One of the most versatile vegetables (also known as a fruit) with a great storage life is the winter squash. Winter squash is grown in the summer, harvested and eaten as a mature fruit. It stores well through the winter months.
The most common varieties are acorn, butternut, delicata and spaghetti. This time of the year you will also see Hubbard, kabocha, turban and carnival to name just a few of the many varieties.
First cultivated in the Americas over 8,000 years ago, squash was introduced to Europe by explorers returning home after their discovery of the New World.
Packed with dietary fiber, Vitamin A and much more, squash provides a powerful punch of goodness with only 80 calories or less, depending on the variety — of which there are more than 30.
Winter Squash Equivalents
1 pound peeled squash = 1 cup cooked, mashed
2½ pounds whole squash = 2¾ to 3 cups, pureed
1 pound peeled, cubed squash = 3 ¼ cups
1 pound trimmed squash = 2 cups cooked pieces
1 pound frozen squash = 2 cups
Select a squash that has a deep, solid color and hard skin with the stem still attached. If the stem is missing from a squash, use it quickly. It will spoil and rot if stored for very long. Winter squash refers to the period of time the squash is stored and some have a longer storage life than others. When storing, choose blemish-free squash and keep them in a well-ventilated, cool area with around 50 percent humidity. Inspect them weekly for any blemishes, or soft spots. Use these immediately.
Acorn squash are small and round shaped. They have a sweet slightly fibrous flesh. They are blackish green on the outside and golden yellow on the inside.
Spaghetti squash are watermelon shaped and weigh between two and five pounds. They are golden yellow and have a mild nutlike flavor. The larger the spaghetti squashes the more flavorful. When cooked the flesh will separate and resemble spaghetti. They will keep 4 weeks.
Butternut squash are shaped like a bell or a vase. They seem to be softer and more watery than most squash. They taste similar to sweet potatoes. They have a sweet nutty flavor. The more orange the color, the riper, drier and sweeter they will be. They have a buttery pale orange skin and vivid orange pulp.
Turban squash resemble their name. They come in a variety of mixed colors from orange, green and white. The flesh is sweet. These squash will store for up to six months.
Buttercup squash resemble the turban squash but are usually dark green. The orange flesh inside is sweet and creamy. The will store for 13 weeks and can be found year-round.
Delicata squash has a flavor somewhat like sweet potatoes and corn. This is an heirloom variety. It has a soft skin that is intended to be eaten. They will keep for about 4 weeks.
Squash can be cooked in so many ways! Grilled, pureed, steamed, roasted, broiled, baked, fried and mashed. Or stirred into a risotto, baked into a pie or made into a soup — and that’s just mentioning a few of the delicious ways to cook winter squash.
Here are a few simple ways to prepare by roasted squash in a 400 degree oven. Peel and cube squash, then toss in a bit of olive oil and salt, place on a baking sheet and cook for 20-25 minutes. Serve in salads, tossed with pasta or as a topping for pizza and flatbreads. Roast a halved, seeded and stemmed butternut squash brushed with olive oil facedown on a cookie sheet for 40-50 minutes or until tender. Peel off skin, mash and top with butter, grated nutmeg and perhaps some brown sugar or maple syrup. Or leave skin on and stuff with rice pilaf or saut?ed brussels sprouts with caramelized onions and cranberries.
Squash can also be frozen, dehydrated or canned when cubed by following recipes for pumpkins. If canning squash, be sure to do it in cubes and not pureed.
For more information and downloadable how to publications on preserving, pickling and dehydrating visit the WSU website http://ext100.wsu.edu/clark/?p=1134
Vicki Ivy is a WSU Clark County Extension Master Food Preserver. For more information, contact the Master Food Preserver (MFP) Hotline at 360-697-6060 ext. 5366 or website at clark.wsu.edu.
