Tuffy Acorn Squash: (Cucurbita Pepo) This Variety Offers a Sweeter, Thicker

Tuffy Acorn Squash: (Cucurbita pepo) This variety offers a sweeter, thicker and drier flesh than other acorn varieties, and gardeners and cooks love the Tuffy Acorn Squash for baking. Plants, on average, will produce 5-6 fruits that are characterized by their black-green skin and unique, heavy ribbing. Fruits average about 2 pounds. For a sweeter eating experience, wait two weeks or more after harvesting before using. If you enjoy stuffed blossoms make sure to remove stems, stamens and stigmas. Planting Depth Seed Spacing Spacing after Soil Days to Days to Sun Water Starting Inside Starting Thinning Temperature Germinate Maturity Outside ½ - 1” 2 seeds/ft. in 2 seeds/ft. in 70 – 85 F 3-8 85 -95 Full moderate Not Spring, 2-4 rows 5-6 ft. rows 5-6 ft. recommended, weeks after the apart apart unless you live average last in a very short frost date and short season when soil climate. 3-4 temperatures weeks before have risen the average last above 60 frost date. Sow degrees. in individual pots for direct planting. Harvesting: Container Tips: Squash Nutritional Information Harvest squash after the first or Winter squash can be grown in a 5-gallon or larger Serving Size: 140g second light frost (it actually container. Allow one plant per container. Calories: 56 improves flavor); when you can't Fat: 0g dent the hard skin with your finger; Sodium 4mg and when the color of the Health Facts: Protein 1g vegetable has changed to a darker Seed Collecting: Carbohydrate 15g The acorn squash is very low hue. Dietary Fiber 6g in saturated fat, cholesterol HARVEST: Before harvesting seeds, squash must be fully and sodium. It is also a good If stem attachment area or any part mature. This means that summer squashes must be left on % of U.S. RDA source of dietary fiber, vitamin Vitamin A 10% of squash bruises, squash will rot in the vine until outer shells harden. Allow to cure 3-4 A, vitamin B6, folate and additional weeks after harvest to encourage further seed Vitamin C 26% a few weeks, so it’s important that magnesium, and a very good Calcium 5% ripening. you do not hold the fruit by its stem. source of vitamin C, thiamin, Iron 5% Place squash in a sunny window at potassium and manganese. 75-80 degrees for 1-2 weeks before eating or putting in storage. .

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University of Florida Thesis Or Dissertation Formatting
GENETICS AND EVOLUTION OF MULTIPLE DOMESTICATED SQUASHES AND PUMPKINS (Cucurbita, Cucurbitaceae) By HEATHER ROSE KATES A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2017 © 2017 Heather Rose Kates To Patrick and Tomás ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am grateful to my advisors Douglas E. Soltis and Pamela S. Soltis for their encouragement, enthusiasm for discovery, and generosity. I thank the members of my committee, Nico Cellinese, Matias Kirst, and Brad Barbazuk, for their valuable feedback and support of my dissertation work. I thank my first mentor Michael J. Moore for his continued support and for introducing me to botany and to hard work. I am thankful to Matt Johnson, Norman Wickett, Elliot Gardner, Fernando Lopez, Guillermo Sanchez, Annette Fahrenkrog, Colin Khoury, and Daniel Barrerra for their collaborative efforts on the dissertation work presented here. I am also thankful to my lab mates and colleagues at the University of Florida, especially Mathew A. Gitzendanner for his patient helpfulness. Finally, I thank Rebecca L. Stubbs, Andrew A. Crowl, Gregory W. Stull, Richard Hodel, and Kelly Speer for everything. 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................................................. 4 LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................ 9 LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................
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Winter Squash PRAIRIE GARDENS & ADVENTURE FARM, STURGEON COUNTY, ALBERTA
Winter Squash PRAIRIE GARDENS & ADVENTURE FARM, STURGEON COUNTY, ALBERTA More than just a pretty face Pumpkins may get all the glory at Halloween, but there are many other versatile, vividly colored, flavorful, and nutrient-packed varieties to brighten up fall and winter meals. Sweeter, denser, and more firm in texture than summer squash or zucchini, winter squash take well to a wide spectrum of seasonings and can be true crowd-pleasers in warming soups, casseroles, risotto, lasagna, and even TURBAN An old time favorite for traditional fall decorating. The desserts. red color will deepen as the fall progresses. It can be eaten and is terrific stuffed with meat loaf. Sadly today it’s cooking qualities are overlooked and it is Naturally low in fat and calories, winter squash most often used as a decorative gourd. provide significant nutritional benefits. For example, one cup of baked butternut squash contains vitamins A (from BUTTERNUT beta carotene), B6, C and E, as well as magnesium, A slim neck and bulbous bottom give the butternut potassium and manganese. Flavors are generally mild to squash its distinctive bell shape. The muted yel- low-tan rind hides bright orange-yellow flesh with a sweet, so squash won’t overwhelm other ingredients and slightly sweet taste. To make butternut squash easier can easily be incorporated into seasonal recipes. to handle, cut the neck from the body and work with each section separately. These hard skinned winter squashes are excellent SPAGHETTI for storing - up to 5 months in your basement, Take a fork to the inside of a cooked spaghetti unrefrigerated.
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Winter Squash History Winter Squash Is Native to the United States and Was Introduced to European Settlers by American Indians
Winter Squash History Winter squash is native to the United States and was introduced to European settlers by American Indians. Do not be fooled by the name! Winter squash is actually planted in the spring and harvested in late summer. Unlike summer squash, it is allowed to form a tough rind, which helps it withstand the winter months. This is where the name “winter squash” comes from. In mildly cool temperatures, the squash will store well for up to six months. Smaller squash should only be stored up to three months. Avoid refrigerating the squash as a whole because humidity will cause it to decay quicker. Brightly colored squash are a good source of vitamin C, A, and beta-carotenes, which are antioxidants that may reduce a person’s chances of cancer, heart disease, and degenerative aging. Vitamin A and beta-carotene are essential for maintaining eye health. Just like summer squash, winter squash grows on a vine or bush and flowers. In fact, the bloom is edible! Varieties Acorn squash is small, round, and ridged with sweet, fibrous flesh. Butternut squash is bell shaped with tan skin and a nutty flavor- great for pureeing or adding to soups. Delicata is oblong with yellow and green stripes and a sweet, creamy, caramel flavor. Hubbard squash is light green or deep orange and has thick skin. Spaghetti squash is yellow and after cooking, the inside can be scraped into long strands- these fibrous pieces look and taste like spaghetti noodles. Turban squash is round, brightly colored, and wearing a “hat” on top.
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Preserving Pumpkin and Winter Squash
PRESERVING PUMPKIN AND WINTER SQUASH Kayla Wells-Moses, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, WSU Colville Reservation Extension, Washington State University FS303E WSU EXTENSION | PRESERVING PUMPKIN AND WINTER SQUASH General Information Pumpkins and squash are commonly used in soups, pies, and breads. Cubes of pumpkin and other squash can be roasted for a healthy side dish. As indicated by the bright orange color of pumpkins, they contain high amounts of beta-carotene (U of I Extension 2016a). Beta-carotene protects against heart disease and may help prevent certain cancers. Squash is also a good source of potassium, niacin, iron, and fiber (U of I Extension 2016b). Squash are categorized as summer squash and winter squash. Summer squash are tender vegetables that are grown during warm, frost-free seasons and are harvested before the rind hardens and the fruit matures (U of I Extension 2017). As opposed to winter squash that grows on vines, summer squash grows on bush-type plants (Florkowska and Westerfield 2016). Winter squash is harvested after it forms the hard rind that allows for cold-weather storage (Florkowska and Westerfield 2016). There are many varieties of winter squash and pumpkins that are suitable for preservation. Squash varieties that preserve well are: acorn, buttercup, butternut, banana, golden delicious, Hubbard, and sweet meat (Figure 1 and Figure 2). Pumpkin varieties that are best for preserving are sugar and pie varieties. This publication outlines how to preserve pumpkins and winter squash, from harvesting and storing, to canning, freezing, and dehydrating for long-term storage. Figure 1. Acorn squash (iStock Photo). Figure 2.
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Winter Squash! Julie Garden-Robinson, Ph.D., R.D., L.R.D., Food and Nutrition Specialist Mackenzie Hanson, Community Nutrition Practicum Student
FN1801 Winter Squash! Julie Garden-Robinson, Ph.D., R.D., L.R.D., Food and Nutrition Specialist MacKenzie Hanson, Community Nutrition Practicum Student quash has been used as a nutritious food for thousands of years in North America. You might find buttercup, butternut, acorn and/or spaghetti squash in your local grocery store. SBotanists consider squash to be a fruit, but it is used as a vegetable on menus. Growing Preservation In the Midwest, plant squash in late May to early June Squash may be frozen, pressure canned (in chunk form) or when the soil temperature reaches approximately 65 F. dried. Plant squash seeds ¾ inch deep, 24 to 36 inches apart. Freezing: Select full-colored mature squash with fine Use the closer spacing if the variety is a bush type. Spacing texture. Wash and cut into cooking-size sections and between rows should be 5 to 6 feet. Squash need at least 1 remove seeds. Cook until soft in boiling water, steam, a inch of rainwater or irrigation each week to grow the best. pressure cooker or an oven. When soft, remove pulp. Cool, then pack the pulp into freezer-safe containers or bags, leaving ½-inch head space. Label with the contents and Storage date. Squash keep best in a cool place at 50 to 55 F with 50 to 70 percent relative humidity. Keep the squash on a Canning: Squash can be canned in a pressure canner, shelf instead of a concrete floor and keep the surface of but for safety reasons, you should not can mashed squash. the squash dry.
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Simply Good Food ACORN SQUASH
Newsletter February, 2015 Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Texas Department of Human Services, and USDA Food & Nutrition Services Cooperating Sherri Halsell, CEA, FCS, Clay County, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, 210 W. Ikard, Suite B., Henrietta, Texas 76365 940/538-5042 * 940/538-5052 * FAX 940/538-5653 * [email protected] ****************************************************************************************** AVAILABILITY Simply Good Food Winter squash are excellent keepers and may be stored for several months. Their flesh is generally moist ACORN SQUASH when cooked and ranges from starchy to quite sweet. Some winter squash are available the year around, but peak supplies are in the fall and winter. The many varieties of squash are all members of the gourd family and are native to the New World. SELECTION Squash (and other gourds) can grow Pick winter squash that are firm and have hard skins; quite large; in the garden, they are they should be heavy for their size. Precut wedges recognized by their trailing vies, large leaves, and should look moist but not mushy. handsome blossoms. Summer squash varieties are eaten while soft and immature; most winter varieties, such as PREPARATION acorn squash, are allowed to mature, developing hard Cut into wedges or halves with a large, heavy knife; skins and starchy meat. remove seeds; peel squash using a sharp knife. Winter squash varieties may be cut into wedges or halves and baked in their skins until tender; peeled, cut TOASTING into chunks, and boiled or steamed until tender; or To toast squash seeds, rinse them well and dry cooked and mashed with butter, brown sugar, and thoroughly.
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Winter Squash
Healthy Serving Ideas • Bake, boil, roast, sauté, or microwave Nutrition Facts Serving Size: ½ cup cooked acorn winter squash. Use it in stews, soups, squash, cubed (103g) salads, dips, breads, and even pies. Calories 57 Calories from Fat 0 • Sample different varieties of winter % Daily Value squash to find out your family’s favorite. Total Fat 0g 0% (See Produce Tips for varieties.) Saturated Fat 0g 0% • Varieties with darker yellow/orange Trans Fat 0g flesh are more nutritious than lighter Cholesterol 0mg 0% colors. (Hint: Butternut is more Sodium 4mg 0% nutritious than spaghetti squash.) Total Carbohydrate 15g 5% Dietary Fiber 5g 18% SPICY APPLE-FILLED SQUASH Sugars 0g Protein 1g Makes 4 servings. 1 wedge per serving. Vitamin A 9% Calcium 5% Vitamin C 19% Iron 5% The Harvest of the Month featured Cook time: 70 minutes produce is winter Ingredients: How Much Do I Need? 1 large acorn squash (about 1 pound) • A ½ cup of cooked squash is about one squash 1 cup water cupped handful. 2 teaspoons butter • A ½ cup of winter squash, like butternut, 1 large apple, cored, peeled, chopped hubbard, and pumpkin, is an excellent 1 tablespoon brown sugar source of vitamin A. ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon • A ½ cup of winter squash, like acorn, ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves butternut, hubbard, and pumpkin, is a ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg good source of fiber and vitamin C. 1. Preheat oven to 400 F. • A ½ cup of acorn squash provides iron 2. Cut squash in half and scoop out and calcium. Health and Learning Success seeds. Place squash, cut side • Iron is a mineral that helps move down, in 13 x 9-inch dish.
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Winter Squash, Pumpkins & Gourds Collection
The Seed of Discovery Midi has medium-size fruits, averaging approximately 6 kg. (13–14 lb.) Junior is slightly smaller, fruits averaging, 3 kg. (6–7 lb.) Mini has small fruits, averaging only 1 kg. (2 lb.) Winter Squash, Pumpkins & Gourds Collection The Seed of Discovery We at Origene Seeds are proud to offer a unique array of Winter Squash, Pumpkins & Ornamental Gourds, encompassing an astonishing diversity of sizes, shapes and colors, for a broad spectrum of culinary and ornamental uses. The Winter Squash & Pumpkins Collection The Winter Squash and Pumpkins that we offer are of the highest eating quality. They differ from one another in size, shape, color, as well as flavor and texture of the fruit flesh, adapting them to a very wide range of culinary preparations. Winter Squash Table Sugar Table Confection Cucurbita pepo, Acorn Group Cucurbita pepo, Acorn Group Table Sugar is a hybrid acorn squash with a Table Confection is a new hybrid acorn squash of bush growth habit, excellent crown set and ultimate quality. Plants of Table Confection have a bush tolerance to Powdery Mildew which affords growth habit, a strong crown set and some tolerance to good cover to the developing fruits until they Powdery Mildew, providing good cover for the ripen. The fruits of Table Sugar are turbinate, developing fruits. The fruits of Table Confection have slightly flattened, with obvious longitudinal the classic acorn-squash turbinate shape, with strong furrows and ridges; and are small, ridges and deep furrows; and average nearly averaging 400 g. (0.9 lb.). 900 g. (2 lb.) in weight.
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Winter Squash
Winter Squash Squashes Michigan ranks are one of the The amount of third in fresh oldest cultivated beta-carotene in winter squash crops in the winter squashes production Western varies by the in the U.S. Hemisphere color of the flesh cultivatemichigan.org Winter Squash Guide Quick Tips and Facts about Squash Fact: Michigan ranks first nationally in 1 total acres of winter squash production, third in fresh winter squash production, and first for winter squash processing. Fact: More than 136 million pounds of 2 squash are produced per year, with a val- ue of $11.7 million. Fact: Referred to as a vegetable in cook- 3 ing, squash are actually fruits of vines of the Cucurbita genus. Winter squash comes in numerous shapes, sizes and flavors. It is considered one of the most popular vegetables harvested in the fall Fact: Squash are one of the oldest culti- and, properly stored, can last for use through- 4 vated crops in the Western Hemisphere. out the winter. Thanks to its ease for overwinter Seeds found in Mexico have been dated as storage, nutritional value and versatility in the far back as 10,000 years. kitchen, winter squash is one of the best vegeta- bles for institutional food purchasing. Whether used in soups, steamed, stuffed, roasted or Tip: Select squash that are heavy for their baked into pies, cookies or muffins, the only 5 size with a hard, tough rind and the stem limiting factor for using winter squash is one’s still attached. imagination. The Michigan Winter Squash Toolkit provides Storage Tips: Winter squash can be resources to help make it easier for institutions 6 stored in a cool, dry place for up to three to find, buy and use this delicious, nutritious months.
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Squash and Pumpkins Squash and Pumpkins Are Among the Most Popular and Productive Warm-Season Vegetables in Louisiana
Squash and Pumpkins Squash and pumpkins are among the most popular and productive warm-season vegetables in Louisiana. In Summer Squash many cases, a few plants will supply enough produce for Summer squash generally grow in bush forms. The an entire family. Squash and pumpkins belong to the gourd fruit are eaten young and tender. In general your fingernail family called the “cucurbits.” They are believed to be native should be able to easily penetrate the skin. Most chefs to Central America (especially pumpkins). Most types are prefer to cook or prepare the squash fruit when it is still good sources of vitamin A, but they are mainly desired immature. Yellow types are generally harvested 6 inches in for their flavor and texture. Squash and pumpkins can be length or less. Green and yellow zucchini can be harvested combined with spices to create savory soups and soufflés up to 10 inches in length. Summer squash require 45 to or combined with cream and sugar to make pies and 50 days from planting until harvest. If planted during the sweet breads. For gardeners on carbohydrate restricted summer, squash mature in 35 to 40 days. Summer squash diets, try using spaghetti squash or yellow and green are typically planted March through August. Space summer zucchini sliced thick in place of noodles. squash 18 inches to 3 feet apart on a row. These crops thrive in warm weather. They will tolerate Summer squash types typically grown in Louisiana some low temperatures but are very frost sensitive. Seeds include: need a soil temperature of at least 60° F to germinate.
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Roasted Acorn Squash
ROASTED ACORN SQUASH INGREDIENTS DIRECTIONS 1 large or 2 small acorn squash, 1. Preheat the oven to 3750. about 2 lbs total 2. Cut squash in half, and scrape out the seeds*. Carefully cut each half into ½ tsp salt serving-size wedges. ½ tsp ground black pepper 3. In a shallow roasting pan, place the squash wedges cut side up. Sprinkle evenly with salt and black pepper. Pour ¼ cup of water into the pan, and 1 tbsp oil, vegetable or olive cover pan tightly with aluminum foil. 2 tbsp brown sugar or maple syrup 4. Roast for 20 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and carefully remove the ¼ tsp ground cinnamon foil. ¼ tsp ground nutmeg, optional 5. Brush or spoon oil onto all the squash wedges. Sprinkle evenly with the ¼ tsp red pepper flakes or chili brown sugar or maple syrup, cinnamon, and nutmeg and red pepper flakes powder, optional if desired. 6. Return pan to the oven and roast, uncovered, until squash is golden and Makes 6 Servings tender, about 15-20 more minutes (a paring knife should be able to be easily inserted into the flesh). OTHER USES FOR ACORN SQUASH • Mix some into your muffins or pancake batter. • Save seeds and enjoy as a snack. *Garnish seeds and roast in oven until golden brown, about 30 minutes in 3250. INFORMATION ON WINTER SQUASH • Called winter squash because they can be stored for use during the winter. They are harvested mature, when the skin and seeds have become hard. • Some varieties are pumpkin, Hubbard, butternut, acorn, and spaghetti squash.
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Winter Squash
DIVISION OF AGRICULTURE R E S E A R C H & E X T E N S I O N University of Arkansas System Agriculture and Natural Resources FSA6078 Home Gardening Series Winter Squash Craig R. Andersen squash. It may be planted and cared Associate Professor and Environment for in much the same manner as Extension Specialist – sunny winter squash. Light – welldrained Vegetables Soil – mediumrich Fertility – 6.0 to 7.2 pH – warm Temperature – average Moisture Culture – direct seed into warm soil Planting – 24 feet x 48 inches Spacing (23 plants per hill) – warm, frost sensitive Hardiness – medium Fertilizer Cultural Practices Winter Squash – Planting Time Cucurbita species Warm soil is necessary for The squash family is native to the germination of seed and proper New World. It is possible that squash growth of plants. Plant seed directly was cultivated prior to the develop in the garden after the danger of frost ment of corn. For more than 6,000 has passed and the soil has warmed years, squash and its relatives have above 62 degrees F in the spring. been grown in the New World. Squash Squash is a warmseason plant and was taken to Europe by Spanish does not do well until soil and air explorers and was being grown there temperatures are above 62 degrees F. in the 16th century. Soil Preparation The word “squash” comes from a Squash grows best in a loamy, Massachusetts Indian word. Winter welldrained soil. Adjust soil pH as squash belongs to four different indicated in a soil test.
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