Winter Squash
© Copyright 2010. Do not copy. All rights reserved and enforced.The term "Winter Squash" refers to squash that can be stored over the winter to become part of the winter food stock for eating.
They have hard rinds (sometimes called "shells") which allow this long storage, but which also makes most of them very hard to cut into.
Winter Squashes will generally be from the Cucurbita maxima or Cucurbita moschata species, as compared to Summer Squashes, which will generally be from the Cucurbita pepo species. There are exceptions, such as the winter squashes Acorn Squash and Spaghetti Squash which are Cucurbita pepo. And, there are some squashes which can either be harvested early for eating as a Summer Squash, or let fully mature to be classed and used as a Winter Squash.
Winter Squashes tend to have yellow to orange flesh. The deeper the orange colour, the more beta-carotene there is in them (which is a precursor of Vitamin A.)
Some Winter Squashes need to be "cured" first before going into cold storage. Curing involves letting them sit in a warm place (room temperature is fine) for a week or two. Varieties such as acorn, delicata and sweet dumpling, however, should go straight into cold storage.
Many Winter Squashes sweeten up in storage, as their starches convert to sugars.
Winter Squashes are ready to harvest when the shell is hard enough that you can't press a fingernail into it, but they must be harvested before a hard frost. To harvest for storage, leave part of the stem on.
Winter Squashes need to stored uncut in a cool, dry place, between 45 and 55 F (7 to 13 C), but not in the refrigerator.
Freezing: Wash. Don't peel. Cut into, remove seeds. Chop into small pieces. Boil, steam or bake until soft. Let cool. Scrape flesh from rind. Package and freeze.
Other entries for: Winter Squash
Acorn Squash, Baby Blue Hubbard Squash, Banana Squash, Berrettina Piacentina Squash, Black Futsu Squash, Blue Ballet Squash, Blue Lakota Squash, Boston Marrow Special Squash, Boston Marrow Squash, Buttercup Squash, Butternut Squash, Carnival Squash, Cornell Bush Delicata Squash, Crown Prince Squash, Cushaw Green Striped Squash, Delicata Squash, Galeux d'Eysines Squash, Gem Squash, Golden Delicious Squash, Golden Nugget Squash, Hubbard Squash, Jarradale Squash, Lakota Squash, Mammoth Squash, Mountaineer Squash, Muscat de Provence Squash, Piena di Napoli Squash, Queensland Blue Squash, Red Warty Thing Squash, Rugosa Butternut Squash, Rumbo Squash, Spaghetti Squash, Sucrine du Berry Squash, Swan White Acorn Squash, Sweet Dumpling Squash, Sweet Keeper Squash, Sweet Kikuza Squash, Sweet Meat Squash, Table King Bush Acorn Squash, Tennessee Sweet Potato Squash, Tonda Padana Squash, Turban Squash, Winter Luxury Pie Squash, Young's Beauty Squash, Zapalo Plomo Squash
Other entries for: Squash
Gourds, Pumpkins, Squash Blossoms, Summer Squash, Ugu
Other entries for: Vegetables
Agave, Artichokes, Asparagus, Brassica Family, Canned Vegetables, Cardoons, Celery, Corn, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Frozen Vegetables, Garlic, Horseradish Tree, Leafy Vegetables, Lotus, Mixed Vegetables, Mushrooms, Pak Wan, Peas, Peppers, Root Vegetables, Sago Palm, Seaweed, Spinach, Sprouts, Tomatoes, Viscous Vegetables
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