Which To Choose?

zuke blossom - male, originally uploaded by lilithny.

So in my last post I mentioned cooking the zucchini blossoms. Little to my knowledge (and I'm going to chalk it up to a prolonged, post-college brain fart) there is a method to this!

But before I go into that, let's partake in some learning. Very abbreviated learning. Five sentences or less.

The zucchini plant has a male and female blossom. The male blossom contains the stamen, the female contains the pistil. In order for a zuke to form, pollen from the stamen needs to transfer over to the pistil. If pollination does not occur, no zucchini will form, and the blossoms will die.

So, now that's out of the way, blossom picking methods:

1. Population control - Guy buds. Girls buds. You want to leave the girl buds alone, otherwise you will be zuke-free. Grab as many male buds as you would like, but leave enough that will help with pollinating for future harvests.

But which one is the male blossom? Why, the one with the skinnier stem, or the one that is obviously not growing a zucchini on the other side of it. Pretty simple. Remember, only harvest blossoms that have already opened.

2. Post-pollination gathering - This is when you pluck the blossom off the growing zucchini. By that time, there really is no need for the blossom, it's going to shrivel up and die, so why not eat it?

zuke blossom - female, originally uploaded by lilithny.

After you've picked the blossoms, you'll need to give them a good washing and let them dry (paper towels, cooling rack, etc.). Make sure there are no hidden dirt or bugs in there... unless you want some extra protein and minerals (yuk yuk). If you want to remove the stamen/pistil, it's all up to you.