All About: Squash
Varieties
How to Prepare
Substitution
Nutrition
When faced with the colorful display of winter squash at your local grocer, do you think decoration or delicious dish? Sure, squash can make a beautiful centerpiece, but it's also a delicious and surprisingly nutritious addition to a variety of dishes. Although the word "squash" comes from the Indian word askutasquash, meaning, "eaten raw," nowadays we enjoy the squash's flesh after it's cooked.
The winter variety of this vegetable is native to South America, but cultivation had spread throughout the Americas by the time the Europeans arrived. With its large size and hard shell, squash was often confused with melons. And no wonder early settlers adopted winter squash as one of their staple food items. It's one of the best keeping vegetables; uncut squash will keep for three months or longer in a cool, dry place!
Varieties
Acorn:
This dark green or orange squash is excellent for baking and measures about six inches long. Unlike most winter squash, it does not contain a lot of beta carotene. It is, however, a wonderful source of calcium. One cup of baked acorn squash supplies 90 mg of calcium—11 percent of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA).
Butternut:
This tan squash has orange flesh with a mildly sweet flavor. It may be the most popular squash because it's easy to prepare and holds its shape after it's cooked. This is the variety to use if you are using diced or sliced squash.
Pumpkin:
Ninety-nine percent of the pumpkins marketed domestically are used for jack 'o lanterns. Sugar pumpkins look like a small version of the pumpkin and are generally used for baking. You can learn All About Pumpkins.
Spaghetti:
Named for its spaghetti-like flesh, this yellow vegetable is a relative newcomer to the squash family. After it is baked, the strands of flesh are removed and served with tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese.
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How to Prepare
When picking a winter squash, look for a heavy, hard-skinned squash with no blemishes or bruises. The winter varieties of squash are most flavorful—and affordable—from early fall through winter. Tasty seasonings for winter squash include brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, clove, curry, garlic, honey, and ginger (fresh, powdered, or candied). And the cavities of some squash, particularly acorn, are perfect for stuffing with a vegetable and grain or breadcrumb filling.
Baking:
Baking brings out the sweetness in squash and retains the beta carotene. Squash can be halved, seeded, and baked at 375°F for about 45 minutes. Serve cooked squash with a tablespoon of brown sugar or maple syrup and a pat of butter in the cavity. Or, scoop out the flesh and mash. Pureed squash can be frozen and kept for up to a year. Thaw and thin with chicken or vegetable broth for a delicious soup or use in baked goods and other recipes.
Roasting:
Cut and seed the squash. Place the halves, cut side up, on a baking sheet. Rub the flesh with butter, season with your choice of seasoning, and drizzle with brown sugar or orange juice. Turn the squash over and roast for 45 minutes at 400°F. Roast until the skin is blistered and brown and the flesh is tender. When the squash cools, the skin should peel off easily.
Boiling:
Although faster, this method will slightly dilute the flavor of the squash. Place peeled squash pieces in a small amount of boiling water and cook until tender. Drain well.
Microwave:
Arrange squash halves, cut side up, in a microwave-safe dish. Cover and cook until tender. Rotate the dish halfway through cooking. Let stand for five minutes after cooking.
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Substitution
With the exception of spaghetti squash, most varieties can be substituted for one another in recipes, even pumpkin pie. Canned varieties are available.
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Nutrition
A 1/2 cup of winter squash, most notably butternut, contains 85 percent of our recommended daily value of vitamin A.
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