Winter Squash Whirlwind

With the winter squash season upon us, you may be overwhelmed with all the choices coming your way. Here are some snapshots of the season's most popular winter squash varieties:

Acorn Squash
Appearance: Small, round, shaped like an acorn
Taste: Sweet, slightly fibrous flesh
Distinguishing Feature: Ribs run the length of the hard, blackish-green or golden-yellow skin.  

Butternut Squash
Appearance: Beige colored, shaped like a vase or bell
Taste: More watery; sweet, nutty, somewhat similar to sweet potatoes
Selection Tip: The more orange the color, the riper, drier and sweeter the squash. 

Buttercup Squash
Appearance: Dark-green skin, sometimes accented with lighter green streaks; in the Turban squash family (hard shells with turban-like shapes)
Taste: Sweet and creamy orange flesh - much sweeter than other winter varieties
Sub Factor: Can replace sweet potatoes in most recipes

Carnival Squash
Appearance: Cream colored with orange spots or pale green with dark spots in vertical stripes
Taste: Yellow flesh is reminiscent of sweet potatoes and butternut squash.
Skin Situation: Only the flesh is eaten; the hard, thick skins are not.

Delicata Squash
Appearance: Oblong, 5-10 inches in length, light skin with green stripes on the thin, edible skin 
Taste: Creamy pulp that tastes a bit like corn and sweet potatoes
A.k.a. Aspect: This heirloom variety is also known as Peanut squash and Bohemian squash 

Kabocha Squash
Appearance: green, bluish-gray or a deep orange skin; yellow flesh
Taste: Rich, sweet flavor, and often dry and flaky when cooked. (Suitable for use in buttercup squash dishes)
Language Lesson: Kabocha is the generic Japanese word for squash. This squash is also known as Ebisu, Delica, Hoka, Hokkaido, or Japanese Pumpkin.



Stay tuned for more winter squash profiles!

Source: What's Cooking America