September Produce Report: Winter Squash

Hello Fall!  Winter Squash are a classic marker of the turning seasons. While summer squash varieties like zucchini or patty pan are best eaten when immature with tender skin, winter squash are much slower growing, with months passing from the time they bloom until the time they are mature. They aren't ready to be harvested until the fall, at which point their skins is rigid and tough, making winter squash ideal baking or stuffing. Their dense sweet flesh reflects a whole summer of accumulating energy from the sun and soil.  

The following varieties of winter squash are grown locally and are available from September on, and can be found in all three Pomme locations—Nanaimo, Davie Street and Port Coquitlam.

Acorn Squash

Slightly dry orange coloured flesh of the Acorn have a definite nut-like flavour.  Their large seed cavities are perfect for stuffing and they are best when baked.

Butternut Squash

Flesh of the Butternut is a deep orange colour with a distinctive butterscotch flavour.  They are quite tasty either steamed or baked, and are excellent topped with maple syrup.  The smaller squash tends to be the sweetest.

Buttercup Squash

The Buttercup has a very creamy orange coloured flesh, much like the butternut—it's not as rich, but still is quite sweet.  

Delicata Squash

The delicate has a moist creamy yellow flesh, that tastes and smells like a blend of corn, Butternut squash and sweet potato.  Often referred to the sweet potato squash.  Best eaten when steamed or baked.

Kabocha Squash

The mustard coloured flesh of the Kabocha is very sweet and rich tasting.  Its texture is flowery dry, like a balance between a sweet potato and a pumpkin.  It has the highest sugar content of any of the squash.  It is excellent baked as a side dish or stuffed.