Baby zucchini, also known as mini zucchini, are more tender and somewhat more flavorful than larger zucchini. Apart from the slight differences in taste and the earlier harvest, there are no other major differences between zucchini and baby zucchini. Zucchini and yellow summer squash are varieties of summer squash. Squash has its ancestry in the Americas, but the modern version of zucchini developed in Italy at the end of the seventeenth century.
General information:
From Wikipedia: “Zucchini or courgette is a summer squash which can reach nearly a meter in length, but is usually harvested immature at 15–25 cm. In the British Isles, a fully grown zucchini is referred to as a marrow.
Along with certain other squashes and pumpkins, it belongs to the species Cucurbita pepo. Zucchini can be dark or light green. A related hybrid, the golden zucchini, is a deep yellow or orange color.
In a culinary context, zucchini is treated as a vegetable; it is usually cooked and presented as a savory dish or accompaniment. Botanically, zucchinis are fruits, a type of botanical berry called a "pepo", being the swollen ovary of the zucchini flower.”
Culinary uses:
“Unlike cucumber, zucchini is usually served cooked. It can be prepared using a variety of cooking techniques, including steamed, boiled, grilled, stuffed and baked, barbecued, fried, or incorporated in other recipes such as soufflés. ...
Zucchini can also be eaten raw, sliced or shredded, in a cold salad, as well as lightly cooked in hot salads, as in Thai or Vietnamese recipes. Mature (larger sized) zucchini are well suited for cooking in breads. Zucchinis can be cut with a spiralizer to make zucchini noodles for low-carbohydrate recipes.”
Nutritional value:
“Zucchini are low in calories (approximately 17 food calories per 100 g fresh zucchini) and contains useful amounts of folate (24 μg/100 g), potassium (261mg/100 g) and provitamin A (200 IU [10 RAE]/100 g).”
Flower:
“The female flower is a golden blossom on the end of each emergent zucchini. The male flower grows directly on the stem of the zucchini plant in the leaf axils (where leaf petiole meets stem), on a long stalk, and is slightly smaller than the female. Both flowers are edible and are often used to dress a meal or to garnish the cooked fruit.
... There are a variety of recipes in which the flowers may be deep fried as fritters or tempura (after dipping in a light tempura batter), stuffed, sautéed, baked, or used in soups.”
Toxicology:
“Members of the plant family Cucurbitacea, which includes zucchini/marrows, pumpkins and cucumbers, can contain toxins called cucurbitacins. These are chemically classified as steroids; they defend the plants from predators, and have a bitter taste to humans. Cultivated cucurbitaceae are bred for low levels of the toxin and are safe to eat. However, ornamental pumpkins can have high levels of cucurbitacins, and such ornamental plants can cross-fertilize edible cucurbitaceae - any such cross-fertilized seeds used by the gardener for growing food in the following season can therefore potentially produce bitter and toxic fruit. Also, dry weather conditions/irregular watering can stress the plant and favor the production of the toxin. The toxin is not destroyed by cooking. Humans with an impaired sense of taste (particularly among the elderly) should therefore ask a younger person to taste the zucchini for them.
In August 2015, a 79-year-old German man and his wife ate a zucchini grown by a neighbor. The couple noted the unusually bitter taste. Shortly afterwards they were both admitted to Heidenheim hospital, apparently with symptoms of a gastrointestinal infection. The wife, who had eaten a smaller portion, survived, while the man died. Toxicological analysis of the meal confirmed the presence of cucurbitacin. Investigators warned that gardeners should not save their own seeds, as reversion to forms containing more poisonous cucurbitacin might occur.”
Harvest:
Mini zucchini are usually ready to harvest when they are about 8 cm long.
Nutrient tables
The complete nutritional information, coverage of the daily requirement and comparison values with other ingredients can be found in the following nutrient tables.
Nutritional Information
|
per 100g |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
|
---|---|---|---|
Energy | 21 kcal 88 kJ | 1.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 2000kcal | |
Fat/Lipids | 0.40 g | 0.6% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 70g | |
Saturated Fats | 0.08 g | 0.4% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 20g | |
Carbohydrates (inc.dietary fiber) | 3.1 g | 1.2% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 270g | |
Sugars | n/a | ||
Fiber | 1.1 g | 4.4% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 25g | |
Protein/Albumin | 2.7 g | 5.4% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 50g | |
Cooking Salt (Na:3.0 mg) | 7.6 mg | 0.3% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 2.4g |
Essential micronutrients with the highest proportions | per 100g | 2000 kcal | |
---|---|---|---|
Vit | Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) | 34 mg | 43.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 80 mg |
Elem | Potassium, K | 459 mg | 23.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 2'000 mg |
Elem | Phosphorus, P | 93 mg | 13.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 700 mg |
Vit | Folate, as the active form of folic acid (née vitamin B9 and | 20 µg | 10.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 200 µg |
Vit | Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) | 0.14 mg | 10.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.4 mg |
Min | Copper, Cu | 0.10 mg | 10.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.0 mg |
Min | Manganese, Mn | 0.20 mg | 10.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 2.0 mg |
Prot | Tryptophan (Trp, W) | 0.02 g | 10.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 0.25 g |
Elem | Magnesium, Mg | 33 mg | 9.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 375 mg |
Min | Zinc, Zn | 0.83 mg | 8.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 10 mg |
Detailed micronutrients and daily requirement coverage per 100g
Explanations of nutrient tables in general
The majority of the nutritional information comes from the USDA (US Department of Agriculture). This means that the information for natural products is often incomplete or only given within broader categories, whereas in most cases products made from these have more complete information displayed.
If we take flaxseed, for example, the important essential amino acid ALA (omega-3) is only included in an overarching category whereas for flaxseed oil ALA is listed specifically. In time, we will be able to change this, but it will require a lot of work. An “i” appears behind ingredients that have been adjusted and an explanation appears when you hover over this symbol.
For Erb Muesli, the original calculations resulted in 48 % of the daily requirement of ALA — but with the correction, we see that the muesli actually covers >100 % of the necessary recommendation for the omega-3 fatty acid ALA. Our goal is to eventually be able to compare the nutritional value of our recipes with those that are used in conventional western lifestyles.
Essential fatty acids | per 100g |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
---|---|---|
Alpha-Linolenic acid; ALA; 18:3 omega-3 | 0.11 g | 5.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the CH-EDI-Verordnung: 2.0 g |
Linoleic acid; LA; 18:2 omega-6 | 0.06 g | 1.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the CH-EDI-Verordnung: 10 g |
Essential amino acids | per 100g |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
---|---|---|
Tryptophan (Trp, W) | 0.02 g | 10.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 0.25 g |
Isoleucine (Ile, I) | 0.10 g | 8.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 1.2 g |
Lysine (Lys, K) | 0.15 g | 8.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 1.9 g |
Valine (Val, V) | 0.12 g | 8.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 1.6 g |
Threonine (Thr, T) | 0.07 g | 7.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 0.93 g |
Leucine (Leu, L) | 0.16 g | 7.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 2.4 g |
Phenylalanine (Phe, F) | 0.10 g | 6.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 1.6 g |
Methionine (Met, M) | 0.04 g | 4.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 0.93 g |
Vitamins | per 100g |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
---|---|---|
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) | 34 mg | 43.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 80 mg |
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) | 0.14 mg | 10.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.4 mg |
Folate, as the active form of folic acid (née vitamin B9 and | 20 µg | 10.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 200 µg |
Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) | 0.37 mg | 6.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 6.0 mg |
Thiamine (vitamin B1) | 0.04 mg | 4.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.1 mg |
Niacin (née vitamin B3) | 0.70 mg | 4.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 16 mg |
Riboflavin (vitamin B2) | 0.04 mg | 3.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.4 mg |
Vitamin A, as RAE | 25 µg | 3.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 800 µg |
Vitamin D | 0 µg | < 0.1% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 5.0 µg |
Essential macroelements (macronutrients) | per 100g |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
---|---|---|
Potassium, K | 459 mg | 23.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 2'000 mg |
Phosphorus, P | 93 mg | 13.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 700 mg |
Magnesium, Mg | 33 mg | 9.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 375 mg |
Calcium, Ca | 21 mg | 3.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 800 mg |
Sodium, Na | 3.0 mg | < 0.1% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 800 mg |
Essential trace elements (micronutrients) | per 100g |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
---|---|---|
Copper, Cu | 0.10 mg | 10.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.0 mg |
Manganese, Mn | 0.20 mg | 10.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 2.0 mg |
Zinc, Zn | 0.83 mg | 8.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 10 mg |
Iron, Fe | 0.79 mg | 6.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 14 mg |
Selenium, Se | 0.30 µg | 1.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 55 µg |
Comments