Description: Winter squash comes in shapes round and elongated, scalloped and pear-shaped with flesh that ranges from golden-yellow to brilliant orange. Most winter squash grow on vine-type plants whose fruits are harvested when fully mature. They can be stored for months in a cool basement-hence the name "winter" squash.
Availability: Fall and Winter
Facts: Even though a pumpkin is a winter squash the kind that you eat are actually a special kind of cooking or sweet pumpkin. Only the seeds of the Jack-O-Lantern variety are good to eat.
White Acorn - has pale golden flesh thats mild and slightly stringy.
Green Acorn - with ribbed shell, sometimes streaked with orange has moist, sweet, tender flesh. Cut in half crosswise, they for attractive scalloped bowls.
Buttercup - A turban shaped, dark green shell which is streaked with grey. Its deep orange flesh is smooth and very sweet.
Butternut - A tan shell, shaped like a bell with one bulbous end. It has dense, sweet, nutty, bright orange flesh.
Hubbard - One of the largest winter squash varieties, which is the reason its sold precut. The pebbly shell can be blue-green, grey or orange. The flesh is yellow-orange and sweet.
Spaghetti - When cooked it separates into spaghetti-like strands. Crunchy texture and faint nutty flavor.
Turban - A flattened round squash with three decorative knobs on top, turban is usually bright orange with green and white streaks. The flesh is bright orange, too with a rich flavor.
Golden Nugget - Small and round with mildly sweet, bright orange flesh. It looks like a miniature pumpkin.
Sweet Dumpling- Resembles a round, squatty version of Delicata. Ivory shell with green strips covers flesh thats yellow-orange and very sweet.
Delicata Ivory - colored shell with green and orange streaks. The yellow flesh is mild tasting, moist and creamy.
Serving Size: cup
Selection: Choose hard, thick-shelled squash that feel heavy for their size. Hubbard squash is often sold cut. Select pieces with thick, bright yellow-orange flesh.
Storage: Store in a cool dry place
Nutrition benefits: fat free; saturated fat free; sodium free; cholesterol free; high in Vitamin A and fiber
Pigments: Alpha-Carotene, Beta-Carotene, Zeaxanthin
Phytochemicals: Flavonols, Flavonones,
Reprinted with the permission of the Defeat Diabetes Foundation.
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