Christian Black joined the Nutrition Policy Institute at the University of California in September 2024 as our 2024-2025 UC Bonnie Reiss Climate Action Fellowship, Sustainable Agriculture and Food Fellow. Black is a graduate student pursuing a Master's in Public Health with a concentration on Community Health at UC Irvine Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health, where he utilizes salivary biomarkers and wearable devices to study the relationship between harsh prison environments and health longevity. As an NPI fellow, Black will support efforts to improve food and nutrition security among currently and formerly incarcerated individuals in California. This 10-month fellowship is part of the 2024-2025 UC Bonnie Reiss Climate Action Fellowship Program, formerly known as the UC Global Food Initiative, which supports the UC's climate goals by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and establishing climate programs and policies centered on equity, sustainability, and resiliency. In addition to working with the NPI Farm to Corrections project team, Black will participate in UC systemwide activities.
- Author: Michael Hsu
Nut orchard hygiene key to control carpophilus beetle, say UCCE, UC Integrated Pest Management experts
Since the first reports of a new almond pest – the carpophilus beetle (Carpophilus truncatus) – came in during fall 2023, it has become clear that the beetle is widely dispersed across the San Joaquin Valley.
“My lab has identified infestations from every county in the San Joaquin Valley; we have found infestations in both almonds and pistachios, and we will likely find infestations in walnuts this fall,” said Houston Wilson, a University of California Cooperative Extension entomology specialist at UC Riverside. The California Department of Food and Agriculture has confirmed the beetle's presence in Stanislaus, Merced, Madera and Kings counties.
Historically a major threat to almond production in Australia, the beetle – as larvae and adults – feeds directly on the nut kernel. In California, some almond growers have lost 10 to 15% of their yield – a “significant economic loss,” according to Jhalendra Rijal, University of California integrated pest management (IPM) advisor for the region. Given the prominence of almonds as a commodity, even a 1% overall reduction statewide represents an approximately $70 million loss.
“This year there has been a lot more reports from PCAs [pest control advisers]; they're sending me the pictures of the damage and beetles,” said Rijal, noting that the increase is likely due to greater awareness of the pest.
To help almond growers identify the carpophilus beetle and develop management plans, Rijal, Wilson and their IPM colleagues have put together a visual ID guide for the beetle and the damage it causes, as well as telltale signs of navel orangeworm (Amyelois transitella) and ant damage. In particular, the experts would like PCAs and growers to differentiate between the carpophilus beetle and navel orangeworm, another key pest in almonds.
“Even though their way of causing damage looks more or less similar, we're dealing with two different types of insects,” Rijal explained. “One is a Lepidoptera moth [navel orangeworm], and the other one is a beetle – many of the management practices and biological controls would be different for these two different things.”
To control carpophilus beetle, ‘sanitize, sanitize, sanitize'
One crucial cultural practice for managing both pests, however, is destroying the remnant “mummy” nuts – the nuts that remain in the orchard postharvest. They serve as overwintering habitat for the carpophilus beetle, as well as its sustenance for the next generation of beetles in spring.
“The best way to manage this pest is to do the orchard hygiene – continuing the winter sanitation, destroying the nuts that are on the ground and on the tree and on the berms,” Rijal said.
Based on observations in Australia and locally, carpophilus beetles tend to rely more on mummies on the ground, whereas navel orangeworm generally favors mummies in the tree canopy. Correctly identifying the pest – with help from the new ID guide – enables growers to better target and prioritize their management efforts, Rijal said.
“What we are strongly emphasizing is that growers need to sanitize, sanitize, sanitize to control both pests,” Wilson added.
Correct identification of the pest would also prevent unnecessary application of insecticides, as those used for controlling Lepidoptera such as navel orangeworm would be largely ineffective on the beetle.
Indeed, another insight shared by Australian experts is that the carpophilus beetle cannot be controlled just by insecticide.
“Insecticides are not very efficient, given the cryptic nature of these beetles; exposing these beetles to the insecticide is very hard,” said Rijal, noting that the beetle spends most of its life cycle protected inside the nut.
Reporting carpophilus beetle infestation helps researchers
This harvest season, Rijal advises almond growers to harvest as efficiently as possible, to minimize the number of mummies that need to be cleaned up. And because signs of damage (like damaged hulls and frass) are most obvious during harvest time, Rijal said growers should review the new guide, using the photos and other resources to help identify potential pests.
If the grower or PCA suspects a carpophilus beetle infestation, they should contact the UCCE farm advisor in their area.
Scientists are looking to expand their knowledge about this relatively new pest to California. In the coming weeks, for example, researchers are planning to survey for the carpophilus beetle in the Sacramento Valley.
“Technically it has not been found there, but we suspect that we'll find it this fall when we go looking for it,” Wilson said.
Researchers are also collecting samples from infested orchards to better understand the biology of the species, as well as how it progresses through and responds to seasonal and climactic changes. In addition, they are analyzing data from a trial study of an insecticide that might be used as a supplemental control measure.
“This is our first full season dealing with this insect, and there are still many things we need to understand,” Rijal said. “We are continuing our research efforts on all fronts.”
/h3>/h3>/h3>- Author: Esther N Lofton
- Author: Amrita Mukherjee
- Author: Grant Johnson
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A 2024 article by Matthew Yoshimoto of The Daily Californian discussed Berkeley's 2014 soda tax, and its presence on the ballot in November 2024. Since its implementation, the soda tax, a 1-cent-per-ounce excise tax on sugar-sweetened beverages, has had drastic impacts on community health. By 2017, consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages decreased by over 50% and water consumption increased by almost 30%. The revenue has funded efforts to improve the nutrition environment in the low-income and minority communities hardest hit by the sugary drinks. NPI's Ken Hecht highlighted that health in Black and Latine communities has especially benefited from the soda tax's direct and indirect effects. The soda tax has also helped in the efforts to combat childhood obesity. According to a study by Kaiser Permanente, cities where the tax is implemented did not show an increase in childhood obesity rates while rates are increasing elsewhere. Berkeley's change has had a positive ripple effect, with cities including Oakland and San Francisco following with their own taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages. Though the soda tax has had overwhelming support from voters, due to push back from soda companies there are new legislative barriers concerning the tax. While a tax increase is currently not an option for Berkeley, there is hope that in November 2024, voters will consider the positive effects of the soda tax and support its indefinite renewal.