Winter squash

Winter squash is an annual fruit representing several squash species within the genus Cucurbita. It differs from summer squash in that it is harvested and eaten in the mature fruit stage when the seeds within have matured fully and the skin has hardened into a tough rind. At this stage, most varieties of this fruit can be stored for use during the winter. Winter squash is generally cooked before being eaten, and the skin or rind is not usually eaten as it is with summer squash.[1]

An assortment of winter squashes

In New Zealand and Australian English, the term "pumpkin" generally refers to the broader category called "winter squash".[2]

Planting and harvesting

Squash is a frost-tender plant meaning that the seeds do not germinate in cold soil. Winter squash seeds germinate best when the soil temperature is 21 to 35 °C (70 to 95 °F), with the warmer end of the range being optimal.[3] It is harvested whenever the fruit has turned a deep, solid color and the skin is hard. Most winter squash is harvested in September or October in the Northern Hemisphere, before the danger of heavy frosts.

Nutritional value
Winter squash, all varieties, raw
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
8.59g
Sugars2.2 g
Dietary fiber1.5g
0.13 g
0.95 g
VitaminsQuantity %DV†
Vitamin A equiv.
9%
68 μg
8%
820 μg
38 μg
Thiamine (B1)
3%
0.04 mg
Riboflavin (B2)
5%
0.062 mg
Niacin (B3)
3%
0.5 mg
Pantothenic acid (B5)
4%
0.188 mg
Vitamin B6
12%
0.156 mg
Folate (B9)
6%
24 μg
Vitamin C
15%
12.3 mg
MineralsQuantity %DV†
Calcium
3%
28 mg
Iron
4%
0.58 mg
Magnesium
4%
15 mg
Manganese
8%
0.164 mg
Phosphorus
3%
24 mg
Potassium
7%
350 mg
Link to USDA Database entry
†Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults.
Source: USDA FoodData Central

Winter squash is a low-calorie food and a good source of complex vegetable carbohydrates and dietary fiber. It is an excellent source of vitamin A, a great source of vitamin C, potassium, dietary fiber and manganese, and a good source of folate, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B1 (thiamin), copper, tryptophan, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), vitamin B3 (niacin) and vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid).[4] It is also a source of iron and beta-carotene. Usually, the darker the skin is, the higher the beta-carotene content.[5]

Subspecies, cultivars and varieties
Main article: List of gourds and squashes

Cucurbita maxima

Cucurbita argyrosperma

Cucurbita moschata
Butternut squash is a variety of winter squash
Calabaza, a winter squash common in Cuba, Florida, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines

Cucurbita pepo

See also

References
  1. "Winter Squash". University of Illinois Extension. Retrieved September 15, 2013.
  2. Ferriol, María; Picó, Belén (2007). "3". Handbook of Plant Breeding: Vegetables I. New York: Springer. p. 317. ISBN 978-0-387-72291-7. The common terms "pumpkin", "squash", "gourd", "cushaw", "ayote", "zapallo", "calabaza", etc. are often applied indiscriminately to different cultivated species of the New World genus Cucurbita L. (Cucurbitaceae): C. pepo L., C.  maxima Duchesne, C. moschata Duchesne, C. argyrosperma C. Huber and C. ficifolia Bouché.
  3. Nonnecke, Ib Libner (1989). Vegetable Production. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold. p. 534. ISBN 0-442-26721-5.
  4. "Squash, winter". whfoods.org. The George Mateljan Foundation. Retrieved 2013-08-28.
  5. "Vitamin A". National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health. Retrieved September 15, 2013.
  6. "Squash". What's Cooking America. Retrieved 2013-08-28.
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