How does one do autumn without a squash or three? There is such a thing beyond the pumpkin – and if you’re up for experimenting a bit this season, you will find some absolute wonders in the squash family. Not to mention all of the incredible vitamins and nutrients you’ll be getting by eating squash.
Here’s a quick guide to a mere six of my favourite winter squash varieties. It was hard to choose this handful, however, most of these can be acquired easily in your supermarket. These varieties can also be stored well and devoured throughout the winter season.
Next time you’re in the grocer, take a gander at the other varieties locally available and try a different squash this season. Perhaps even prepare it a similar way, to see how it compares with your traditional staple recipes.
1. Chayote
Chayote is a green squash, typically found in Mexican, Caribbean, and Asian markets, although, more grocery stores are starting to carry it now. Native to Mexico, chayote is harvested in autumn and has a pear-like shape that is slightly bumpy with skin. When ripe the skin is hard and can be stored during the winter.
Chayote is unique, as it can be cooked, baked, fried, or eaten raw, whether peeled or with the skin left on. To keep it fresh, when you buy it, store it on the counter at room temperature, or immediately in the refrigerator for two to four days, especially if your environment is humid. It’s like an apple or cucumber and has similar texture of jicama.
There is a crisp crunch to it when raw or even slightly after cooking, so perfect for pickling! Just like most squash, it is indeed versatile although I usually opt for savoury with this squash. I usually buy it when I know I’ll use it within a couple days, so I just refrigerate it. We usually slice it and pickle it with other vegetables, or sauté the peeled chayote slices with herbs, onions, garlic and cabbage leaves.
2. Buttercup
Buttercup squash is round, stocky, and looks like a pumpkin gourd. It has a very firm stem with a rich dark green inedible outer shell/skin and ribs of a greenish-grey colour. The flesh is bright orange and is dense and firm, which makes it ideal for baking, cooking or even making hearty dishes that can take sauces, like curries and stews. This squash stores very well in a cool dry environment for up to three months. Buy this with a good weight to it, firm skin, no soft spots, or visible colour fading.
I like to use buttercup squash with something that will have enough fat paired with it to balance the dry flesh, instead of preparing it on its own (think, coconut milk, butter, olive oil, avocado oil, or even a fatty protein) as rich fats work best, in my opinion for this variety. It’s a sweet squash that has a nice creamy taste, amongst other winter squash varieties. Give this one a go!
3. Acorn
This squash is a humble variety, nearly on offer everywhere, it has a nutty flavour so it pairs well with pecans, almonds or your preferred nut, but due to it also having a subtle sweetness it works well with creamy or salty ingredients such as cheese or bacon.
Just like sweet dumpling squash, acorn squash is ideal for roasting and filling. I like to roast acorn squash. Sometimes I bake it, and my favourite way to make it is in stuffed form. Stuffed acorn squash (just as you would stuff peppers) like this stuffed green bell peppers recipe!
You can even nix the rice filling and empty out the acorn halves, then fill it with pureed soup instead. Buy acorn squash just like your butternut squash, looking for heavy but firm skin without soft areas or extreme blemishes. Acorn squash can typically keep well for four weeks or more stored in a cool dry environment.
The skin is edible (just like the skin of an aubergine) and if roasted or fried (and obviously washed well beforehand) you can get it crisp to consume, if preferred. It’s delicious!
4. Spaghetti
This squash is another amazingly versatile type of squash and is more than meets the eye. The flesh of the squash resembles spaghetti-like strands. Don’t let its simple buttery colour fool you! Just like butternut squash (below), spaghetti squash will give you a hearty and healthy satisfying meal without missing the extra carbs, if that’s your thing!
Spaghetti squash has a firm exterior of yellow, and you’ll find it in pale or bright yellow colours. The shape is long and cylindrical, and the flavour is chewy, not a sweet squash, yet delicate and mild. Buy spaghetti squash with firm skin, and no spots. You will want it to be a bit heavy, even though it might look small in size.
This is an ideal squash to roast, boil, or steam. You can even prepare it like spaghetti but use a fork to scrape the flesh after roasting it, then serve it with pasta sauce or pesto, or pair it as you would other vegetables like roasted peppers or courgette/zucchini. Store in a cool, dry environment for up to four weeks.
5. Butternut
This smooth pear-shaped squash has the versatility of sweet potatoes, which is why I had to add it to the list. The creamy light orange colour on the skin is smooth, and the flesh is bright orange. All you need to do is scoop out the seeds from the flesh. It has fewer seeds than most other varieties.
The taste is deliciously sweet, and it’s gorgeous roasted, puréed in a curry or soup, sautéed, baked, or even fried. When buying butternut squash, a heavy and firm size is best. Look for one with no soft spots, cracks, or extreme blemishes. Store in a cool, dry place for up to four weeks.
6. Pumpkin (Sugar Pumpkin or Pie Pumpkin)
The one that we all know and love … Pumpkins! But did you know all pumpkins aren’texactly the same? When referring to pumpkins for culinary purposes, you will know what varieties are for baking and cooking because they are always smaller than field pumpkins. If you want to decorate, then field pumpkins are what you want.
When buying pie pumpkins/sugar pumpkins, these are round and come in colours ranging from bold orange to pale or red-orange hues. The flesh is bright orange and although pies are most popular, pumpkins can be used in an array of ways, in both savoury and sweet recipes. Store in a cool, dry environment for up to four weeks.
