Why The Smallest Zucchinis Make The Best Bread
Not all zucchinis are born equal. There can actually be some major differences between zucchinis depending on their size, and if you're looking to use zucchini for baked goods like zucchini bread, you're likely better off looking for smaller zucchinis to get the best flavor and texture in the final product — for multiple reasons. This means zucchinis that are six inches long or less.
As zucchinis grow larger, there are some key changes. Their insides tend to be more watery and, therefore, mushier. These two attributes are a potential issue in zucchini bread. The mushy insides can lead to a zucchini bread batter that's watery and may not cook through easily. You can try getting around this by patting the zucchini dry once you've grated it to add to your bread. This may allow the bread to bake through, but they may release more water as they cook, which is less than ideal. Large zucchinis will also have much less peel in them relative to the insides. While some may disagree, it's generally a good idea to make zucchini bread with the vegetable unpeeled as it adds both texture and nutrients.
Big zucchinis also bring a flavor difference
Baking zucchini bread with bigger zucchinis can cause problems when it comes to texture, but those big veggies may negatively impact the flavor, too, in one of two ways. Bigger zucchinis are sometimes more bitter, which isn't a taste sensation most people want in their baked goods. You can try to counteract this by adding extra sugar or something else sweet to the recipe (chocolate zucchini bread is one good idea), although that'll involve deviating from your recipe.
Bigger zucchinis are sometimes regarded as less flavorful, so you may also be giving up the primary flavor of the bread by using them: There are alternatives to zucchinis out there, but none are particularly close in flavor, and there's little point to making zucchini bread without that zucchini flavor.
It's worth noting that even small zucchinis can be bitter if they were stressed out as they were growing (for example, by growing in soil without enough nutrients). Unfortunately, there's no clear way to tell if this is the case when you're shopping, unless you're able to taste the zucchini.
Are small zucchinis better for other recipes?
It's not just bread: A lot of food-savvy people suggest sticking to smaller zucchinis for other recipes, regardless of whether you're making zucchini cake, fritters, or salads. The watery quality is a big complaint — for example, there's no shortage of people who have complained about soggy "zoodles" (zucchini noodles, long, spaghetti-like strips of zucchini), potentially because they were working with larger, mushier zucchinis. They might be more workable in a recipe like zucchini fritters where you can squeeze out the excess moisture. Ratatouille is another possible option, as you could just cook it longer to evaporate the excess liquid.
However, no matter what you're making, you may still run into the flavor issue, with larger zucchinis either adding bitter notes to the recipe, or just not adding much flavor at all. If you have an oversized zucchini that you're looking to use up, it's probably best to put it in a recipe where zucchini isn't the primary flavor (so you're not effectively losing a central ingredient). But otherwise, make a note to try buying a smaller zucchini next time.