Winter Squash & Pumpkins

[digitS']

Weellll,

Squash storage isn't going much better this year than any other. I haven't lost any yet but there is haste in the kitchen to make use of several saved!

I used "new" shelves this fall because there were more to store. "New" means that they have been down there since Noah was in the Whale but I hadn't put anything on them before. Mold started on the blossom-end for several. Three had to be used right away, two more need to have something done with them. All have been tipped over on their sides, I guess that I should have thought of some rotation program. The kabocha were the first suspected but it's on some of the different varieties. Nothing on stem-end, I wonder why ... well, I blame those shelves.

Curing didn't go that well. The storage room still isn't very cold, with our warm Autumn. It does respond to outdoor temperatures, there in the corner of the basement. I chose to leave what has gone down there, in the garden right up until light frosts. Then, it turned very cold but the squash & pumpkins were downstairs by then.

Fortunately, the squash used so far have been fine - flavorwise. Some of each was cut off for compost but what was cooked was fully as firm and flavorful as could be expected.

Steve

 

[ducks4you]

JONAH was in the Whale...Noah was in the Boat that he built when nobody knew what that was.

 

[flowerbug]

i cooked up the last of the winter squash today. i was getting worried that the cold weather was going to be freezing them too much in the garage so i brought them inside to warm up thinking i was going to get this done on Monday, so they had two days to warm up.

six Kabochas of mixed color (two each of green, half orange and almost all orange) and the largest Baby Blue Hubbard.

i did the smaller Kabochas first and they were all in mostly ok condition. usually by this time some of them will have a bit of mold starting in the middle if they've been damaged or frozen or not cured well enough. i set aside the scrapings from each type to get the seeds from for replanting and/or giving away. while the first batch was in the oven i was able to get one of those separated from the innards. they did roast up a bit dry even if i ended up not cooking them too long. i tried cooking at a lower temperature and for longer and that really didn't work well so towards the end i bumped the heat back up again. i could have gone another 20 minutes for some of them. mashed them all up so not really a big deal, they tasted ok which is the only judge i have about squash. these are a lot heavier tasting and sweeter than most squash i've eaten. but i can't say i've had a lot of different kinds of squash yet.

the Baby Blue Hubbard was, um not so baby, so a bit large, so large that i was wondering if i was going to be able to fit it in the oven let alone in the baking dish i was using. i think i need a guillotine to get these cut open easily. Mom said she could hold it and i said no way! that would be really asking for trouble. having the previous experience of this type of squash being more watery and cooking up easier (hard to overcook because of all the water in the flesh) made it work out more nicely too. knowing what to expect and knowing that i could mash it up with the Kabochas as they can cook up a bit on the dry side.

when i was scooping out the BBH squash i decided i had so much that i might as well have some for my dinner too so that was it. the flavor was the best of all four of them that we grew - it was also the biggest and the eldest. i think it was just starting to turn as when i chopped it open it certainly had a bit of a funk to it, but all the seeds and innards were not rotting but i think had i waited another month it might have been a lost cause. yes, i saved seeds from this one too.

mashed and divided everything into four portions and mixed and mashed some more and put them together and bagged three portions for the freezer, plus a container in the fridge for us to eat up. since i already have bags of frozen squash from what i did a few weeks ago we'll probably give a few bags to my brother who likes squash (my other brother does not like squash at all).

the texture and flavor of the BBH was what i would consider a blend between Acorn and some other more flavorful and sweeter squash. this particular one was the best in flavor and i did enjoy having it for dinner. i didn't put anything on it. normally i would put some butter on it but it didn't need that at all. mixing the BBH and the Kabochas does kick it up a notch in flavor and sweetness and to counter the sweetness some i like the salt in the butter. well, we do like butter itself too.

i thought for a moment as i was mashing that i would make a custard with some of what i'd made, but i was a bit tired by then so that may happen some other time. as it turned out i took a nap before finishing up getting the other seeds separated so they could start drying.

 

[digitS']

Baby Blue Hubbard did okay maturing fruit in my garden. Had that good, C. maxima flavor. However, they were seriously unproductive plants. Maybe they would do better on another trial.

Measuring by the month for your winter storage, @flowerbug ? Heck of a deal, don't you think!? What food besides seed could be stored so casually as to be left in a garage? I have even left winter squash against a wall on the kitchen floor for several months. I'm not sure if it wasn't a better location than basement shelves.

Someone who doesn't like squash? DW knows a guy who had not eaten squash until he was an adult. He goes on and on about them - which may be an appropriate way to describe his appreciation. He is a truck driver . Yep, he will even take a Tupperware container of squash with him to eat on the road ...
....
Steve

 

[flowerbug]

Baby Blue Hubbard did okay maturing fruit in my garden. Had that good, C. maxima flavor. However, they were seriously unproductive plants. Maybe they would do better on another trial.

Measuring by the month for your winter storage, @flowerbug ? Heck of a deal, don't you think!? What food besides seed could be stored so casually as to be left in a garage? I have even left winter squash against a wall on the kitchen floor for several months. I'm not sure if it wasn't a better location than basement shelves.

Someone who doesn't like squash? DW knows a guy who had not eaten squash until he was an adult. He goes on and on about them - which may be an appropriate way to describe his appreciation. He is a truck driver . Yep, he will even take a Tupperware container of squash with him to eat on the road ...
....
Steve

BBH, we ended up with one or two squash per plant. considering how big they can get though that was plenty in the end. even the small ones were about a half gallon to a gallon in size. the big one i cooked yesterday was two to three gallons in size. even cut in half i didn't think it was going to fit in the oven to roast, but it did.

today i get to feed all the scraps to the wormies. Merry Christmas to them.

the squash does improve with curing and some age, but there is that fine line that you can't always know about not being able to see inside between when they start spoiling and when you won't even want to eat them. the squash that are obviously spoiling on the outside are so much easier to deal with. just cook them up as soon as you can get to them and then put the cooked squash in the freezer. that is how i managed to put about 40lbs of squash away the year i have five wheelbarrows of squash to cope with. all the ones that were damaged or rotting a little i processed right away and froze that and we gave away about 3/4 of that year's squash and also whatever i put in the freezer. so that really extends the storage time. i think i had a few bags in the freezer for the next summer but we'd given so much away. i'm always happy to help people out with food.

as for eating squash as a kid, i always loved it, and the pumpkin pie too. some day i should see if i can find the picture of me eating pumpkin pie as a baby. i'd crawled up on the countertop after Mom made a few pies and ate them. she says i wasn't very old perhaps two. i love my pumpkin pie. anyways, at school lunch time i was the only kid who'd eat the squash and the stewed prunes. i still love either of those. and those old squares of frozen squash from the freezer section at the store. i'd eat those and frozen spinach too. most kids, wouldn't touch any of that. i loved it all. hungry kids.

 

[flowerbug]

i fed almost all of the squash innards and skins to the worms today along with the rest of the food scraps. i try to get this done about every two weeks or so, but if i have a big event where i have more food scraps to put in the buckets then i'll just do it when i next get a chance. today was that day. four of ten buckets worth. i have the skin from the BBH to break up yet and put that in, but i need some other materials to go in too now so i'll just keep drying them until i get enough banana peels and ends of romaine lettuce hearts and stuff to add. worms all looking happy and good. they say hi. *worm waves*

 

[Zeedman]

All of the Zucchetta Rampicante tromboncino squashes grown for seed saving were dehydrated after the seeds were harvested. I've yet to begin experimenting with those chips (this thread has reminded me) but I'll say this... those long, straight necks sure are easy to peel & slice.

 

[flowerbug]

All of the Zucchetta Rampicante tromboncino squashes grown for seed saving were dehydrated after the seeds were harvested. I've yet to begin experimenting with those chips (this thread has reminded me) but I'll say this... those long, straight necks sure are easy to peel & slice.
View attachment 38154

after all that i hope they're good for something!

 

[baymule]

@flowerbug what, besides pumpkin pie, do you do with your mashed, frozen squash? I've made pies and pumpkin bread, anything else? Somehow, mashed squash and gravy doesn't sound very enticing........

 

[digitS']

Not @flowerbug but I make pancakes with pumpkin puree (think banana pancakes ) - good flavor that goes with maple syrup!

Here's my recipe for Butternut Bevy (I don't usually grow butternut, however ).

6 cups peeled and cubed squash
5 cups water or stock
2 T oil
2 cups onion, chopped
1 t thyme
4 T butter
1/3 cup flour
3/4 cup cream
1/2 t salt
1 T soy sauce
black pepper

Cook squash in water or stock until tender. Heat oil in pan and saute onions, add thyme and cook until tender.

In food processor, puree squash and onions.

In the fry pan, melt the butter, add flour and stir until lightly browned. Add cream and mix well. Add to the squash and onions in a large pan. Add remaining ingredients - the soy sauce is important but I usually use Maggi sauce for this, about half a Tablespoon. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes and serve. Recipe says you can use sliced almonds as a garnish.

Steve