Squash harvested and eaten in mature stage; skin hardened into tough rind

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An assortment of winter squashes

Winter squash is an annual fruit representing several squash species within the genus Cucurbita. Late-growing, less symmetrical, odd-shaped, rough or warty varieties, small to medium in size, but with long-keeping qualities and hard rinds, are usually called winter squash.[1] They differ from summer squash in that they are harvested and eaten in the mature stage when their seeds within have matured fully and their skin has hardened into a tough rind. At this stage, most varieties of this vegetable 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.[2]

Varieties

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

Four species in the genus Cucurbita yield cultivars that are grown as winter squashes: C. argyrosperma, C. maxima, C. moschata, and C. pepo.

Cultivars of winter squash that are round and orange are called pumpkins. In New Zealand and Australian English, the term pumpkin generally refers to the broader category called winter squash elsewhere.[3]

Planting and harvesting

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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.[4] 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.[citation needed]

Although winter squashes are grown in many regions, they are relatively economically unimportant, with few exceptions.[1] They are grown extensively in tropical America, Japan, Northern Italy, and certain areas of the United States.[1] The calabazas of the West Indies and the forms grown by the people of Mexico and Central America are not uniform, pure varieties but extremely variable in size, shape, and color.[1] Since these species are normally cross-pollinated, it is now difficult to keep a variety pure.[1]

Nutritional value

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Raw winter squash (such as acorn or butternut squash) is 90% water, 9% carbohydrates, 1% protein. It contains negligible fat (table), except in the oil-rich seeds. In a 100 gram reference amount, it supplies 34 calories and is a moderate source (10-19% of the Daily Value, DV) of vitamin C (15% DV) and vitamin B6 (12% DV), with no other micronutrients in significant content (table). It is also a source of the provitamin A carotenoid, beta-carotene.[7]

See also

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For more information, please visit Wholesale Squash Seeds.

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References

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Winter Squash: Saving Seed

Winter squash has harder skin than summer squash does; its flesh is firmer too and so needs to cook longer. The seeds are fully developed when the squash is ready to eat, whereas summer squash needs to be left on the vine well past the eating stage to complete the development of its seed.

Understanding Pollination

Before you try to save seeds from your winter squash, it's important to understand the way they become pollinated.

Winter squashes, along with all cucurbits, are cross-pollinated. This means that they have both distinct male and distinct female flowers. They rely on insects to pollinate them. Because of this, it is easy for two varieties of winter squash to cross-pollinate and produce seeds that will not grow out true to their parent. Winter squash may cross-pollinate with summer squash, zucchini, and pumpkins as they are all the same species. However, don't worry about this if you are just interested in getting winter squash for eating. Any crossing will not affect that year's fruit, only the seeds.

If you want to save your own winter squash seeds, only grow one type of squash in the garden. Another possibility is to hand-pollinate your flowers to prevent cross-pollination but this can be quite complicated. In order to do this, growers put small bags over the flowers and manually do the work of pollinating to keep the seeds pure. We recommend that only advanced seed savers take on this complex project.

Saving The Seeds

Harvest the winter squash as you would normally for winter storage. Allow the squash to sit for after-ripening for at least 3-6 weeks up to several months.

Wash the seeds to remove any flesh and strings. Cure the seeds by laying them out in a single layer on a paper towel to dry. Store them this way in a place that is dry and out of direct sunlight. Once thoroughly dried, in 3 to 7 days, store them in an envelope in a cool dry place with the rest of your seed supply. Dried winter squash seeds will store up to 6 years if kept in cool, dry conditions.

Pumpkin seeds in particular are delicious as a snack. Check out this recipe for Spiced Pumpkin Seeds.

Learn more about seed saving here.

Interested in learning more? The Grower's Library at Johnny's Selected Seeds may have the information you're looking for.

Want more information on Others Melon Varieties? Feel free to contact us.