Ask a Dietitian

BC Fresh squash are in season and it’s time to start cooking.  Did you know we grow Buttercup, Butternut, Acorn, Spaghetti and Banana squash right here in BC?

The hard rinds are inedible but the soft flesh inside is edible and needs to be cooked.

Acorn Squash are shaped like an acorn, with deep furrows.  The rind is green to yellow-gold and the flesh is yellow with a slightly sweet flavour and dry consistency.

Banana Squash are large, cylindrical-shaped squash with pointed ends.  They have a hard, creamy yellow-orange rind.

Buttercup squash are flat, round squash with a turban shaped top.  The hard rind is dark green with some gray flecks or stripes.  Their orange flesh is slightly sweet with a somewhat dry consistency like acorn squash.

Butternut squash, my personal favorite, is a large elongated bell shaped squash with a hard tan coloured rind and yellow-orange flesh.

Spaghetti squash are large, oblong-shaped squash with yellow, semi-hard rind.  The yellow flesh inside is stringy and separates into spaghetti like strands after it is cooked.

Turban squash have a vivid orange rind striped with cream, green or white and a turban shape.  They are anywhere from 2-15cm in diameter, the rind is bumpy and flavour is bland.  These squash are often used for decoration or as a soup tureen.

Buying Squash

Look for squash that are heavy for their size, with a hard rind and intact skin with no bruises, cuts or dents.  (spaghetti squash rind is semi-hard).  The rind should be dull not shiny.

Storing Squash

Keep squash in a cool dry place for short term storage and do not store them near ethylene producing fruit such as apples, pears and avocado.

Preparing squash

Roasting or boiling or stir frying:  Cut off rind and cut squash into cubes to roast, boil or stir fry.  Keep water used in boiling for soup base.  It is cooked when tender when pierced.  Boil 7-9 minutes, steam 6-7 minutes,

Baking:  Cut squash in half and remove seeds.  Bake in oven uncovered at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes.  Cooked easily pierced with fork.

Microwave ½ the squash for 10-12 minutes

Serve as a side vegetable, in soup or stew, with dried fruit and spice, as a pasta filling or with other roasted vegetables.  Great spices to add to butternut squash or acorn squash include: Allspice, anise seed, brown sugar, butter, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, ginger, mace, nutmeg, paprika, sage, savory, tarragon, thyme and turmeric

Spaghetti squash preparation 

The flesh of spaghetti squash, when cooked, comes out like strands of cooked spaghetti and makes a great light stand-in for pasta lovers.

Prepare squash by cutting in half lengthwise and removing the seeds.  Pierce the skin several times with a fork and follow one of the cooking methods below.

BAKING:  Prepare the squash, and place, cut side down, in a large baking pan. Bake squash at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until the skin is tender and strands may be loosened easily with a fork.

MICROWAVING: Prepare the squash, and place, cut side down, in a baking dish. Add 1/4 cup water; cover with plastic wrap, folding back a small edge of wrap to allow steam to escape. Cook on HIGH 7 to 10 minutes.

BOILING:  Prepare the squash, and place, cut side down, in a Dutch oven, add water to a depth of 2 inches. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 to 25 minutes or until tender. Drain.

Cool cooked squash. Using a fork, remove spaghetti-like strands of pulp. Discard shell.

Yield: 1 medium spaghetti squash yields about 4 cups cooked.

Toss with a tomato sauce and it is ready to eat.  You can serve it with olive oil and parmesan cheese or get creative and do Greek squash with plum tomatoes, feta, onion and olives.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 cup

Bottom Line:
We need to eat one orange vegetable everyday, why not try squash.