Usually we have several "volunteer" zucchini plants that pop up out of the refuse pile but this year none appeared and I had to rely on store bought seed. We planted just one plant and it is not doing as well as other years squash plants have done. One plant usually provides enough zucchini squash for 5 people so we have cut back on how many we plant. Have only picked one so far this year. This morning I dumped a 5 gallon bucket of rabbit manure on the base of the plant and watered it in to see if this will perk it up.

Round 1 of the 'Great Zucchini Wars':

42 pints of zucchini pickles

10 trays of dried zucchini

At this very moment, we've decided on three forms of preservation for our bumper crop of summer squash.

1) Right now there are ten trays of sliced zucchini in our dehydrator. That only scratches the surface but dried zucchini can be used in two ways. Rehydrated in soups, stews, chilis. According to the specs on this, you just throw them in during the last 3 or 4 minutes of cooking. And, from more than one source, dried zucchini chips are very, very good. Sprinkled with sea salt, sprinkled with soy sauce; prepared for a dip.

2) Zucchini pickles. Definitely one of our methods.

3) Freezing - will grate for use in breads and freeze whole slices individually and then rebag.

This is not about recipes, but what to do with the summer's bounty of squash: crookneck, zucchini, etc. Ways of canning, preserving, storing. What has been your experience? I just finished a chat with our local extension office and they do not recommend canning summer squash because it "cooks it to death". Pickles, dehydrate..... Any ideas?