The Hardy Cucurbits: The Wonderful World of Winter Squash and Pumpkin

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Pumpkinsand winter squeeze come in a cornucopia of coloring and size , not to mention flavors . luckily for us , these heirloom vegetables are becoming quite popular , allowing us to buy a vast array of varieties to plant in our garden . We are all familiar with the standard acorn and butternut , which I view as the workhorses of winter squelch and are quite worthy in their own rightfulness . The names of some of the heirloom that are available now are as beguiling as they are exotic : Delicata , sweet dumpling , carnival , buttercup , gold nugget , jack - be - small , orange or blue Hubbard , redKuri , Kabocha , Marina di Chioggia , andRouge Vif d’Etampes , to name a few .

Full of flavor and health benefitsI encourage you to peck up a new motley of squash orpumpkineach week , so you could savor them for their flavors . Some are downright candy sweet-flavored , while others might be more bland or even starchy . I ascertain the promising orange the anatomy , the sweeter the taste . I run to use wintertime squelch in desserts more than I do pumpkin because of their handy size of it and many of the huge commercial pumpkins grown for jackstones o’lanterns are not as flavorful . The orangish color of the frame indicates the presence of carotenoid , which help prevent malignant neoplastic disease and further hefty skin . These yummy veggies are antioxidant and bear vitamin A and C , as well as potassium , manganese , folate , and omega-3 fatty acids .

Harvesting and storageIf you do n’t grow your own , table are pack luxuriously with multi - biased squash rackets from the sizing of oranges to much bigger than a Citrullus vulgaris at husbandman ’ markets , wayside stands , and even at food market storehouse . We see this plethora due to the fact thatthese cucurbits are keepers . They are ripe and quick to be reap when their skins are heavy and can not be easily pierced with your thumbnail , the fruits ’ own instinctive barrier for long - keeping . Do n’t provide the squash vine on the vine for too long , harvest as they mature so plant can proceed to produce . As the rinds harden , they change color and often the vines start to wither and the base move around brown . Do n’t cover pumpkins or squash by their stem , since they can break off well and then they will not stash away well due to expose form ( a place for bacterium to enter and disintegrate to start ) . For maximum storage life , let squash and pumpkins cure for a few week in a nerveless place with good air circulation , out of direct sunlight . I store my wintertime cucurbits in the cold-blooded room in my cellar ( about 50 degree F ) for three to six month .

In the kitchenGetting the hard pelt off is a bit challenging to some . Smooth - skinned squash are easier to pare than ones with ridges ; sometimes I strip them with a vegetable exotic dancer . However , the easiest method is to halve or billet the squashes lengthwise and remove their stringy seed cavity . I find that a Citrus paradisi spoonful with serrate tooth is the idealistic shaft for this job . Discard the strings and save seminal fluid for planting or browning if want .

Squash can be steam , sautéed or oven - roasted , the latter allowing for the best flavour . To roast , place the squash rackets halves cut - side down in a baking dish with about an in of water . If you want the squash to manipulate quick then cut it into eighths or sixteenth . set the bag into a preheated 400º F oven . Smaller pieces take about 30 minutes to bake and tumid one-half can take up to 1 hour to bake . If you are blackguard first and then add lump to asoup or stew , you may want to undercook them slightly since they will be manipulate further . Pierce them with a fork to examine for sissiness ; I turn them over about halfway through baking which is not absolutely necessary but it let the top of the squash wry out a bit and brown more or less .

Remove the roast squash and let it cool until it is not too red-hot to handle . I find it is well-heeled to polish off the skin while they are still pretty warm . Use a knife and disrobe the skin off or lay the squash on a cutting board , skin side down , and use a spoonful to genuflect the meat from the cutis . At this point , depending on your recipe , you may hack the roasted squash or pumpkin vine into pieces ; take the flesh and mash it with a potato masher or potato ricer for a textured puree ; or strain it in the food processor for a fine puree . Pack the prepared squash racquets or Cucurbita pepo into one or two - cupful deep freezer containers and immobilize for up to six months or refrigerate for a week . You will have pots of gilded puree ready to use in cookie , muffins , scone , bar , biscuit , soups , stews , chili con carne , and pasta fillings or as a vegetable side dish throughout the wintertime months .

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