Pumpkins and Squash

[BakerAunt]

I love the farmers' market in the autumn when the pumpkins and squash arrive. I am stocking up on butternut squash and some spaghetti squash, and I am stocking up on pumpkins.

I like peanut pumpkins and have bought another large one this year. I have six pie pumpkins and may buy two more. I was unable to buy a Fairy Tale pumpkin this year, which was one that we liked so much last year. The grower is thinking of starting them earlier next year, as they take longer to ripen. The ones they had out were still green, and they need to be the tan color for eating.

He did direct me to a Long Island Cheese pumpkin, so I bought a large one of those to try. From what I read, it is native to New England area and is the pumpkin most used there. It should work for pies, soups, breads, etc. I'll post about it when I try it.

Last week, I bought a Turban squash variety. I've never cooked one of these. The vendor said that a chef from a resort near here came to their place, and the turban squash were the ones he wanted. She said that she has used it as a side dish, baked, then cut into cubes. I looked online, and most people prepare it by cutting off the "cap" then halving it and the bottom, scooping out the seeds and strings, then roasting it. However, I found a YouTube video from Bethan's Kitchen and Garden, where she put the entire squash in a round pan with some water and roasted at 180C for an hour. She then showed how it cut nicely. However, she did not say how that affects the seeds and stringy mass, which I would have to be separated out after the squash roasted. I would think that would be harder to do.

Has anyone here ever roasted a Turban squash??

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[Mike Nolan]

The biggest challenge might be getting the seeds and strings out without removing a lot of the edible parts of the squash, especially when it's all hot.

[BakerAunt]

That's what I thought as well, Mike. I plan to roast it the other way, even if it is hard to cut the cap off.

[Mike Nolan]

I don't eat a lot of squash (spaghetti squash is one of the few I'll eat), I may not have been aware that a turban squash was even edible, I'm pretty sure my wife has never made one for herself. Having to cut the cap off seems like a waste, especially when they sell them by the pound.

[BakerAunt]

Mike--as I understand it, the cap gets roasted as well. It just is done earlier and taken out of the oven earlier.

[BakerAunt]

I roasted the turban squash yesterday, and I was underwhelmed. On the positive side, the flesh holds its shape, so if you want squash cubes, you can get them. On the negative side, there is a large interior cavity with lots and lots of seeds. The bumpy bottom did not have much by way of flesh, and so was a waste.

It is possible that my squash was a bit past its prime, as I did not find it any harder to cut than any other squashes. I use a serrated knife, made particularly for pumpkins and squash, made by Kuhn Rikon, which I picked up on year at T. J. Maxx.

After I cut off the skin from the roasted squash pieces (roasted at 400F for 50 minutes, skin side down), I returned them to a 375F oven for 15 minutes, while the rest of dinner cooked, then put them in a bowl and tossed them with maple syrup, since it needed some sweetness.

I will not be roasting another turban squash. It is not worth the effort it requires. I will stick to butternut, Honey Nut, spaghetti squash, and the flavorful varieties of pumpkins, with an occasional acorn squash.

[navlys]

Ba, don't forget to include delicata squash. The skin is even edible and the flesh is sweet and creamy!

[BakerAunt]

I'll add delicata to my list, Navlys! Thanks!

[chocomouse]

I grew delicata squash for the first time this year, and I've never tasted it. It is curing now, but about ready to eat. I'm not so excited about eating the skin! Just doesn't seem right, after 70+ years of not eating squash skins!! We'll see.

[BakerAunt]

It's February 8, 2023, and I am finally roasting the Long Island Cheese Pumpkin that I mentioned on October 2, 2022, when I began this post. It kept well at cool temperatures in our Annex/Guest Apartment. It was easier to cut in half lengthwise than many of the pumpkins I have done. The stringy seeds have been put out for the birds. I am not sure how long it will take these large pumpkin halves to roast. I'm assuming about two hours, but I will check before then. I've not used this variety before. I will add another post at the end of the process and will also post on how I use it.

By the way, I still have four pie pumpkins to process. I was slowed down by lack of freezer space.

[Mike Nolan]

We bought a delicata at the farmer's market, Diane ate it but didn't think it was all that different from other kinds of squash.

[BakerAunt]

The Long Island Cheese Pumpkin halves roasted in an hour and 45 minutes. A fair amount of water was released in the process. After I scooped out the pumpkin from the rind, I put it in a colander over a bowl and drained off more water. I was pleased with the yield of pumpkin puree. I had enough to set aside 16 oz. for a black bean and pumpkin soup, two containers of 500g to use in baking Ginsberg's Spiced Rye Bread recipe again, another 16 oz. container that I can use when I bake my recipe for two sandwich loaves of pumpkin rye bread, and 12.6 oz. that I will freeze to use for as yet undetermined use in the future.

I do not think that I would use this puree in a pie, as it has what I would describe as a more savory aroma. It should work well in breads and soup.

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