Winter Squash & Pumpkins
We grow over ten different types of winter squash and pumpkins here at Featherstone, and each one is unique! You can head to the bottom of this page to read about the different varieties. We generally begin harvesting winter squash in early September, but it requires some time to cure after it’s been harvested. You’ll see winter squash in the final month of your Summer CSA subscription, and throughout the entirety of your Winter CSA subscription.
Such a large vegetable can often feel intimidating, but winter squash are just about as versatile as it gets when it comes to cooking. They are nutrient dense (important for storage foods meant for winter time eating), lend well to both sweet and savory dishes, can be the star of the dish or hidden easily. And, as they are a storage vegetable, you don't have to use them right away!
The easiest way to use a squash is to turn it into a puree and go from there. You can follow these simple instructions for how to make your own "pumpkin" puree. This will work with most squash types, but my favorite for baking is red kabocha for its smooth texture, bright color, and sweeter flavor. Buttercup is my preferred for savory dishes, but butternut, kuri, tetsu, pumpkin, and blue kabocha are all great options with smooth texture, though each variety's flavor and sweetness will vary slightly. I often make a whole squash into puree, then freeze what I don't use in measured out portions for next time (one squash generally yields more than enough!).
I also enjoy roasted squash as a side (or in tacos!), and stuffed squash for a choose-your-own adventure meal (where everyone gets to stuff their own squash, ideally carnival or delicata). Learning to love and use winter squash is one of the best ways to enjoy local veggies through the winter, as it both stores well and is easy to freeze!
Storage Tips
If you’re receiving your squash in the fall (Sept-Nov), it will have quite a long storage life under the correct conditions. If you have a cool, dry place, this is ideal. Try to avoid moisture! Bright sun can also “sunburn” the skin of a squash. I would recommend checking your stored squash often for any signs of breakdown, but it otherwise should store for months in a cool, dry place (most squash have a difficult time storing past February).
If you’re receiving your squash during our Winter CSA program, especially during the months of Dec-Feb, I would recommend eating it promptly (within the next 3 weeks or so), as it has already been storing in our warehouse since September. These you can keep on your countertop.
If you only use half the squash, place the unused half in a container and refrigerate until you’re ready to use.
Recipes
Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal - pumpkin, kabocha, and tetsu are all great options
Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash - could use carnival or delicata, too!
Maple Roasted Kabocha Squash - kabocha or buttercup would both work well
Squash and Chickpea Moroccan Stew
Winter Squash and Spinach Pasta Bake
Featherstone’s Squash Varieties
Buttercup
These dark green squash are perfect for soups, baking, or eating roasted in wedges. Buttercups have a great creamy texture when cooked and a nutty sweet flavor. They tend to be drier than other similar squash (like a kabocha or butternut), which helps them hold their structure better when roasted in wedges or cubes. Buttercup store fairly well, but should still be used within about 4 months for best quality. They're prone to rot around the stem.
Acorn
The classic personal sized squash, acorns are a firm, nutty squash that are great for stuffing and roasting. Acorns have dense flesh, and do not make the best soups or puree due to their texture, but hold together well when roasted. While acorn have thick skin, they do not actually store as well as other squash. It is best to eat these within 1-2 months, before soft spots appear. We generally run out of acorn squash around Thanksgiving time.
Carnival
Carnival squash are a cross between an acorn and a sweet dumpling squash, giving it the firm texture and dense flesh of an acorn, but quite a bit sweeter! These can be used just like an acorn squash, and are great for stuffing! Plus, they double as a cute fall decoration. Carnival store for a bit longer than acorn, but should be eaten within 2-3 months. They tend to get grainy beyond 3 months of storage.
Spaghetti
The least "squash" like of the winter squash, spaghetti are known for their stringy flesh that can be used just like spaghetti noodles. They have a very mild nutty flavor and sweetness, and are great for dishes like this one, that highlight the squashiness of spaghetti squash, instead of the spaghettiness. Spaghetti squash tend to dry out when stored for longer than 4 months.
Kabocha
We grow both red and blue kabocha, which are fairly similar to one another in flavor and texture, though red kabocha have brighter more vibrant flesh when cooked. Kabocha are my personal preferred baking squash for pies, breads, etc, as they have a creamy, smooth texture and tend to be on the sweeter side when compared to a pumpkin. Kabocha store well, and can last 5-6 months when kept in a cool, dark place.
Pumpkin
The quintessential pie pumpkin: sweet, dense, and nutty. These are ideal for making into puree for baked goodies, and tend to have a more watery flesh when compared to a buttercup or kabocha squash, making them easy to puree. These will reliably produce a classic pumpkin pie when you follow the instructions in the "Cooking with Squash" section of this newsletter for pumpkin puree. Pie pumpkins store well, and will last 3-4 months when kept in a cool, dark place, but we usually run out around Thanksgiving time!
Red Kuri
Sometimes similar in appearance to the red kabocha, but more similar in flavor to a Hubbard squash, these slightly oblong red kuri squash are great for soups! They have fairly thin skin, which is edible when roasted, and chestnutty flesh that's dry like a buttercup for great structure that breaks down well in soups. Vibrant and roasty! Due to their thin skins, kuri do not reliably store for much longer than 3 months. Only available in late summer CSA boxes and maybe the first 1 or 2 winter CSA boxes.
Delicata
A small, tender winter squash that is fairly similar to a sweet potato in flavor, and like a softer version of an acorn squash in texture. These are great for roasting, and just like red kuri, have thin skins that can be eaten. These do not store very well, but can reliably last 1-2 months in a cool dark place before drying out and getting stringy. Only available in late summer CSA boxes and maybe the first 1 or 2 winter CSA boxes.
Butternut
A large, dense squash with sweet, firm flesh and thin, smooth skin that is easy to peel. Butternut have a small seed cavity compared to their size, and generally take longer to roast. These are great for soups, pureed for baking, or roasted as cubes or "fries." As their name implies, they are buttery in texture and nutty in flavor, though are a mild squash when compared to a kabocha or buttercup. These store fairly well, but will start to show bruising on the skin and can get soft near the stem.
Testu
Another large squash, but mostly due to its thick skin. Tetsu get sweeter the longer they store, so we only include these in our winter CSA boxes. These are great for baking with a rich, sweet flavor and excellent texture. You can also enjoy in soups! These can be a little tricky to cut open (again, thick skin), but it’s well worth it for the almost caramel flavor (and color!) awaiting on the inside.