Photos courtesy of Jane Kulesza

I recently wrote about eating pumpkins (I hope you gave them a try). What many people don’t realize is that pumpkins are a type of winter squash. This is a great time of year to checkout the other winter squash and enjoy their goodness, too.
There are several other types of winter squash including spaghetti, acorn, Hubbard and butternut squashes. Each type has a different color, size and flavor but all have shells that are hard and can be challenging to cut and/or peel – this allows winter squash to have a longer storage life, sometimes 2-4 months in a cool place (50-55 degrees).

Don’t store them close to apples, pears or other ripening fruit as this will shorten their
storage life. Winter squash provide us with a good source of vitamins A, C and potassium.

When purchasing, choose a well- shaped squash with hard tough skin, with no soft spots or punctures on it. It should be heavy for its size.

Here are some guides for the most common ones:

Photos courtesy of Jane Kulesza

Acorn squash – acorn-shaped small squash with dark green or orange skin and light
orange-yellow flesh that is ideal for baking.

Butternut squash – pear-shaped squash with pale orange or tan skin and darker orange flesh. It has a smaller seed pocket at the bottom of the pear shape.

Hubbard squash ̶ a green squash noted for its bumpy, thick skin and orange-yellow flesh. This squash generally grows quite large. It mashes well and has a smooth texture.

Spaghetti squash – yellow-skinned squash with lighter yellow, fibrous, translucent, stringy flesh. It has a mild flavor and the flesh can be pulled out and served like pasta.

Winter squash can be baked, boiled or steamed and most of them may be interchanged in recipes. Make sure the squash is rinsed under running water before it is peeled or cut.
The quickest way to prepare winter squash is in the microwave. This works great with
smaller squash. Wash the outside, pierce several times with a knife and place the whole squash in the microwave. Cook on high power for 6-7 minutes, then let stand for 5 minutes. It should be soft enough that you can easily cut, scrape out the seeds and strings and pulp.

For larger squash, cut in half, remove the seeds and strings. Place cut side down in a
microwave-safe baking dish. Pour ¼ inch of water into the bottom of the dish. Pierce
squash several times with a knife. Microwave on high power for 6 to 7 minutes, then let stand for 5 minutes. Note: use these microwave cooking times as a guide. The actual cooking times vary due to differences in microwaves and size of squash. Check for desired doneness.

One of our Extension Master Food Volunteers, Jane Kulesza from Oak Island sent a message that she had gotten several winter squashes in her CSA box this week. She was anxious to try something different and found this recipe from Clemson’s Cooperative Extension Service for Parmesan Roasted Acorn Squash.
She gave it a “thumbs-up”.

This squash recipe makes a delicious side dish for any meal. Tossed
in Italian seasoning and garlic powder, it’s a perfect combination of sweet and sour. She also mentioned that she’s prepared a similar recipe using Delicata (another winter) squash and loved it then, too. Thanks, Jane, for testing this recipe and sharing photos.

Photos courtesy of Jane Kulesza

Parmesan Roasted Acorn Squash

2 small acorn squash
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 425℉. Prep the squash by removing the top to create a flat surface. Next, cut the squash down the middle in half and scoop out any seeds with a spoon. Next, cut the scooped squash into half slices roughly ¾ – 1 in thick. Add the squash to a large mixing bowl and drizzle with the olive oil. Add the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and toss well. Lay on a parchment-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with the parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until the acorn squash slices are soft and begin to turn golden brown. Makes six servings about 250 calories each with 4 grams of protein, 4 grams of saturated fat and 3 grams fiber.

Resources:  

https://wayne.osu.edu/news/take-advantage-autumn-and-winter-squash-varieties

Syracuse is a Family and Consumer Science team member and can be reached at NC Cooperative
Extension, Brunswick County Center 910-253-2610 or by email at clsyracu@ncsu.edu