Squash: An Unknown Fruit

Butternut squash originates from central America, and is actually a fruit. It grows on a vine and Australians call it a butternut pumpkin. It is ripe when it is orange in colour and tastes sweet and rich.

Squash is very healthy containing large quantities of fibre, vitamins (A and C), magnesium, potassium and manganese. During the warmer months it is imported from Argentina but in Britain is grows between autumn and the winter.

Butternut squash is great for cooking and is quite versatile. It can be used in soups, bakes and even curry. In South Africa it is often wrapped in tin foil and baked with nutmeg and cinnamon.

When preparing the squash you must peel off all skin (a good potato peeler is adequate) and remove all the seeds. For this just cut through the middle and scrape out the seeds the a spoon. This will only take a few minutes and shouldn’t put you off using a squash.

Some supermarkets will sell you a “here’s what I made earlier” squash, with the skin and seeds already removed. However, buying a prepared squash will probably have less of the healthy stuff so I prefer to prepare it myself. You also want it to come in at around a kilo, you want it firm, no green on the skin and it should sound hollow to the tap.

When storing butternut squash it is usually best not to store in the fridge as the moisture can cause it to become mouldy or rot. Usually a dark cool cupboard where you would usually store your potatoes will suffice. If you need, squash can be frozen. For best results peel and remove seeds, then cut the squash into 1 inch cubes and boil until they are half cooked. Then pop them into the freezer. Alternatively, make some squash soup and pop that in the freezer.

If you want more information on squash, as well as a download on how to make squash soup, click the link.