Winter Squash and Pumpkins

There is a tremendous variety of winter squash and hopefully Powisset's CSA has helped expand your squash repetoire this year. Pumpkins are just a word used for certain varieties of winter squash, they are really the same.

Winter squash differs from summer squash in that it is harvested at a mature stage, when seeds are fully developed and the rind is hard. This tough skin allows winter squash to be a great storage vegetable for up to six months. Store your winter squash at room temperature or slightly cooler in a dry, airy place (we recommend making them a centerpiece on your dining room table until you eat them)!. Do not allow your squash to freeze. You can refrigerate pieces of raw squash but humid refrigeration will reduce the storage life of whole squashes.

Some winter squash varieties you may find in your CSA share include small, oblong Delicata (you can eat the skin of these!), Butternut, Buttercup (Sweet Mama, Red Kuri, Sunshine), and Acorn. We grow sugar pumpkins (for eating) including Baby Pam and Winter Luxury.

For the most part, pumpkins and winter squash are interchangeable in recipes (even in pies!) and are versatile ingredients. For the simplest way to eat, try cutting a squash in half, scooping out seeds (save them for toasted seeds if you wish!), and laying the two cut sides down on a baking sheet. Bake squash halves at 400-420 F until you can pierce the flesh easily with a fork (20-45 min, depending on the squash). Put some butter, salt and/or maple syrup in your squash half and enjoy! Also try mashing, making pies, roasting/steaming/boiling chunks, soups, adding purees into baked goods, or even sauteeing pieces of small squash (try Delicata). You can freeze pureed squash flesh for later use.