People love to pick up our fresh Indiana produce all| Name | Flavor | Flesh | Fun Facts | |
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| Acorn Squash | aromatic and sweet with a light nuttiness that is enhanced by roasting | pale, golden, firm flesh with slight stringiness | look for squash with a slight patch of orange which indicates maturity. too much orange means it is overripe unless it is the golden variety |
| Angel Wing | not edible | used for decoration | these come in a very wide variety of colors and shapes |
| Apple Gourd | not edible | used for decoration | used to be called African Square, turns a beautiful golden tan when dried |
| Atlantic Giant | edible but not usually used for cooking | usually grown for weight records | the World Record for an Atlantic Giant is 1,446 pounds |
| Baby Bear | not edible | used for decoration | these pint sized pumpkins are perfect for little ones |
| Name | Flavor | Flesh | Fun Facts | |
| Blue Hubbard | has wonderful aroma of fresh cucumber, very little sugar | deep orange, firm flesh with very little string | variety developed by a Mrs. Hubbard in Marblehead Mass. in 1840 |
| Butternut Squash | probably the sweetest of winter squashes with a hearty flavor | bright orange, firm flesh with very little string | butternut has a thinner shell which is easier to peel than other varieties |
| Cinderella | edible but not usually eaten | used mostly for decoration | looks like the pumpkin that became Cinderella's Coach |
| Cushaw | mild flavor with little sugar, lends itself well to savory dishes | pale orange, firm flesh, thin skin is easy for peeling | also comes in a variety striped dark green over light |
| Festival Squash | mild and aromatic, very slight sweetness | light orange, firm flesh with some stringiness | this variety is also called Carnival or Sweet Dumpling |
| Name | Flavor | Flesh | Fun Facts | |
| Long Neck Butternut Squash | probably the sweetest of winter squashes with a hearty flavor | bright orange, firm flesh with very little string | butternut has a thinner shell which is easier to peel than other varieties |
| One Too Many | ornamental | used for decoration | soft cream with beautiful orange/red webbing presentation |
| Golden Acorn | similar to Acorn squash | similar to Acorn squash | serving a meal using half orange and half green Acorn squash makes for a striking presentation |
| Golden Hubbard | similar to Blue Hubbard | similar to Blue Hubbard | Hubbard comes in Blue, Orange and Green varieties |
| Name | Flavor | Flesh | Fun Facts | |
| Gooseneck | not edible | used for decoration | also called Swansneck, makes a great shaker when it is dried |
| Jack be Quick | not edible | used for decoration | also a variety called Jack be Nimble, smaller and more squat than Baby Bear with very pronounced lobes |
| Jarrahdale Pumpkin | soft, melon-like aroma, delicious flesh | deep, bright orange, very firm, very little stringiness | this variety is named for Jarrahdale in western Australia, commonly incorrectly attributed to a nonexistent town of Jarrahdale in New Zealand |
| Lumina | edible but not usually eaten | usually used as decoration | ranges from pale golden yellow to slightly blue to glowing white |
| Name | Flavor | Flesh | Fun Facts | |
| Pie Pumpkin | classic, rich pumpkin flavor | very dense, full flavored flesh, not watery like larger carving pumpkins | these half size pumpkins are the perfect size for a single pie and also make a great holder for pudding, larger than Baby Bear with much thicker stem |
| Turks Turban | mild flavor is adaptable to any recipe, less flesh in this variety than others | light orange, firm flesh with very little string, fat seeds are great for roasting | this variety is probably the edible most used decoratively |
Because of their hard outer shell it is easiest to soften the shell
through baking. Put squash in a 300 oven for 15-20 minutes then let
cool for a few minutes. Cut in half and peel the shell with a sharp knife.
If you would like to use the shell as a bowl or display then bake at 250 for
20-25 minutes and scoop out the flesh with a spoon.
The sweetness of some squashes can be used to advantage without adding extra
sugar as is commonly done with brown sugar and acorn squash. The sugars of an
acorn or butternut balance out the acidity of tomatoes very well and make for a
rich tomato sauce in Italian cooking. Use your regular recipe and add 1/2-1 C of
pureed Butternut or Acorn squash and 1/4 C cream. The Butternut Fritters listed below use
garlic and parmesan to balance the sweetness for a very complex and satisfying
flavor. Squash can keep for a few months if kept in a cool (50-55) dry place.
Choose squash that are heavy for their size as this means they have a high
moisture content. If they are lightweight they will be dry and stringy. If
the shell is very shiny it either means the gourd was picked early or the shell
was waxed. Mature squash have a matte finish.
Winter squash are native to North and South America and were cultivated along with
corn and beans by the earliest farmers. They were originally very small and
bitter and used like gourds, for decoration and water storage. Records of
squash seeds have been traced as far back as 9000 BC. They have Vitamins A
and Folate and minerals like Potassium, Magnesium and Phosphorus. They have
almost no fat.
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| Chicken Acorn Soup served in Turks Turban | Butternut Fritters served in Cushaw | Asparagus with Festival Squash served with toasted almonds |
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| Jarrahdale Mashed Potatoes served in Jarrahdale Pumpkin | Greek Cushaw Pie served in Cushaw | Chai Spiced Pumpkin Pie made with Blue Hubbard Squash |
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The Apple Works Orchard 8157 South 250 West Trafalgar, IN 46181 (317) 878-9317 |
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