12 Winter Squash Varieties

These days, hard squash are all I am thinking about. Harvested in the fall, these gourds will last throughout the cold winter months, hence the name winter squash. Beyond the popular sugar pumpkins, acorn and butternut squashes you’re probably familiar with, varieties come in a staggering diversity of sizes, shapes and colors. With generally mild and sweet flavors, squash are easy to incorporate into your meal. They absorb seasonings well and are great in soups, pies, risotto, casseroles and even breads. Rich in vitamins A, C, and E, as well as magnesium, potassium and beta carotene, they also add a real nutritional bonus. Scroll to the bottom of the page for three of my favorite squash recipes.

Acorn: Firm, nutty and moderately fibrous, the deeply-ribbed acorn squash is ideal for stuffing, mashing and roasting.	Butternut: One of the most common squashes, butternuts are moist and creamy with a nutty flavor. Great in soups or roasted in chunks.	Delicata: Oblong with striped edible skin, delicatas have a sweet flavor and custardy texture similar to a butternut. Great for roasting or stuffing.
Sugar Pumpkins: With a mellow sweetness and dense flesh, small sugar pumpkins are best roasted or steamed then pureed for pie filling, risotto or for bread.	Jester: Jesters are oval in shape with small green and orange ribs. Like an acorn squash, it’s best for stuffing and roasting.	Buttercup: Similar in appearance to a kabocha, buttercups have medium sweetness and a tender, custardy texture. Best for purees, puddings and pies.
Carnival: Similar to acorn squash, the carnival squash has firm yellow flesh and is semi-dry, mild and sweet. Good for roasting and stuffing.	Red Kuri: Bumpy, dark orange skin with bright orange flesh. With a buttery texture and nutty flavor, the red kuri is best in purees and mashes.	Spaghetti: Sweet, stringy squash with light yellow skin. The extremely mild flavor works well in gratins or casseroles, or as a replacement for pasta.
Blue Hubbard: Underneath the gray-blue bumpy skin is sweet and savory orange flesh. It’s often mealy, so hubbards are best in a puree or pie filling.	Honey Boat: An oblong, golden-orange squash with a sweet, nutty flavor. Good for roasting and stuffing.	Kabocha: A Japanese squash with a subtle sweetness and smooth texture. It’s best baked or steamed, then pureed.