Garden & Yard: Wonderful Winter Squash
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Only a few winter squashes are classified as C. mixta, a species first described in the 1920s that probably originated in Central America and Mexico, and then spread to the American Southwest by the late 1400s. The best known of these are the cushaws, which need up to 115 days of warm weather to produce their 10- to 12-pound bottle-shaped fruits, so they are rarely grown outside the South and Southwest. Yet in their home range, cushaws and other C. mixta, such as ‘Hopi Black Green’ and ‘Tequila Black’ show tremendous tolerance of heat and insects, especially borers. Their seeds are great for roasting, and plant historians think these squashes were first grown for their seeds rather than for their flesh.
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Like C. mixta, winter squash classified as C. moschata have thin, ridged stems that make them unattractive to squash vine borers. They also come in several different forms. Familiar butternuts are the most widely grown moschatas, and reliable open-pollinated varieties such as ‘Waltham,’ released in 1970, and Johnny’s ‘Metro PMR’ hybrid have much to offer. Easy to peel, with creamy smooth flesh, long storage potential and high in vitamin A, butternuts also can be picked immature and eaten as summer squash.
“They taste way better than summer squash, and people really like them,” Jahn says. “We’re actually breeding some new butternuts to use as summer-winter squash. They taste great, and the plants don’t shut down like summer squash do. And, if you miss some, they will go on and mature into a butternut.” Some C. moschata also are famous for distinctive flavors, such as the spicy, hazelnutty ‘Futsu Black’ variety from Japan, which is similar to other varieties called cheese pumpkins (so-named because they are round and flattened, like a wheel of cheese). These 6- to 10-pound pumpkinlike squashes include numerous pest-resistant heirloom varieties grown from Texas to Thailand.
There is even a heat- and drought-tolerant moschata called ‘Tahitian’ that is grown from South Carolina to Southern California. Boasting big fruits weighing from 8 to 30 pounds on vines that often run 20 feet long or more, ‘Tahitian’ is described as “a butternut on steroids” by Tim Miller, an organic farmer near Austin, Texas.
In 20 years of growing ‘Tahitian,’ Miller has never had an insect problem. “Be sure to plant it in really warm soil, in a hill enriched with compost,” he says. Miller’s favorite way to eat ‘Tahitian’ is baked with a little cinnamon on top, but ‘Tahitian’ has such high sugar content that it also can be grated and eaten raw.
Taking the Cure
Winter squash is wonderful because it stores easily for up to six months. Rob Johnston, founder and chairman of Johnny’s Selected Seeds, says he handles stored squash gently to avoid bruising them. But even under ideal conditions, some squash last longer than others. As a general guideline, figure on six weeks for delicatas; two and a half months for buttercups; between three months and four months for acorns; and five months to six months for butternuts.
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