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What's Blooming: Winter Squash and Pumpkins

Winter squash previously grown in the Garden of Eatin'


What’s Blooming: Winter Squash and Pumpkins

by Mary Miller, Community Garden and Outreach Coordinator, Gardens on Spring Creek

With leaves changing and the first hard frost behind us, the season of winter squash and pumpkins is upon us. The array and diversity colors, shapes and sizes of winter squash is stunning, and the taste, texture and color of the flesh of the different squashes is equally diverse.  While many people are familiar with the most popular varieties of butternut, acorn, delicata and spaghetti squash, there is a dizzying number of other excellent varieties.  Let’s dive into the wonderful world of winter squash – also known as hard squash.  Botanically, pumpkins are the same as winter squash, though . . . . we know as a pumpkin when we see it! 

Members of the cucurbit family of crops include summer squash, zucchini, cucumbers, melons, pumpkins and gourds along with winter squash.  Hard squash are divided into three species:  Cucurbita pepo, Cucurbita maxima and Cucurbita moschata.  Pumpkins are primarily C. pepo and C. maxima.  Let’s explore the different species and discover lots of deliciousness.

Cucurbita pepo:

  • Acorn Squash – there are numerous varieties of acorns from large to small including the classic Table Queen to the tan colored Thelma Sanders Sweet Potato Pie with its sweet chestnut flavor.

  • Spaghetti Squash – the large and reliable spaghetti variety delivers three- to five-pound fruits to the diminutive, personal size Angel Hair coming in at one to one and a half pounds. 

  • Delicata Squash – commonly eaten with the skin still on, the small fruits are an easy addition to a weeknight dinner.  Slice in rings and bake for a lovely presentation.  Honey Boat is sweet, with dense flesh and rich flavor while delicata is especially sweet and excellent for stuffing.

  • Dumpling Squash – at the perfect two serving size, Sugar Dumpling and Sweet Dumpling deliver super sweet orange, fine grained flesh that stores very well.

  • Culinary Pumpkins – look no further than New England Pie and Winter Luxury.  Each produces smooth, sweet, low-fiber flesh and are super reliable.

 

Cucurbita moschata

  • Butternut Squash – prized for the long, seed-free neck and small seed cavity, and distinct wonderful flavor, butternuts rank among the most popular.  Waltham, a large and reliable producer is loved for it rich, dry yellow-orange flesh. There are numerous varieties of smaller fruits including the personal size Little Dipper.

  • Specialty Pumpkins – considered as pumpkins, these decorative fruits are quite edible.  These include Long Island Cheese with deep orange flesh, Autumn Crown that tastes like a butternut and Musquee de Provence, a favorite in France.

 

Cucurbita maxima

  • Hubbard Squash – Sweet Fall is a teardrop-shaped fruit with salmon colored flesh and superb flavor.  Blue is a beloved favorite with blue skin and long storage.  Red Kuri, small, two- to three-pound fruits with a delicate chestnut flavor are smooth fleshed and great for pies.

  • Kabocha Squash – is a Japanese pumpkin.  Sunshine is the flag bearer for flavor and production, while Winter Sweet has extra-long storage and great eating quality. 

  • Specialty Squash – here is a listing of some other wonderful squashes:  Guatemalan Blue Banana, Queensland Blue, Rouge Vif d’Etampes (known as the Cinderella pumpkin and loved by French chefs for rich soup) and North Georgia Candy Roaster. 


When shopping for fruits this time of year, stock up on the unusual varieties that will likely not be available this winter.  Winter squash store well. A general rule of thumb is to eat the smaller fruits first while a hubbard or butternut squash can store for months in good conditions – temperatures around 55 degrees Fahrenheit and low humidity.  Choose fruits for storage without nicks or breaks in the skin.  Place them in a box or open crate out of sunlight with air circulation and check on them regularly for any signs of deterioration.  As autumn lingers, go explore the decorative, colorful, culinary adventures that await. The rewards are delicious and amazing!

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