ABOUT WINTER SQUASH

Winter Squash is a delicious, hearty fruit that comes in a several varieties that range in taste and texture, from sweet to nutty and creamy to delightfully stringy. These versatile, fall fruits grow on vines and have their origins across North, South, and Central America where they’ve been cultivated by Indigenous peoples for at least 10,000 years. It’s believed that the word squash comes from the Narragansett word for “eaten raw” askutasquash." While it is possible to eat many varieties of winter squash raw, many people prefer to eat the skin, flesh, and seeds cooked.

While we no longer grow winter squash here at Rock Steady Farm, we often purchase it for our CSA from other farms who grow delicious winter squash. We most often will purchase butternut, delicata, kabocha, or acorn squash. Kabocha is a Japanese squash with a green outer shell and starchy interior, with a flavor that’s described as sweet potato mixed with pumpkin. Butternut squash is a hybrid of a pumpkin and gooseneck squash with a soft, creamy texture and is often described as being sweet, but nutty tasting. Acorn squash has a slightly stringier texture, closer to a spaghetti squash, and is a bit more mild. Delicata squash has a very thin, delicate skin and does not need to be peeled. The interior texture is similar to a butternut and it has a very sweet taste.

COOKING & STORAGE

Edible parts: Fruit
Medicine and Nutrients: Depending on the type winter squash have varying levels of different nutrients, but most are a great source of potassium, fiber, vitamin C, and beta-carotene.
Storing and Shelf Stability: Store squash at room temperature in a cool, dry and dark place for up to 3-4 months. Refrigerate cooked and cut squash and use within 2-3 days. Store sliced squash in plastic wrap, foil or a sealed plastic bag. Discard if it becomes soft, squishy, or moldy. Squash is best frozen when pureed as the texture does not hold up to freezing when kept whole.
Ways to Prepare: Winter squash can be roasted, fried, simmered, stewed, and added to soups with or without their skin peeled. The seeds can be seasoned with spices and roasted.

RECIPES

Dominican Sancocho (My Dominican Kitchen)
Roasted Pepitas (Winter squash seeds) Muy Bueno
Loaded Hasselback Butternut Squash (A Girl Called Adri)
Kabocha Squash Caramelized Onion Spread (Sweet Potato Soul)
Chipotle Chicken Spaghetti Squash Bowls (A Girl Called Adri)
Roasted Butternut Squash (Well Plates)
Butternut Squash Soup (vegan) (Love & Lemons) (add less broth to make this a pasta sauce instead of a soup)
9 Delicious Recipes for Kabocha Squash (Food & Wine)
Kadoo Borani (Stewed Squash with tomatoes) (Afghan Cooks)

Authored and compiled by Maya Marie of Deep Routes, Ayllen Kocher, and Amara Ullauri