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PunkRotten
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Difference of taste with Squash?

Hi,

The only squash I have eaten is Butternut squash. I bought a squash the other day named Kombocha or something like that. I also look at the other squash like Acorn squash and "assorted squash". But I have no idea what they taste like. Are they all generally sweet? What are some types of ways you prepare them? I currently just make a soup every once in awhile with the Butternut. What are "assorted squash?" Are these basically hybrids?

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Squash are one of the best tasting vegs when prepared in many ways. They taste better that sweet potatoes in my opinion! I like most with just butter cooked in microwave . You can make a pie with them that taste like pumpkin esecially the hubbard squash spelled something like that ! Speghetti squash is excellen. Every squash has a different taste!

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What about Patty pan or sweet dumpling squash?

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Patty pan are a variety of summer squash, just like zucchini, crookneck, etc. The "summer" squash are best eaten in the immature phase, when their skins are still soft and easy to slice.

Hubbard, acorn, butternut, Delicata, kabocha, Cinderella, etc. are all forms of winter squash, which are best eaten in the mature phase (seeds are ready to make new plants) with hard rinds/shells. These are more often described as "sweet."

When I bake any of the winter squash, it seems to me that they're sweeter when I bake them for a longer time at a lower temperature. We had a couple of smallish Sugar Pie Pumpkins in November, and I sliced them into wedges small enough for all the wedges to fit into a sheetcake pan (9" x 13" x 2" deep). I added maybe a scant 1/2" (1 cm) of water to the pan so that the pumpkin wouldn't stick/burn to the glass pan.

I had already turned the oven on to 300 deg. F (130 deg. C) while the wedging, seeding, etc. was going on. So when I put the pan into the oven, the oven was ready. I gave it an hour before I even tested the wedges. You want them to be readily pierced by a fork/bamboo skewer/toothpick.

Take them out of the oven and let them rest, lifting them out of the water first. When they still feel warm to the touch, start peeling them using a table knife or a sharp paring knife (the table knife works better for me). Incredible! You now have cooked winter squash/pumpkin, ready for any recipe. :D

If you *really* want sweet slices, baby-sit that oven as the wedges become slightly brown, then take them out. I wiped out maybe a quarter of one of the small Sugar Pies that way.... :oops:

There are also recipes involving acorn and other small squash that involve slicing the squash in half and filling the cavity with shredded apples and other ingredients and baking it in foil.... :D

Cynthia H.
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applestar
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Japanese kabocha squash with dark green rind and golden yellow flesh has drier sweet flesh than other varieties. They turn out more like baked russet potatoes. And even though the rind is very hard when you cut into them while raw, it is soft and edible after cooking.

I sometimes just cut them into blocks and steam them -- it doesn't take long -- test by piercing the skin with a bamboo skewer or pointed chopstick.

They are pieces to be fought over as thinly sliced tempura veg. :wink:

Kabocha is extra sweet roasted/caramelized -- thinly sliced and sautéed in butter, or spray with oil and baked in oven until dry and crispy: Kabocha chips, mmm!

My kids didn't like the rind at first because they do have a very "green" flavor. But I tend to equate the flavor as "healthy" and enjoy them. The have learned that when eaten together with the flesh, they do taste good. BTW, I prefer organically grown and scrub the rind well with Dr. Bonner's peppermint soap AND RINSE well before cooking for eating the rind.

The flesh is also scooped out and mashed into sweet dessert paste/filling similar to red bean paste filling (anko) called "kabocha-an".

Don't forget that most winter squash seeds are edible. Some need to be cracked open rather than eaten whole with the hull.

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rainbowgardener
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Or you can separate out the seeds, rinse them off, and roast them with a little oil and salt for a nutritious snack.

I tend to think of the most traditional way of cooking winter squash is cynthia's way, cut them in half, fill the seed cavity with butter, brown sugar, spices, bake in a pan with a little water.

Many of the winter squashes have similar flavor/texture, but with slight differences. Delicata is one of my favorites, as the name suggests a more light, delicate flavor.

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jal_ut
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Yes, all varieties have a little different taste and texture.

Good ideas above.

Here is one: Dinner in a pumpkin. Cut a lid from the top of the pumpkin and remove the seeds, then fill the cavity with a mixture of meat, (burger pre-fried a bit) carrots, onion, celery, potatoes. Replace the lid, and bake for an hour at 400. Internal temp should be 160°.

Hubbard squash or Butternut squash make a better pie than pumpkin IMO.

I have been taking some of my big squash and cutting them into serving size pieces, then bag them and refrigerate them. We then take a couple pieces out and nuke them for lunch or dinner. Only takes 4 minutes in the microwave.

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ElizabethB
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I really like spaghetti squash. I use it as a pasta substitute or as a side tossed with olive oil and fresh basil topped with shaved parmesan reggiano.

We eat zucchini and yellow squash steamed almost daily. Mom makes a patty pan dish that is almost candied and could be served as a desert.

Love squash!

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Hey PunkRotten. My mother had a great way to cook acorn squash.
She would cut it in half and add sausage pieces and brown sugar and
bake it in the oven. Sorry, I don't have the recipe. But you could experiment
with time and temperature. Does anybody out there have a standard baking
time for squash?

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I'd suggest taking a little time to understand the different species of squash: Cucurbita maxima (hubbard, buttercup squash), C. moschata (butternut squash), and C. pepo (most pumpkins, acorn squash, summer squash), etc.

I am not saying that every variety within a species tastes the same and have the same characteristics but there are similarities. The kabocha for example is a Cucurbita maxima. It is very similar to a buttercup squash. If you liked your Kabocha you will probable like the family. I don't seem to quite have the environment for most kabocha squash but have found one, Cha Cha, that does okay here.

One might think that acorn would be a good choice for my garden, given the quick maturity of that type of squash. I used to grow it with good success and liked acorn squashes just fine. Then, I moved. I tried 3 different varieties of acorn in my new garden. They all grew fine but, strange to tell, they didn't taste good. The only thing I can think is that a different soil made a difference in the flavor.

I really enjoyed the Delicata squash that I grew one year. They were delicious. Trying them on 2 more consecutive years just proved to me that they wouldn't have the time and warmth to mature properly most years. So - what I'm saying is - there may be differences in your garden that result in differences in flavor and in your success growing varieties and species of squash. The only way to know is to start growing them and see how they do and learn what you think of the flavors. And, if you dozed off while I was getting to that rather obvious point, I'm sorry :oops: .

Steve

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and freshly picked squash vs stored makes a difference also.

Carol Deppe, author of The Resilient Gardener. Here's a direct quote from the book:

Squash varieties of the Cucurbita maxima species need a full month of storage indoors to cure into prime quality. Many max varieties will keep several months. Some varieties actually become sweeter and develop more intense flavors for six months or more of storage.

Eric

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PunkRotten
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Just picked up some acorn and golden nugget squash. After this will try out Hubbard.

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BTW I made some french fries with the Kabocha squash they came out amazing. I peeled the whole squash, that was a pain in the butt.

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Next time, try with the skin on. Sounds like a yummy snack. :D

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cook the squash part way first, eg by steaming it, then the skin comes off much more easily.

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But kabocha skin is soft and edible when cooked.... Acorn squash too, actually.

Mature Tromboncino skin gets too hard to eat, and so does Spaghetti squash. Typical pumpkin also has hard outer skin -- that's why you make soup bowls out of them.

What about the others?

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PunkRotten wrote:BTW I made some french fries with the Kabocha squash they came out amazing. I peeled the whole squash, that was a pain in the butt.
Well, I've never sliced and deep-fried squash! Had sweet potatoes that way.

Getting thru the squash rind? I began my career as the pumpkin (squash) pie baker waaay back when I was about 12 years old. We grew Pink Banana squash just for the holiday pies! I'd start off at the wood pile with an ax and the chopping block . . :wink: .

These days, I can't grow banana squash because of their need for too many days to mature. I can use a big knife, a good strong cutting board with a cheap platter under it. I use the kitchen table because it is lower, start by cutting the squash in half because with cut-side down, it's more stable on the board . . . and really watch where I put my . .

. digitS'!

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Yesterday I opened up my 97 pound Cucurbita maxima pumpkin. I wanted the seeds, but to be fair, I took a chunk of it in to eat. The texture was just a bit stringy, not too bad. Flavor wise it was a washout. Not much flavor. It tasted like a pumpkin but real mild flavored. Not too sweet. What surprises me about this pumpkin is that it has been outside all this time and it had not frozen and went squishy. We have had some pretty low temperatures. It is, after all, December. I guess these big pumpkins could be called food, but not delicacies?

My best flavored squash this season was a hybrid between a Hubbard and a Banana squash. (Cucurbita maxima) It was not stringy and had a very nice sweet flavor. Earlier I had Delicata, spaghetti, and acorn. This maxima squash had flavor that beat them all. Actually I think all the maximas have better flavor than the pepo squash. That is why I always say, "Use a Hubbard for the best pie." (Most pumpkins are Cucurbita pepo.)

Butternut, Cucurbita moschata, is a very nice squash and one of my favorites. It is also small enough that it is not a problem to take care of it. Since it is the only moschata I grow, I can save the seeds and they will come true to type. They are advertised as an 85 day variety so they have time to make it in my rather short season. If you haven't tried eating a Butternut, you should.

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jal_ut
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About cutting the big squash. Yes they have flesh 2 to 3 inches thick and they are firm. At first it may seem a daunting task. Here is what I have found works best. Use a knife that has a 4 inch stout blade. Start by cutting the squash in half midships. Use a firm pressure and push the blade into the squash. Apply pressure while changing the angle of the blade back and forth a bit as you do rather than trying to put it straight in. When you get the blade in to the hilt, move forward with the same swaying motion. It really goes quite well. Far better than trying to cut the whole squash with a long blade.

Steve, can you grow Butternut there?

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That is why I always say, "Use a Hubbard for the best pie." (Most pumpkins are Cucurbita pepo.)
Libby's agrees with you.
It turns out that some canned pumpkin is actually and gasp! and squash. Some manufacturers make "pumpkin" puree from one or more kinds of winter squashes such as butternut, Hubbard, and Boston Marrow, which can be less stringy and richer in sweetness and color.

But before we start crying fraud, it is interesting to note the rather fuzzy distinction between pumpkins and squashes. There are three varieties of winter squashes: Cucurbita pepo, Cucurbita maxima, and Curcubita moschata. C. pepo includes the gourds we traditionally think of as pumpkins, such as the kind used for jack-o'-lanterns. Hubbard and Boston Marrow squashes fall into the C. maxima category, while C. moschata includes butternut squashes as well as the Dickinson pumpkins used by Libby's, the producer of most of the canned pumpkin in North America.

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Oh cool! I'm pondering which large fruited moschata to grow and sustainableseeds describes it as
C. moschata
Nearly round to elongated fruits, 18 inches long by 14 inch diameter, up to 40 pounds, slightly furrowed but smooth buff-colored rind, sweet orange high quality flesh, for canning and pies.

This is the pumpkin of choice for Libbey's canned pumpkin .... 
115 days though so that's a strike against. I would have to try to start it earlier somehow, but I'll add it to my candidates. 8)

Sand Hill lists them too:
Dickinson:...  115 days....  (C. moschata) A nice, blocky, oblong cheese type. Fruits are a buffy tan, slightly ribbed and grow to 40 lbs. Flesh is sweet, orange and excellent for pies. Pkt. $2.00 OG
Last edited by applestar on Fri Dec 07, 2012 4:19 am, edited 1 time in total.

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digitS'
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jal_ut wrote:. . . Steve, can you grow Butternut there?
Yes, and the Early Butternut variety does quite well here, James. They have a good flavor.

However . . . I like those C. maxima squash better :wink: . Blue Hubbard does okay but Buttercups are fairly fool-proof.

(It would help if Buttercups and Butternuts didn't have almost the same names . . . don't ya think?!)

Steve

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digitS'
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applestar wrote:Oh cool! I'm pondering which large fruited moschata to grow . . .
Oh Hey, Applestar! Posting almost at the same time!

The Early Butter.nut has a big fruit. It only seems to have a short vine . . .

Steve

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:D off to look up Early Butternut.... 8)

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Actually digitS', I didn't deep fry the Squash. I cut it all up and put it in a bowl, then added a little olive oil, salt, pepper, and a little chipotle powder. And then I put it into the oven at 350F for 30 mins. Came out great.

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Okay, PR .

I'll have to try that!

I've gotta use up too many parsnips this year and had thought I'd be roasting many of them. They might need a little longer in there but I can rotate the squash fries in and out . . . Maybe even try parsnip fries. Uummm, I don't know . . . need to think about that. I have liked the sweet potato fries!

Steve

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jal_ut
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Here it is usually frost free from June 1 to Sept15. I can plant squash on May 5 and even the 120 day varieties usually make it. Any that require more than 120 days won't make it here. I haven't messed with starting them earlier in pots. You might gain a couple of weeks doing that.

Funny that I can plant squash a bit before the last frost date and they will be OK. By the time they come up, we may only get a day or two of mornings with frost. When the plants are still very small, they don't seem to freeze too easily as they are still close to the ground and the ground is warm enough to protect them. It is also possible to cover them with something when frost is expected.

No use planting cucumbers early though. May as well wait until June 1. They like it warm.

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I don't grow my own squash because I don't have the room. I get them locally grown from the Farmer's Market and a couple of locally owned vegetable markets that buy from local growers.

Hate the stuff at the supermarket. Not only does the produce taste like cardboard but it is more expensive.

Any way I grow my cucumbers and tomatoes vertically. A couple of years ago I tried growing canteloupe vertically - absolutely the best canteloupe I have ever had!

I heard that in Mel Bartholomew's new Square Foot Gardening book he talks about growing squash vertically! Sounds like an idea worth exploring for us gardeners with limited space. I have the original book and his new one is on my Christmas wish list.

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Squash will climb. I once had my squash next to a fence. One of the Hubbard vines decided to climb the fence, it then jumped into a Boxelder Tree and went 12 feet up the tree. It was fun to watch a 22 pound squash develop ten feet off the ground in that tree. It held on too until I picked it. Some of the large varieties send out some pretty long vines. You can prune them once you get a fruit set on.

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Yep, yep, yep - got to try it. Just have to figure out a trellace system since my plants will not be growing up a fence or a tree. I am thinking of upside down U shaped re-bar with some of that orange constrution barrier stuff to grow the squash up. My tomatoes and cucumbers grow up twine hung from re-bar frames.

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Yeah that is the only downer about squash is that it takes a lot of space. I have seen people grow them vertically though. I gave up on wanting to grow butternut, but I will try a smaller variety like sweet dumpling. I hear patty pan is good for containers but don't know about the taste and if it is worth it.

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Patty pan squash tastes a lot like zucchini. :)

Cynthia

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Punkrorten this is why the native Americans grew corn, beans, and squash together. So now they get three crops instead of one from the same space. Not only that the three complimented each other for higher yields.

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TheWaterbug
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jal_ut wrote:Butternut, Cucurbita moschata, is a very nice squash and one of my favorites. It is also small enough that it is not a problem to take care of it. Since it is the only moschata I grow, I can save the seeds and they will come true to type. They are advertised as an 85 day variety so they have time to make it in my rather short season. If you haven't tried eating a Butternut, you should.
I concur. I grew Butternuts for the first time this year, and despite almost total neglect I got 5-6 nice, edible squash, though none was very large.

I'd have had twice that many if I'd bothered to put cages over the babies to protect them from the varmints. But back then I didn't know how tasty they were. We just cut 'em up and roast them with olive oil, salt, and pepper. They taste buttery and nutty all by themselves ;)

I'm also becoming a fan of Jarrahdale pumpkins. They make really heavy, dense fruit that are dark orange inside, with very little volume lost to the seed cavity. I've made pumpkin soup a few times with these, and everyone has loved it. I haven't made pie with it yet, but I'm guessing they'd be good for that, too.

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I tried the acorn and gold nugget squash. I like the nugget a little more, but the Kabocha blows them both away in flavor IMO.

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TheWaterbug wrote:I'm also becoming a fan of Jarrahdale pumpkins. They make really heavy, dense fruit that are dark orange inside, with very little volume lost to the seed cavity. I've made pumpkin soup a few times with these, and everyone has loved it. I haven't made pie with it yet, but I'm guessing they'd be good for that, too.
Hrmm. Here's what happens when you leave Jarrahdales outside. First the squirrels eat all the JOL pumpkins because the Jarrahdales are too hard. But once they eat all the JOLs they get hungry again:

Image

Another good thing about Jarrahdales is that they seem pretty immune to rot and mold.

A JOL with any kind of hole or wound would start rotting right away inside my house, but these Jarrahdales seem to be OK for days and days.

I still need to get around to cooking and/or freezing these.

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Interesting!

Is this in the species Cucurbita maxima?

How big did they get?

Does it taste like a pumpkin or more like a squash?

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jal_ut wrote:Interesting!

Is this in the species Cucurbita maxima?

How big did they get?

Does it taste like a pumpkin or more like a squash?
It's a C. Max.

I'm terrible at guessing weights and dimensions, but this PDF says they're typically 6-10 lbs and ~2 fruits per vine, which seems reasonable to me. They're way denser than a typical pumpkin.

Taste-wise, I'm not sure I can classify it. It tastes pumpkiny, but richer and sweeter. I tell everyone it's a "pumpkin soup" and no one says otherwise :)

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jal_ut
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Actually many of the big squash in the genus have been called pumpkins in some cultures. We tend to think of the orange ones that are sold at halloween for jack-o-lanterns when we hear pumpkin.

6 to 10 pounds is a nice size.

I have never had pumpkin soup. Recipe?

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TheWaterbug
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I made this up, so it could probably use some improvement:

1 medium pumpkin (choose a good eating pumpkin, not a watery Jack-O-Lantern pumpkin)
3 medium sweet onions
1/4 C. olive oil
salt and pepper
2 quarts chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 roasted, shelled pumpkin seeds (optional)

Time: about 1.5 hours

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Seed and peel pumpkin, then cut into 2" chunks. I didn't measure how much pumpkin I used, but I kept cutting until I could fill the serving tureen.

Coat with olive oil and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Roast in a 400 F oven for about an hour, or until the pieces can be pierced easily with a fork. There should be some toasting or char on some of the pieces.

While the pumpkin is roasting, peel and slice the onions, then cook with some olive oil on low/medium heat in a covered soup pot, stirring frequently, for 45 minutes until well caramelized.

Puree the onions in a blender with some chicken broth until smooth.

Puree the pumpkin pieces in batches with chicken broth until smooth, and add to the pureed onions. Add chicken broth to get the desired consistency.

Add the cream, salt, and pepper, to taste, then let simmer for 15 minutes to blend the flavors.

Garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds when serving (optional).



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