Pumpkins may get all the glory around Halloween, but there are many other versatile and vividly coloured winter squash varieties to brighten up cold weather meals.
As opposed to summer squash varieties that are picked while still immature, winter squashes are tastiest as full mature fruit. The texture is a lot denser and firmer than summer squashes.
Winter squashes have thick, tough shells that protect the sweet flesh inside, which makes them excellent storage and pantry fruits. Winter squashes’ protective skin keeps them from going soft for anywhere from six weeks to eight months.
Choosing Winter Squash
There are hundreds of different varieties of winter squash, however there are four major species in the genus Cucurbita (C) of the gourd family Cucurbitaceae: C. maxima, C. mixta, C. moschata and C. pepo.
When choosing winter squash, you can test a squash’s ripeness by touch. Like pumpkins, hollow squashes can look deceivingly large, but yield much less flesh than a solid squash of the same size.
Choose one that feels heavy for its size with minimal to no soft spots, bruises, or mold. The stem should be intact, firm, and dry and the squash should be rich and deep, yet dull and matte, in colour.
If the skin is shiny and can be easily nicked, that indicates that the squash was harvested too early.
Here is a list of most common winter squash varieties:
Acorn Squash – A less sweet variety that is named for its acornlike shape and even groves around. It is ideal for stuffing and can make an excellent vegan main course.
Buttercup Squash – Typically green with a flat top and a bright deep orange flesh. When cooked, the flesh becomes dense, a bit dry and very mild.
Butternut Squash – A slim neck and bulbous bottom gives this squash its distinctive bell shape. This muted yellow-tan rind is the sweetest winter squash that hides very few seeds.
Delicata Squash – An oblong squash cheerfully striped in bright yellow, dark green and orange. Its sweet and nutty flesh has a distinct corn-like flavor.
Hubbard Squash – A tear-shaped gourd with dark green to pale grey blue thick and tough skins, and a sweet pumpkin flavor flesh.
Kabocha Squash – A large, round, and squat squash that is dark green and mottled, often with bumpy skin. It is remarkably sweet and tender with a slight nutty flavor.
Red Kuri Squash – A derivation of hubbard but as a small asymmetrical lopsided squash containing a smooth yellow flesh that has a chestnut like flavor.
Spaghetti Squash – When cooked, the flesh of this gourd can separate into noodle-like strands that makes a healthy and mild-tasting pasta alternative.
Sugar Pumpkin – A common Halloween decorative that is not too sweet and not too dry with thick and flesh-packed walls and a classic pumpkin flavor.
Sweet Dumpling Squash – A creamy off-white gourd, speckled with green or yellow, perfectly sized for an individual serving, as an appetizer or side dish.
Flavors of winter squashes are generally mild-to-sweet, tasting well to a wide spectrum of seasonings and as a true crowd pleaser in soups and stews, risotto, lasagna, mixed with grains and salads or on its own as a simple side dish.
The winter squash family are naturally low in fat and calories, delivering significant nutritional benefits. For example, a cup of baked butternut squash is rich in magnesium, potassium, and manganese, as well as vitamins A, B6, C and E.
Winter squashes may be steamed, simmered, pressure-cooked, or sautéed; however, the best and easiest method is to simply long roast it at low heat. And the seeds can be roasted too.
Roasting squash maintains its delicate flavor by evaporating moisture, converting its carbohydrates to sugars, then caramelizing those sugars. To promote even distribution of heat, spread oil over all surfaces of the cut squash before roasting.
Roasted squash freezes extremely well and reheats easily so do not be afraid to roast several squashes at once and freeze it for use during the holidays.