Yes, you can harvest zucchini with flower attached and chefs love this combo. The tender baby squash and delicate blossom make a beautiful dish. Home cooks prize these flower-topped zucchini for their mild sweet flavor and stunning look on the plate.
I head out to my garden every summer morning around 7 AM to catch those blossoms at their best. The flowers open wide and look gorgeous in the cool early hours before the heat hits. By noon they start to close up and lose that stunning appearance. Getting them at dawn gives you the prettiest result.
When I first tried this a few years back I made the mistake of waiting until afternoon. The flowers had closed into tight little spirals by then. Now I know better and always pick before 9 AM. The extra effort is worth it when you see how nice they look in the kitchen.
The timing for your zucchini blossoms harvest matters more than you might think. Female flowers appear about 7 to 10 days after you first see male flowers on your plants. You can spot female blooms by the tiny fruit forming behind the petals. Male flowers just have thin stems with no bulge.
University of Minnesota says these blooms taste best on opening day. The squash flowers edible window is short since they wilt hours after they unfurl. Wait a day and you miss out on crisp texture. The flavor drops off fast too so pick your flowers right away.
Pick your flower-topped zucchini when the fruit reaches 3 to 4 inches in length. At this size the squash stays tender and the flower holds up well during cooking. Larger fruit works fine too but the blossom may have closed or started to fade by that point.
Use a sharp knife to cut the stem about one inch below the flower. Handle the bloom gently since it bruises if you grip too tight. Put your harvest in a container lined with damp paper towels and get it into the fridge right away. The cold helps keep the petals fresh.
Cook your flower-attached zucchini the same day you pick it for the best results. You can stuff the blossom with soft cheese and bake it for about 15 minutes at 375°F. Dipping the whole thing in light batter and frying makes another classic dish that lets both parts shine on your plate.
Read the full article: When to Harvest Zucchini: Ultimate Guide
