The Reason Your Cooked Zucchini Turned Out Soggy

Zucchini is an incredibly versatile type of produce, as it can be baked into tasty quick slices of bread or used as the star of hearty main dishes like a savory zucchini pie. While many of us likely consider zucchini to be a vegetable, it's actually a fruit. Zucchini is a type of summer squash that's harvested before it's fully matured, making it a fruit, according to Taste of Home. It belongs to the Cucurbitaceae plant family, which also encompasses other flowering gourds like pumpkin, squash, melon, cucumber, and similar produce.

Since it has a mild flavor, zucchini is adaptable to a number of dishes, both sweet and savory. It's made up of 94% water, meaning zucchini is great at keeping you hydrated, per Healthline. Additionally, one cup of zucchini contains one gram of fiber, which can help you feel satiated while aiding in digestion (via Healthline). With such high water content, you may have unfortunately experienced the downside of preparing this type of produce. Perhaps you've whipped up stuffed zucchini boats only to have your dish come out of the oven a soggy mess. The good news is, there's a quick fix to avoid this common cooking faux pas.

If you pull your cooked zucchini dish out of the oven only to discover a soggy, watery mess, chances are you forgot to salt your zucchini first. Doing so can draw out some of that excess moisture while seasoning your produce at the same time, per The Kitchn. To salt your zucchini properly, slice and prep your zucchini per your recipe's instructions, then toss it with one teaspoon of table salt, as recommended by Cook's Country. 

Next, let the salted zucchini drain in a colander for 30 minutes while you prep the rest of your ingredients. Lastly, pat the zucchini with a paper towel before incorporating it into your recipe as usual. Following this method, you should find that your cooked zucchini is soft on the inside with a bit of crunchy texture on the outside. With this method in mind, you'll never have soggy pieces of zucchini again.