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.

Serving Equivalents

  Allow 1/3 pound per person.

  One pound of winter squash equals about 2 cups of cooked, mashed squash.

  One medium-size (15 to 20 pounds) pumpkin will yield 5 to 7 quarts of cooked pumpkin.

Storage Tips

  Place squash on top of thick pads of newspapers in a cool, dry, well-ventilated location.

  Check on a regular basis for rot and use within three to six months.

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

Preparation Tips

  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.

  To bake 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. Test for doneness by piercing with a fork.

Boil or steam quarters or rings 25 minutes or until tender.

  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.
 

Usage Tips

  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.

  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.

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

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:

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.

  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.

Acorn Squash

As its name suggests, this winter squash is shaped like an acorn. One of the 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.

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.

A long oblong-shaped squash with a tan or cream-colored thick outer skin and a golden fine textured inner flesh. Size may range from 2 to 3 feet in length, so the squash is most often sold as quartered sections in food stores. The squash can be baked, pureed, or steamed to be served as a side dish seasoned with butter and herbs, or used as a base for soups and stews. When preparing in an oven, cut the squash in half by first cutting down the length of the oblong shape and then cutting the half section in half again. Place the squash with the skin side up in a dish containing 1/2 inch of water. Cover the dish and bake for 1/2 to 3/4 hour at 375 degrees. In a microwave, cook for approximately 20 minutes in a dish with a loose cover of plastic wrap. This squash is available year round, but best during the months of August to October.

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. It weighs from 2 to 5 pounds. The oranger the color, the riper, drier and sweeter the squash.  

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.

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.

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.

Meaty fruits with small crooknecks have bright yellow, bumpy skin.
 

Delicious flavor and fine texture.
 

Good for freezing.

Delicata  (Also called Sweet Potato, Peanut squash, and Bohemian squash.)

This is one of the tastier winter squashes, with creamy pulp that tastes a bit like sweet potatoes. Size may range from 5 to 10 inches in length. The squash can be baked or steamed The 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.

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.

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.

Gray Hubbard Squash

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.

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.

Patty Pan

A round flat summer squash that has scalloped edges with a pale green, white or yellow outer rind. The pale green variety turns white in color if allowed to mature longer. This variety is harvested when it is 3 days to a week old, so the skin, white flesh, and seeds remain tender and edible. Often referred to as a Summer Scallop Squash or Early White Bush Scallop, the Pattypan Squash is usually available in sizes ranging from over 1 inch to 4 inches in diameter.

The smaller squash are often steamed or braised and served as part of a vegetable dish, providing a slightly sweet, nutty flavor. When they are larger, the tops of the Pattypan Squash can be sliced off, the flesh scooped out, and the remaining section fashioned into a bowl that can be stuffed with various meats, vegetables, onions, cheese, or other ingredients and baked. Select squash that are brightly colored, firm, and free of rust spots, bruises and cracks. To store, place the pattypans in a plastic bag and refrigerate for 5 days or less.

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.

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.

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.

In Europe, the Zucchini squash is commonly referred to as a Courgette by the French while in South America it is known as a Calabacita. However, many of the Mexican or South American Zucchini have a different appearance than the traditional European or American Zucchini. The shape may be more of pear shape or a short stocky cucumber shape. For some varieties, the outer skin is lighter green in color and it may have more of a molted or speckled pattern over the skin. The inner meat is also denser than other Zucchini and not as moist, providing a sweet or at times a somewhat spicier flavored squash . A variety commonly attributed to Mexican regions is the Tatume or Tatuma squash also referred to as Mexican Zucchini, which has the shape of a small melon picked when it is only 3 to 4 inches in length.

Cajun Summer Squash