Winter Squash & Pumpkins

[flowerbug]

@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........

we mostly just use it as plain old piles of squash. Mom is not much into spiced breads of any kind and our fridge is full of food right now so i'm not cooking anything any time soon. i've not specificly had squash and gravy on a plate by itself but if i accidentally spill some turkey gravy on some squash it won't keep me from eating it. not in the slightest...

for those who like deep fried things tempura is a good use for chunks of squash:

Light and Sweet Kabocha Squash Tempura Appetizer

Kabocha tempura is thinly sliced kabocha squash coated in a light batter and deep fried to crisp perfection. It's served with a dipping sauce.

www.thespruceeats.com

i haven't been cooking much the past few years and we don't deep fry things very often at all (actually i can't even recall the last time we deep fried anything here)... but i have had squash fried like this in the past and would like to have it again some year.

the other thing odd about Mom is that she doesn't like breakfast food for breakfast, but she will have some of various things later in the day. about once a month i make pancakes and sausage for lunch or dinner.

 

[Dahlia]

What are some favorite squash chowder or soup recipes? I'm in the mood for a new recipe and something with squash in it sounds really good!

 

[baymule]

Never have made squash chowder or soup. Sounds interesting!

 

[digitS']

Having just reported on the Eating from the Garden thread about still having winter squash in the basement, I decided that it would be best to come back over here to kind of close this circle .

Yes, 2020 was a remarkably good year in the squash and pumpkin patch. I not only had some to give away, there were more than ever to store in the basement. And, they lasted into late February - about as late as I could hope for.

Part of that reason for late storage may have been selecting the ones that I thought should come upstairs from the many choices. I tried to be careful in that and we must have eaten more than ever. However, I have lost several to decay. Among those, Cinnamon Girl pie pumpkins.

There was little reason to save the final two until yesterday. Even in December, it didn't look like they would make it to this arbitrary goal that I had set for them. Having never grown any pie pumpkins and being encouraged by setting some ridiculous Rock Star Jack o'lantern pumpkins down there on 2 previous winters, I was willing to try the new Cinnamon Girl.

Nope, didn't work. The Buttercup and Cha Cha Kabocha have done as well as I could have hoped for. We have had lots of those yummy squash to eat. Lots of "pumpkin pie," made with delicious winter squash . I think that I will plant as much ground to this crop as in 2020 and hope for another good year. A couple of Rock Stars for Halloween ornaments ... that should do it.

Steve

 

[ducks4you]

I didn't Grow pumpkins last year, BUT I froze what I had, what was given to me, and saved their seeds for 2021 planting. I am a canner and have been advised Against canning, instead to freeze. just some FYI. Congrats on your storage, though.
I have seeds saved for:
Blue Doll (from my 2019 harvesting)
Pink Porceilin Princess
Some kind of commercially available orange pumpkins
Some kind of commercially available white pumpkins
White mini boo
Purchased New England Pie Pumpkin
Funny, I dried out the pink pumpkin seeds on the top shelf of my seed starting, open weave metal 4 shelf shelving unit. 2 fell into some pots and have begun to grow. I smelled the jar where I poured them. It just seemed a little bit off, so they are now in a metal tray on top of my microwave to dry out some more, even though I am sure that they are viable.

 

[Alasgun]

@digitS'
we have the same experience with the cinnamon girl pumpkins. Last one came up a week ago and were able to “salvage” them but another couple days, they’d have been shot.
kobachi, They keep longer and have greater density so we’re considering no pumpkins this year.
we pressure cook the kobachi, remove the skins and roll the flesh into balls and freeze them. Then straight into a small pan to thaw in a little water and add about 1/4 cup maple syrup, 4 good pats of butter and 1/2 tsp of cinnamon/stevia.
better than pumpkin pie and a whole lot less work. Eaten like a custard, we dont miss the crust.

 

[digitS']

You had me with that spelling, @Alasgun .

Did a Google search, Japanese recipes.

Decided to try including the words "squash seeds." Google does an autocorrect and I'm looking at Kabocha.

Steve