This may just look like a smaller variety of butternut, but it was developed by Row 7 Seed Company specifically to enhance the flavor of the popular butternut and to design a squash to fit on an individual plate, explains Lee Jones, a farmer behind The Chef’s Garden. Just be sure there aren’t any dark spots or blemishes on your produce, because these can lead to a quickly rotting vegetable. In fact, storing squash helps the squash dry out, and that loss in moisture leads to a sweeter squash, he notes. This spot comes from the squash sitting out on the field and the sunlight darkening and ripening the vegetable, which is exactly what you want, he adds.Īnd if you’ve gotten over-ambitious and stocked your home with too much squash, Tse says it’s totally fine to store them in a cool, dry place for a month or two. “They should be fully colored without hues of a lighter green.” And those squash varieties that are naturally green, like a kabocha, will look very light green when ripe, he notes.Īdditionally, a super-ripe squash from a farm market will often have a deep orange ground spot on one side of the squash, Tse says. “Almost all squash shouldn’t have green on them,” says Lawrence Tse, farm manager at Dig Inn. Because squash are naturally hard vegetables, it’s tricky to determine when they’re at their peak ripeness unless you know what you’re looking for. “When you get beta-carotene through food, it offers antioxidant and immune-related benefits while playing a potential role in prevention and treatment of many chronic diseases.”īut picking a ripe winter squash isn’t as clear-cut as grabbing a banana that’s ready to eat based on the color and feel. “When you choose winter squash, you can be sure you’ll get a variety of plant nutrients, especially a boost of beta-carotene,” says Jackie Newgent, R.D.N., C.D.N., plant-forward chef, culinary nutritionist, and author of The Clean & Simple Diabetes Cookbook. Some quick facts about squash: Eating squash is a super nutritious way to up your vitamins and get a ton of fiber and carbohydrates on your plate to keep you full. But how do you use each squash variety and what do they even taste like? We turned to the experts to help you navigate the squash bin this season. Available in a multitude of sizes, colors, and textures, these winter squash varieties are some of the winter and fall’s best vegetables and are a delicious option for cooking up during the chilly seasons. Head to your local supermarket or farmers’ market this winter and you’ll likely see piles of colorful, hard-shelled winter squash intertwined with the popular pumpkin and sweet potatoes.
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