Should I remove the inner parts of marrow vegetables, like this zucchini (or whatever this is)? You generally want to avoid any seeds in your food, but there would be hardly any zucchini left if I do this!
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1In this case, I do not think it's necessary! I've encountered some cases where the seeds were extremely big (like pumpkin seeds), and it's easy to take some out once cut, like watermelon seeds, if you dislike their taste cooked. – M.K Dec 20 '22 at 09:52
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No. The only cooking preparation where the seedy core of summer squash is removed is for stuffing them. Otherwise, that's part of what you eat. The seeds are soft and pretty much the same texture as the flesh.
FuzzyChef
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9This is true when the fruit is small like the one in the picture. If it has grown to "war-club" size, the inner core turns cottony and the seeds start to harden. We would regularly find such large-sized zucchini fruit hiding under the leaves when I was a kid and I remember having to quarter and core the "club" before dicing. The usable remainder was just fine but considerably smaller than the original fruit size might have suggested. – Dec 19 '22 at 13:28
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2C: once squash (and cucumbers) get to that size, though, even the outer flesh is tough and bitter. – FuzzyChef Dec 19 '22 at 15:59
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@FuzzyChef: That depends on the variety. At least here in England, “vegetable marrows” are very traditional — rare to see in the shops, but widely grown in allotments/gardens — similar to a courgette, but grown much larger. The seeds and inner pulp are typically removed for cooking, but the outer flesh is delicious if well-cooked, not tough or too bitter. My family have them roasted, stuffed with nuts and cheese. – PLL Dec 20 '22 at 15:13
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@FuzzyChef - I agree with PLL - we didn't have that problem either. The outer flesh was still edible. It's just that the amount of edible material you recovered wasn't always that great compared to the size of the fruit and effort involved. – Dec 21 '22 at 13:46
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No, it is not necessary to remove the inner parts of marrow vegetables.
In fact, the inner parts of these vegetables, including the seeds and the fleshy center, are edible and can be nutritious. They can even add texture and flavor to your dishes. However, in mature fruits, seeds can become very large and hence be tough or bitter, in which case you may want to remove them. Ultimately, whether or not to remove the inner parts of marrow vegetables is a matter of personal preference. If you prefer the taste and texture of the seeds and center, you can leave them in. If you prefer a milder flavor and a softer texture, you can remove them.
The zucchini in the photo looks very young an so seeds may become unnoticable when cooked.
Stanley F.
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5Raw zucchini is edible so you can always slice off a bit and have a taste, if the seeds are "fine" uncooked then they will be unnoticeable when cooked. – user3067860 Dec 19 '22 at 14:58