Squash (Summer & Winter Squash) Glossary

The Definition of Squash: The fruits of various members of the gourd family, which fall into two classifications, summer squash and winter squash.

The term "summer" and "winter" for squash are only based on current usage, not on actuality. "Summer" types are on the market all winter; and "winter" types are on the markets in the late summer and fall, as well as winter. Thus, the terms "summer" and "winter" are deceptive and confusing. This terminology was never meant to confuse— it just dates back to a time when the seasons were more crucial to man's survival than they are now. "Good keepers" became known as winter vegetables if they would "keep" until December.

Winter squash comes in shapes round and elongated, scalloped and pear-shaped with flesh that ranges from golden-yellow to brilliant orange. Most winter squashes are vine-type plants whose fruits are harvested when fully mature. They take longer to mature than summer squash (3 months or more) and are best harvested once the cool weather of fall sets in. They can be stored for months in a cool basement-hence the name "winter" squash. Stay away from pumpkin pumpkins, whether they're the classic field type or the original French variety. Carve them, but don't eat them: they're tough and bland.

Winter squash have hard, thick skins. Store in a cool, dark, well-ventilated place for up to one month. Winter squash can be cut in halves or pieces. Too cook them, first remove fibers and seeds; then bake, steam, or boil the squash. When water is used in cooking, the quantity of water should be kept small to avoid losing flavor and nutrients. Acorn and butternut squash are frequently cut in half, baked, and served in the shell. Squash pulp is also used for pies and may be prepared in casseroles, souffles, pancakes, and custards.

NOTE: Most of the following photos of various types of squash were taken by myself at Sterino Farms and Produce Market in Fife, Washington.

Check out all my many Squash Recipes.

Equivalents::

1/3 to 1/2 pound raw unpeeled squash = 1 serving

1 pound peeled squash = 1 cup cooked, mashed

2-1/2 pounds whole squash = 2-3/4 to 3 cups pureed

1 pound trimmed squash = 2 cups cooked pieces

1 pound squash = 2 to 3 servings

12 ounces frozen squash = 1-1/2 cups

1 medium-size (15 to 20 pounds) pumpkin = 5 to 7 quarts of cooked pumpkin.

To Store:

Place winter squash on top of thick pads of newspapers in a cool, dry, well-ventilated location, preferably between 45 and 50 degrees F. Check on a regular basis for rot and use within three to six months depending on variety of squash.

Refrigerate tightly wrapped cut pieces of winter squash, such as banana, and use within five days.

To Prepare and Use Squash:

Look for squash that feels heavy for its size and has hard, deep-colored skin free from blemishes.

All varieties are great for puréeing, roasting and baking. Once squash is cooked and mashed, it can be used in soups, main dishes, vegetable side dishes, even breads, muffins, custards and pies.

Summer Squash:

Thoroughly scrub each squash under running water until the skin feels clean. The cut off and discard the stem end and scrape off the other end. Only if the skin is unusually tough or the surface feels especially gritty after washing, is it necessary to peel the squash. Most summer squash is now ready to be used in any recipe.

Depending on your recipe, you may grate, slice, or cut into pieces of various shapes.

To steam summer squash: Arrange the slices/pieces of squash in a strainer or rack over 1/2-inch of boiling water. Cover and steam just until barely tender. Remove from heat and drain well. Toss with melted butter or your favorite sauce.

To saute: Cook in butter over medium-high heat until barely tender. Season with herbs of your choice, salt, and pepper.

Winner Squash:

Winter squash matures on the vine and develops an inedible, thick, hard rind and tough seeds. Because this rind makes most squash difficult to peel, it's easier to cook the unpeeled squash, and then scoop out the cooked flesh. Wash the exterior of the squash just before using. The seeds are scooped out before or after cooking.

To cut in half, grasp the squash firmly and use a sharp knife to slice through to the center. Then flip and cut the other side until the squash falls open. Remove and discard the seeds.

Dress any cooked winter squash with butter and herbs, a cream sauce, cheese sauce, maple syrup and nuts, marinara sauce or stewed fruit.

To Bake: Using a whole (1 to 1 1/2 pound) winter squash, pierce the rind with a fork and bake in a 350-degree oven 45 minutes.

Boil or Steam: Cut into quarters or rings 25 minutes or until tender. Boil or mash winter squash just as you would potatoes. Or add peeled squash cubes to your favorite soups, stews, beans, gratins and vegetable ragouts.

To Microwave: Place halves or quarters, cut side down, in a shallow dish; add 1/4 cup water. Cover tightly and microwave on HIGH 6 minutes per pound. Whole Squash - Poke squash all over with a fork. Microwave the squash at full power (High) approximately 5 to 10 minutes (depending on size of squash).

Testing Squash for Doneness: Test for doneness by piercing with a fork. Fork should easily pierce peel and flesh. Let sit until cool enough to handle, cut in half lengthwise, scoop out seeds, and proceed with recipe or eat.

Freezing Squash:
(Cocozelle, Crookneck, Pattypan, Straightneck, White Scallop, Zucchini)

Summer Squash:

Choose young squash with tender skin.

Wash and cut in 1/2-inch slices. Water blanch 3 minutes. Cool promptly, drain and package, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Seal and freeze.

Grated Zucchini (for Baking) – Choose young tender zucchini. Wash and grate. Steam blanch in small quantities 1 to 2 minutes until translucent. Pack in measured amounts into containers, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Cool by placing the containers in cold water. Seal and freeze.

If watery when thawed, discard the liquid before using the zucchini.

Winter Squash:

Choose firm, well-shaped squash that are heavy for their size and have a hard, tough skin. Do not choose those that have sunken or moldy spots. Avoid squash with cuts or punctures in the skin. Also, slight variations in skin color do not affect flavor. A tender rind indicates immaturity, which is a sign of poor quality in winter squash varieties.

Wash and cut squash into small pieces, remove seeds and peel. Cook until soft. Mash pulp or put through sieve.

Cool by placing pan containing squash over crushed ice and stir until cool. Place in an appropriate freeze bag, or container, with 1/2" headspace; freeze.

Favorite Squash Recipes:

Check out all my many Squash Recipes.

Planting Squash:

Plant seeds 12 to 24 inches apart directly into the ground as soon as all danger of frost is past the middle to end of April. Cover with 1 inch of soil. Previously started plants will give you a head start on growing. Summer squash is very prolific and 1 or 2 plants are usually enough for an average size family. Squash enjoys compost or aged manure worked into the soil.

Harvesting Squash:

Squash is ready to start picking approximately 50 to 55 days after planting or about one week after the flower sets fruit. You will need to harvest every other day as squash matures very fast.

Pick when tender. Elongated types, such as yellow and zucchini, pick when they are not more than 6 to 8 inches long. Over mature fruit deepens in color and develops ridges. Scallop or patty pan types should be harvested when they are 3 to 4 inches in diameter. Do not leave overly mature squash on the vine as it will literally shut the plant down from producing.

Toasted Pumpkin (Pepitas) Seeds:

NOTE: All squash seeds are edible and delicious to eat. Prepare as for pumpkin seeds.

To clean: Separate the pumpkin seeds from the stringy membrane of a freshly carved pumpkin. Rinse the pumpkin seeds in a colander, until they are free of any membrane matter. Dry with paper towels.

To roast or toast: Coat 1/2 cup of seeds with 1 teaspoon olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon seasoning of your choice. NOTE: You can use any seasoning blend you like. Adjust the amount to your taste buds.

Place in 250 degree F. oven for about 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. They are done when they are light brown in the toasted.

Additional seasoning ideas:
Try additional seasonings on your pumpkin seeds: Cajun seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and garlic salt are some of the many possibilities.

Storing: Store baked pumpkin seeds in an airtight container.

Substitute them in for your usual nut or seed topping.

Acorn - Easily found in supermarkets. As its name suggests, this winter squash is shaped like an acorn. One of my favorite baking squashes, it's easy to slice into halves and fill with butter.. A small acorn squash weighs from 1 to 3 pounds, and has sweet, slightly fibrous flesh. Its distinct ribs run the length of its hard, blackish-green or golden-yellow skin. In addition to the dark green acorn, there are now golden and multi-colored varieties.

Available year round

Ambercup - A relative of the buttercup squash that resembles a small pumpkin. Bright orange flesh has a dry sweet taste. Has an extraordinarily long storage life.

Available June to November.

Photo from Veseys.com

Autumn Cup - A hybrid semi-bush buttercup dark green squash. Rich flavored flesh and high yields. Fruit size 6 inches with a weight of about 2 to 3 pounds.

Available September through December.

Banana - In shape and skin color, this winter squash is reminiscent of a banana. It grows up to two feet in length and about six inches in diameter. Its bright orange, finely-textured flesh is sweet. Banana squash is often available cut into smaller pieces.

Available year-round - peak season lasts summer through early fall.

Butternut - Easily found in supermarkets. Beige colored and shaped like a vase. This is a more watery squash and tastes somewhat similar to sweet potatoes. It has a bulbous end and pale, creamy skin, with a choice, fine-textured, deep-orange flesh with a sweet, nutty flavor. Some people say it is like butterscotch. It weighs from 2 to 5 pounds. The oranger the color, the riper, drier, and sweeter the squash.

Available year-round - peak season lasts from early fall through winter.

Buttercup - Buttercup Squash are part of the Turban squash family (hard shells with turban-like shapes) and are a popular variety of winter squash.

Has a sweet and creamy orange flesh. This squash is much sweeter than other winter varieties. Buttercup Squash can be baked, mashed, pureed, steamed, simmered, or stuffed and can replace Sweet Potatoes in most recipes.

Available year-round - peak season lasts from early fall through winter.

Carnival Squash - Cream colored with orange spots or pale green with dark green spots in vertical stripes - coloration sometimes divided part and part - golden flesh. Carnival Squash have hard, thick skins and only the flesh is eaten. It is sometimes labeled as a type of acorn squash.

The delicious yellow meat is reminiscent of sweet potatoes and butternut squash and can be baked or steamed then combined with butter and fresh herbs.

Available year-round - is best late summer through early fall.

Delicata - Also called Peanut squash and Bohemian squash. This is one of the tastier winter squashes, with creamy pulp that tastes a bit like corn and sweet potatoes. Size may range from 5 to 10 inches in length. The squash can be baked or steamed The thin skin is also edible.

The delicata squash is actually an heirloom variety, a fairly recent reentry into the culinary world. It was originally introduced by the Peter Henderson Company of New York City in 1894, and was popular through the 1920s. Then it fell into obscurity for about seventy-five years, possibly because of its thinner, more tender skin, which isn't suited to transportation over thousands of miles and storage over months.

Available year-round - is best late summer through early fall.

Photo from Highline Community College

Fairytail Pumpkin - French name is "Musquee de Provence." The fruits are flattened like a cheese but each rib makes a deep convolution. The Fairytale Pumpkin is a very unique eating and ornamental pumpkin. It's thick but tender, and the deep orange flesh is very flavored, sweet , thick, and firm. It is 115 to 125 day pumpkin and takes a long time to turn to it's cheese color. The distinctive coach-like shape and warm russet color make it perfect for fall decorating too.

This pumpkin is usually used for baking. Cut it into pieces and bake in the oven.

Available September to November.

Photo courtesy of Melissa's/World Variety Produce, Inc

Gold Nugget - A variety of winter squash, which is sometimes referred to as an Oriental pumpkin that has the appearance of a small pumpkin in shape and color. It ranges in size from one to three pounds. Golden nugget squashes are small, weighing on average about 1 pound. Both the skin and the flesh are orange.

Gold Nugget Squash may be cooked whole or split lengthwise (removing seeds). Pierce whole squash in several places, and bake halved squash hollow side up.

Available year-round - is best season is late summer through early winter.

Gray Hubbard Squash

Green Hubbard Squash

Hubbard - The extra-hard skins make them one of the best keeping winter squashes. These are very large and irregularly shaped, with a skin that is quite "warted" and irregular. They range from big to enormous, have a blue/gray skin, and taper at the ends. Like all winter squash, they have an inedible skin, large, fully developed seeds that must be scooped out, and a dense flesh.

Hubbard squash is often sold in pieces because it can grow to cumbersome sizes. The yellow flesh of these tends to be very moist and longer cooking times in the oven are needed. They are generally peeled and boiled, cut up and roasted, or cut small and steamed or sautéed. It's perfect for pies.

Hubbard squash, if in good condition initially, can be successfully stored 6 months at 50 to 55 degree F. with 70% relative humidity. A 15% loss in weight from shrinkage for 6 months storage would be average. Less rot will develop in the Hubbard squash if stems are completely removed before storage. Hubbard squash and other dark-green-skinned squashes should not be stored near apples, as the ethylene from apples may cause the skin to turn orange-yellow.

Available year-round - peak season is early fall throughout winter.

Kabocha (Also known as a Ebisu, Delica, Hoka, Hokkaido, or Japanese Pumpkin) - Kabocha is the generic Japanese word for squash, but refers most commonly to a squash of the buttercup type.

Kobocha Squash may be cooked whole or split lengthwise (removing seeds). It has a rich sweet flavor, and often dry and flaky when cooked. Use in any dish in which buttercup squash would work.

Available year-round.

Spaghetti (also called vegetable spaghetti, vegetable marrow, noodle squash or squaghetti) - A small, watermelon-shaped variety, ranges in size from 2 to 5 pounds or more. It has a golden-yellow, oval rind and a mild, nutlike flavor. When cooked, the flesh separates in strands that resemble spaghetti pasta. The yellowiest Spaghetti squash will be the ripest and best to eat. Those that are nearly white are not very ripe.

Although it may seem counterintuitive, larger spaghetti squash are more flavorful than smaller ones.

To prepare spaghetti squash, cut the gourd in half lengthwise and remove the seeds, then bake or boil it until tender. Or, wrap it in plastic wrap and microwave on high for 10 to 12 minutes. Once cooked, use a fork to rake out the "spaghetti-like" stringy flesh, and serve.

Spaghetti Squash can be stored at room temperature for about a month. After cutting, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 2 days. Spaghetti squash also freezes well.

Available year-round - season early fall through winter.

Sweet Dumpling - This small, mildly sweet-tasting squash resembles a miniature pumpkin with its top pushed in. Weighing only about 7 ounces, it has sweet and tender orange flesh and is a great size for stuffing and baking as individual servings. Sweet dumplings are tiny but great for roasting and presenting whole.

Available throughout the fall.

Photo courtesy of Melissa's/World Variety Produce, Inc

Turban - Turban Squash has colors that vary from bright orange, to green or white. It has golden-yellow flesh and its taste is reminiscent to hazelnut. Has a bulblike cap swelling from its blossom end, come in bizarre shapes with extravagant coloration that makes them popular as harvest ornamentals. It is popular for centerpieces, and its top can be sliced off so it can be hollowed and filled with soup. A larger variety of the buttercup squash, the turban has a bright orange-red rind. The turban-like swirl on its blossom end is a fanciful variegated orange, red and white. Its flesh and storage ability are comparable to the buttercup's.

Available year-round - season is late summer through early fall.

Sources:

A Primer on Winter Squash, North Coast Cooperative.

The Sweet & Savory Sides of Winter Squash, by Ris Lacoste, Taunton Press.

The Squash Cookbook, by Yvonne Young Tarr, Wings Books.

Winter Squash Good Keepers in Produce Department, by Patricia Aaron, Sept. 24, 2003.

Wonderful Winter Squash, by Terra Brockman, Conscious Choice, October 2002.