Winter squashes come in a dizzying array of colors, from cool greens to warm yellows and bright oranges. Here’s a concise guide to winter squash varieties. Some are rounded, others fluted. Some are smooth, others bumpy. Most share flesh that has a mellow, slightly sweet flavor, but few varieties are exactly the same in taste or texture.
Hard skin and firm seeds distinguish them from their soft-skinned cousins, the summer squash (such as zucchini). Winter squash are harvested when fully mature, when their seeds have become woody and large, and their skin has toughened.
This information is excerpted and adapted from Melissa’s Great Book of Produce: Everything You Need to Know About Fresh Fruits and Vegetables by Cathy Thomas ©2006, reprinted by permission of Melissa’s Produce.
BUYING AND STORING
Rind should be intact with no signs of decay or soft spots. Avoid squash with cracks or watery areas. Choose squash that seem heavy for their size; a heavier squash contains more edible flesh. Banana squash and Hubbard squash are sold in cut pieces. In this case, look for brightly colored and fresh-looking flesh; avoid discolored pieces; refrigerate in plastic bags up to 5 days.
For storage, generally their thick, hard rinds a protective barrier around flesh so they can kept in cool, dark, well-ventilated location for 30 to180 days. Do not refrigerate uncooked, uncut winter squash. If cut, refrigerate. Cooked, puréed squash freezes well up to 3 months.
SEASONALITY
GREEN ACORN, BANANA, BUTTERNUT, KABOCHA, SPAGHETTI
Domestic: year-round
Global: November to September
ALL OTHER VARIETIES
Domestic: August—December
Global: none
PREPPING WINTER SQUASH VARIETIES
All winter squash must cooked. They can be steamed baked, microwaved, or boiled, but boiling can make the flesh watery and diminish flavor. When cutting tougher varieties, use a cleaver or heavy chef’s knife. If you have neither, see How to Cut Butternut Squash Easily (and other hard squashes).
Most winter squash, except butternut, delicata, and spaghetti, have rinds that are so hard that it’s almost impossible to peel them. It’s easier to cut them in half. Cover with foil, arrange on a rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan, and bake in a 375º F. oven until tender, about 35 to 50 minutes depending on size and variety of squash.
If you plan to dice the the squash, make sure not to over bake. If you want to the squash to be softer for pureeing (for use in pies or soups), let the squash bake until you can pierce through the flesh very easily.
When cool enough to handle, scoop out and discard the seeds. For dicing, cut into thick sliced, then peel and dice. For pureeing, simply scoop out the flesh and transfer to a food processor.
NUTRITIONAL INFO
Winter squashes are a good source of vitamins A and C; and a significant source of potassium. They’re also a rich source of dietary fiber. See more about the nutritional aspects of winter squashes.
WINTER SQUASH VARIETIES
While this list might not cover all the varieties of winter squash that exist, following are the varieties you’re most likely to encounter in supermarkets, natural foods stores, and farm markets.
ACORN (green, gold, and white): Acorn-shaped, deeply fluted lengthwise, diameter about 6 to 8 inches. Mild, fine-textured, pale orange-yellow flesh. Weight: 1 to 3 pounds.
Cut in half with sturdy knife, either through “equator” or top to bottom. Scoop out seeds.
Makes a natural bowl, so it can be stuffed with cornbread stuffing and grain pilafs. Bake until almost tender; fill with desired mixture and bake until tender and filling is hot.
BANANA: Large and cylindrical with tapered ends, its pinkish-tan or gray or pale blue skin protects bright yellow flesh. Weight: 10 to 25 pounds. Often sold cut in chunks. If whole, cut off stem end.
Carefully insert cleaver lengthwise into rind, using rubber mallet or rolling pin if necessary to gently hammer where blade meets handle until squash splits. Or pierce in 2 to 4 places and microwave 1 to 2 minutes if having trouble splitting (and squash is a manageable size for microwave oven). Or, see instructions in PREP.
When split, scoop out seeds. Bake 25 minutes (see Prep). Meanwhile, in saucepan on medium heat, melt 1/4 cup vegan butter. Stir in 1/4 cup agave or maple syrup and 1 tablespoon minced orange zest. Turn squash skin down. Spoon mixture over banana squash. Bake for 10 minutes or until tender. Season with salt and pepper.
BUTTERCUP: Pumpkin-shaped, medium-sized with dark green or orange rind and light blue-gray turban at stem. Sometimes flecked with gray. Flesh is orange with sweet potato-like taste. Weight: 1 1/2 to 6 pounds.
Cut in half and bake (or see Prep). Or if rind is tender enough, cut in half remove seeds and cut into rind-on chunks; steam Remove cooked until tender. squash from rind and purée, or mash with a little vegan butter, orange juice, salt, and pepper.
BUTTERNUT: Cylindrical top rests on bulblike bottom. Smooth, thin, pinkish-tan rind covers sweet, orange flesh. Weight: 2 to 5 pounds. Pound per pound yields more flesh than most winter squash.
Remove bulb from cylindrical neck by cutting with sturdy knife. Place cylindrical neck cut side down and, starting at top, cut off skin in strips from top to bottom. Remove seeds from bulb. Peel bulb. Cut into cubes. Steam, bake, or roast. Delectable in soups, pasta, and rice dishes.
CARNIVAL: Cross between acorn and sweet dumpling. Round, flattened at top and bottom, with deep fluting. Yellow, deep green, and cream colors with green speckling. Flesh is deep yellow and sweet. Weight: 8 ounces to 2 pounds.
See ACORN for how to prep. See BUTTERCUP for how to use.
DELICATA: Cylindrical with shallow, lengthwise fluting. Pale yellow rind with green seams in crease of each flute. Flesh is deep yellow to orange and tastes like cross between butternut and sweet potatoes. Weight: 1 to 3 pounds.
Peel with vegetable peeler when raw, unless you plan to use for stuffing; in that case, leave peel intact. Cut in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Can be baked or sautéed.
GOLD NUGGET: Shaped like small pumpkin with thick, hard-to-cut bright-orange rind. Flesh is orange-yellow and sweet. Weight: 8 ounces to 2 pounds.
Place in microwave 1—1 1/2 minutes. Cut in half with sturdy knife; scoop out seeds. See ACORN for how to use.
HUBBARD (blue and orange): Shaped like an enormous top that is rounder at the bottom and narrows toward stem; they can have orange, blue or green skin that is thick and bumpy. Flesh is yellow-orange. Weight: 5 to 15 pounds. Often sold cut into chunks.
Bake or microwave until tender. Mash or purée with a little vegan butter, salt, and pepper. Cook sliced sweet onion in small amount of olive oil until lightly caramelized and season with a pinch of ground cinnamon and sugar. Spoon onions over squash.
See ACORN for how to prep. See ACORN for how to use.
KABOCHA: Round, flattened at top and bottom. Deep green rind mottled with pale stripes and random markings. Flesh is deep yellow-orange and sweet. Weight: 1 1/2 to 6 pounds.
See ACORN for how to prep. See ACORN for how to use.
ORANGETTI, SPAGHETTI: Watermelon-shaped with yellow or orange (Orangetti) skin that is fairly tender. Once cooked, flesh separates into cream-colored spaghetti-like strands. Weight: 1 to 10 pounds.
Cut in half lengthwise with sturdy knife. Place cut side down in baking pan with 1/4 inch water. Bake at 375º F about 35 minutes. When cool enough to handle scrape out interior and separate into strands. Serve like pasta or cold as salad ingredient.
SWEET DUMPLING: Small, about the size of a grapefruit, with cream-colored rind with deep green lengthwise bands in creases of flutes. Flesh is yellow-orange and very sweet. Weight: 8 ounces to 2 pounds.
See ACORN for how to prep. See ACORN for how to use.
RED KURI: Bright red-orange rind, sometimes with greenish highlights. Flesh is orange with sweet, nutty flavor. Weight: 3 to 8 pounds.
See ACORN for how to prep. See ACORN for how to use.
TURBAN: Unusual shape that looks like a flattened pumpkin wearing a crown. Mostly bright orange with splashes of cream and green, usually in lengthwise stripes. Flesh is orange and ranges from mild to sweet. Weight: 2 to 10 pounds.
See GOLD NUGGET for how to prep. See HUBBARD for how to use.
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