Types of Winter Squash
Before you start cooking, learn more about the different varieties of winter squash.
Winter squash are harvested after their exteriors toughen into thick topcoats that protect the flesh during prolonged cellar storage. Because of this process, they can last throughout the winter months, which is how they get their name. In the middle of December or January, the sweetness of butternut squash or the earthiness of acorn squash can be a welcome addition to your cooking!
Though winter squash have many things in common (their vibrant colorings, their hard shells, and their dense meat), they can differ in how they are best prepared. In this class, we will explore the differences among the varieties of winter squash.
Butternut
You are probably familiar with butternut squash, whether you already use it in your kitchen or you see it regularly in the grocery store. This squash is often used in cooking, because once it is sautéed or roasted, it takes on a delicate nuttiness and it adds sweetness to dishes. It has a thick skin that must be removed before eating.
Acorn
Named because of its resemblance to an acorn, this squash is often roasted and sweetened with brown sugar or maple syrup, which complements its earthiness.
Spaghetti
When cooked and scraped with a fork, the flesh of spaghetti squash separates into long strands. The delicate flavor and creamy flesh of spaghetti squash make it a great addition to any meal, but many recipes bury the squash underneath too many competing flavors. The recipe we use in this class incorporates just a few simple ingredients so the delicate and earthy flavor of the squash can shine through.
Blue Hubbard
Don't be intimidated by the size of this one! There is sweet meat on the inside that can be used for baked desserts. Sugar pumpkins are a classic choice for pies, but the sweet blue hubbard squash and the heirloom-variety sweet meat squash are worthy stand-ins.
Delicata
While most winter squash must be peeled, the skin of the oblong delicata is edible. Like its Japanese cousin kabocha, the flavor is similar to that of sweet potatoes. In recipes such as pureed squash, delicata can be substituted for butternut.
Pumpkin
Pumpkins that you see around Halloween for carving are actually not good for eating. Although you can roast the seeds, the meat of the squash is not flavorful or sweet.
Sugar Pumpkin
These smaller pumpkins have sweeter meat than their larger cousins. A sugar pumpkin is usually about 8 to 10 inches in diameter and generally has a darker orange exterior compared with jack-o’-lantern pumpkins. Its flesh has more flavor and is also denser and drier than that of bigger pumpkins, so it will take less time to cook.
Canned Pumpkin
Chances are you probably turn to canned pumpkin when baking pumpkin desserts. Be careful when shopping, though. As it turns out, the U.S. Department of Agriculture doesn’t have strict guidelines for what can be labeled as pumpkin. Instead, botanists define pumpkin as any squash with a firm shell, round body, and golden flesh—though many pumpkin varieties lack some of these traits. This explains why canned pumpkin products can vary wildly: They’re made from different varieties of pumpkins.
Our favorite canned pumpkin is made from a special variety of Dickinson pumpkin known for its tender flesh and sweeter flavor. The result is canned pumpkin that makes moist, rich cakes and fluffy, delicate pies.
