Winter Squash

Squash varieties grown at Kirby's include Butternut, Acorn, Buttercup, Sweet Dumpling, Delicata, Mini Blue Hubbard, and Spaghetti Squash.

Season: Mid October - Late December

Recipes:
    Squash Bisque
    Baked Winter Squash
    How to Cook Spaghetti Squash
    Curried Butternut Soup with Coconut

Storage:
Winter squash keeps well in a dry, dark place. Store cooked squash in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

Long Term Storage:
Winter Squash will keep for months when stored in the right conditions. Ideal temperature is 50-55 degrees, in a place out of direct light with good air circulation. Avoid squashes with any broken skin as they will inevitably begin to rot in long term storage around that spot. 

Preparation:
We pretty much always enjoy our squash roasted with a little butter and brown sugar. But you can do a lot more with squash then that! Squash is delicious when cooked with a variety of ingredients. Cut it into chunks and roast it with onions and garlic, then drizzle with balsamic vinegar, sprinkle with minced rosemary and maybe some dried cranberries. Add cooked squash puree to soups for a nutritional boost. Make use of the open center of a squash by stuffing squash halves with apples, cranberries, nuts and wild rice, or use them as an edible, individual serving dish.

Freezing: Cooked winter squash does very well in the freezer. Fill freezer bags with cooked or seasoned squash, or finished recipes such as soups.

About Squash

History:
Squashes are among the most ancient of foods, likely originating in Central America. Seeds found in a cave in Mexico were estimated to be nine thousand years old! Early explorers from Spain and Portugal brought squashes back with them to Europe, along with other New World foods.

The dried shells of gourds and squashes were used by ancient people as bowls, buckets, and other containers. Drying gourds and turning them into useful and decorative items is still done today. In fact, we usually have the beautiful work of a gourd artist or two for sale in the market every fall.

Nutritional Information:
 “Winter squash is an excellent source of immune-supportive vitamin A (in its "previtamin" carotenoid forms) and free radical-scavenging vitamin C. It is also a very good source of enzyme-promoting manganese and digestion-promoting dietary fiber. In addition, winter squash is a good source of heart-healthy folate, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, magnesium, and potassium; and bone-building copper and vitamin K.” - whfoods.com