In this issue:
Think fall, think squash
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Think fall, think squash
The days continue to get shorter
and the nights are definitely cooler. There's a snap in the air -
yes, fall is here. And fall is the prime season for winter squash
(and pumpkins).
Throughout the northern Midwest,
organic growers are harvesting a bumper crop of these hard-shelled,
fine-flavored vegetables and Goodness Greeness is supplying them in
volume to your local markets.
Wait a minute. If it's fall, why
are we talking about winter squash? It's all in the name. Winter
squash is in the family of edible gourds, grown in the summer and
harvested in the fall when the fruit and seeds are mature and the
shell has hardened. The hard shell allows this squash to be stored
for a long time. In the days before refrigeration, this hard squash
was stored and used throughout the winter when other veggies were in
short supply. Hence the name winter squash.
The edible portion of winter
squash is the yellow, golden, cream or orange colored flesh
(depending on the variety) inside the hard shell, as well as the
seeds. The hard outer shell on most varieties is not edible.
Fiber and beta
carotene
Winter squash is a great source
of complex carbohydrates and soluble fiber. The fiber, which
absorbs water and becomes bulky during digestion, assists in
cleaning wastes from the body. Research indicates that this type of
fiber can also play an important role in reducing the occurrence of
colon cancer.
Winter squash is also a good
source of other nutrients, including potassium and iron. And it is
a great source of beta carotene. The deeper the orange color of the
flesh of winter squash, the higher the content of beta carotene.
Beta carotene is converted to vitamin A during digestion. And
vitamin A is an essential nutrient for bone development and
maintenance, good vision, healthy skin and more.
So, when you enjoy squash in your
fall and winter diet, you'll know that you're gaining real health
benefits from these nutrients.
Squash cheat
sheet
With many new varieties of winter
squash appearing at your market, it can be difficult to know what to
buy. Here's a winter squash "cheat sheet" to guide you through the
maze of the different types of winter squash:
Acorn - a smaller squash,
traditionally with a glossy, dark green shell with smooth, delicate,
sweet flesh. Newer varieties are available in gold and in white.
This type of squash is popular because it is easy to carry, doesn't
take up space, is easy to prepare and is "serving size".
Butternut - a medium size
squash (up to ten pounds), featuring a brown, tan or cream colored
shell and a light orange, fine tasting flesh.
Delicata - a cylindrical
6-8 inch squash, with distinctive green and white striping and green
flecks on the shell. Delicata squashes have a fine-grained flesh,
with a very sweet flavor. The popular Sweet Dumpling variety is in
this class of squashes.
"True" winter - larger
squashes, round, often with a flattened top. This class of squash
is includes popular varieties like Buttercup, Sweet Mama, Kubocha,
Red Kuri and the traditional Hubbard squashes. These squashes come
in dark green, light green, orange and red shells (depending on the
variety) and, in our opinion, have the best flavor of all of the
winter squashes.
Pumpkins - yes, pumpkins
are a type of winter squash. In fact, the "true" winter squash
varieties just mentioned are a great tasting alternative to "pumpkin
pies".
Curing and
storing
Since they are harvested in a
mature state, most winter squashes can be used as soon as you get
them home from the market. This is particularly true of Acorn and
Delicata squashes.
However, Butternut and the "true"
category of squashes usually benefit from a period of curing. Curing
allows the squash flesh to continue sweetening after harvest. To
cure winter squash, simply store the squash at room temperature (70
degrees) for ten to twenty days.
After curing, store squash in a
cool room (ideally 50 degrees). At this temperature, Acorn and
Delicata last about three months and Butternut and "true" squashes
up to six months.
Using winter
squash
There are many ways to use winter
squash in your diet, including baking, purees, stuffing and using in
pies. We'll refer you to these online resources for more
information on preparing winter squash and squash recipes:
Vegetarian Kitchen
http://www.vegkitchen.com/Winter_Squash.htm
Recipe Source
http://www.recipesource.com/soups/soups/10/rec1069.html
University of Alaska - Fairbanks
Winter squash tips (PDF)
Contact us
You can find organic Winter
Squash, along with a rich variety of other organic fruits and
vegetables, many grown by local and family farmers, from Goodness
Greeness at your local market.
Email us at
newsletter@goodnessgreeness.com if you can't find them and we'll
help you locate them.
Past issues
online
As you know if you've been
reading this weekly newsletter for awhile, there is a lot of
information provided on organic fruits and vegetables, their
nutritional qualities, availability, shopping and preparation tips,
as well as some recipes.
You can now access most of the
past issues of Organics for you on our web site (www.goodnessgreeness.com).
Click on the Newsletter link at the top of any page on the site.
There you'll find a quick index of all past issues. Select the back
issue you want, click on the issue # and you'll find that tip that
you were looking for.
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