How to Cook Winter Squash

Guide Note There it is in front of you--a large round vegetable, filled with great taste and nutrients. But what do you do with it? This guide to How to Cook Winter Squash will help you enjoy this versatile vegetable.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Types of Squash
• Before You Start
• Steamed Winter Squash
• Baked Winter Squash
• Pureed Winter Squash
• Additional Winter Squash Recipes
• References

Winter Squash Tips

1. One pound of winter squash equals about 2 cups of cooked, mashed squash
2. Easier to peel after being cooked
3. Plan on one cup of cooked squash per person

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Introduction

• Winter squash isn't grown or even harvested in the winter. It does have excellent keeping qualities, however, so after it is harvested in the early fall, it can be stored and consumed during the winter months.¹ Although related to Summer squash, winter squash differ in that they have a hard outer skin and mature seeds.²

Types of Squash

• 

  (Creative Commons photo by Rudi Riet)
  Winter Squash is an edible relative of the gourd.³ There are a number of different varieties, of which these are several of the most common:^{4 5}

Pumpkin

• A key part of Thanksgiving dinner, pumpkin pie is an American staple. Pumpkin is also frequently turned into sweet bread or soup. The pulp also can be used to augment cheesecake or cookies. Of course, like most winter squashes, it makes a wonderful side dish as well.⁶

Acorn Squash

• The traditional preparation for acorn squash involves baking it with brown sugar and butter.⁷ It's smaller size makes it great for stuffing as well.⁸

Hubbard Squash

• Hubbard squash can also be used as a pie squash, or served as a side dish.^{9 10}

Butternut Squash

• Whipped with butter and a touch of brown sugar, butternut squash is a great make ahead holiday side dish. Just reheat in the microwave!¹¹

Preparation

• Some winter squash recipes don't require peeling, but for those that do, it can be a challenge.¹²

1. Slice the squash in half.
2. Scoop out the seeds, and set aside. They can be discarded, or roasted later. For tips, see our guide to How To Cook Pumpkin Seeds.
3. Use a vegetable peeler. The thin-skinned varieties can be peeled with a paring knife, if desired.
4. Thicker skinned squash are easier to peel if you cut them into several pieces first.
5. All types of winter squash is also easier to peel after cooking.

Steamed Winter Squash

• You'll need about a 2 pound squash to serve 4 people.¹³ Steamed winter squash can be enjoyed as is or tossed with seasonings such as olive oil, tamari and ginger.¹⁴

Instructions

1. 

   (Creative Commons photo by Chad Miller)
   Place steamer insert in pot.
2. Fill pot with water, stopping at the base of the insert.
3. Set pot aside.
4. Trim off both the stem and blossom ends of the squash.
5. Prepare squash by peeling and removing the seeds.
6. Chop squash into bite sized chunks or slices.
7. Place squash in steamer basket.
8. Bring the water to a boil.
9. Turn heat down to a simmer.
10. Cover and steam until squash is tender when pierced with a fork, about 30 minutes.¹⁵
11. Transfer squash to serving bowl, and season with butter, salt and pepper as desired.

Baked Winter Squash

• The simplest preparation for winter squash is to slice it in half, scoop the seeds out and bake with brown sugar and butter. This preparation works particularly well for smaller squashes, such as acorn, where each person can be served a whole squash half with a lovely pool of melted butter and caramelized sugar in the center!¹⁶

Instructions

1. 

   (Creative Commons photo by Harmony)
   Preheat oven to 400 F.¹⁷
2. Wash squash.
3. Cut squash in half.
4. Scoop seeds out with a spoon, using a paring knife to separate any stubborn fibers.
5. Place squash in baking dish, cut side up.
6. Add about 1/4 inch of water to the baking dish.¹⁷
7. Place butter and sugar or syrup in the center of each squash half.
   • You can substitute maple syrup for all or part of the brown sugar, if desired.¹⁸
8. Bake for about an hour, or until tender when pierced with a fork.¹⁸
9. Remove from baking dish carefully, being careful not to spill the butter or break the skin.

Pureed Winter Squash

• Pureed squash can be a simple concoction of squash and butter, or an elegant presentation such as Pumpkin Puree with Prune Swirl.¹⁹ One of the great things about a squash puree is that it can be made ahead of time, and then reheated quickly in the microwave. This makes it a great side dish to include as part of a big meal, such as Thanksgiving or Christmas. Before pureeing, you'll want to precook the squash, by steaming or baking.²⁰

Precook the Squash

• Prior to pureeing the squash should be steamed, roasted or microwaved.

1. To steam the squash, follow the instructions above until step 10.
2. 

   (Creative Commons photo by benketaro)
   If you prefer, you can roast the squash instead of steaming it.²¹
   1. Preheat oven to 400 F.¹⁷
   2. Cut squash in half.
   3. Place squash in baking dish, cut side down.
   4. Add about 1/4 inch of water to the baking dish.¹⁷
   5. Cover baking dish with foil.
   6. Bake for about an hour, or until tender when pierced with a fork.¹⁸
   7. Scoop seeds out with a spoon, and discard.
3. You can use the microwave to precook smaller squash, like acorn or butternut.
   1. Cut squash in half.
   2. Place squash in microwave safe baking dish, cut side down.
   3. Pierce skin several times with a fork.
   4. Add about 1/4 inch of water to the baking dish.¹⁷
   5. Cover baking dish with plastic wrap.
   6. Microwave on high for 12 - 15 minutes.²²
   7. Allow squash to sit in the microwave, covered, for 10 minutes after cooking is complete.^{12 22}

Puree the Squash

1. While still warm, but cool enough to handle, scoop the squash pulp out of the rind, and place in a food processor.
2. Add butter, and any desired seasonings.
3. Process until smooth.
4. Transfer to serving bowl.

Additional Winter Squash Recipes

• Food Network: Steamed Acorn Squash with Lime and Scallion²³  
  • This simple preparation is a nice change of pace for acorn squash.
• Epicurious.com: Pumpkin Flan with Spiced Pumpkin Seeds  
  • Pumpkin flan , served with caramel and pumpkin seeds seasoned with cayenne pepper.
• CHOW: Autumn Squash Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter Sauce
  • This recipe uses squash makes as a filling for ravioli made with wonton skins.

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References for How to Cook Winter Squash

1. ↑ The New York Times: Appreciating Qualities Of Winter Squash (November 14, 1999)
2. ↑ MedicineNet.com: Winter Squash: Recipes and Tips
3. ↑ Purdue: Squash, Pumpkins and Gourds.
4. ↑ Delicious Organics: Squash
5. ↑ Squash Growing Tips: Welcome to Squash Growing Tips
6. ↑ Epicurious.com: Stewed Pumpkins 
7. ↑ Simply Recipes: Classic Baked Acorn Squash Recipe(September 15, 2005)
8. ↑ All Recipes: Moroccan-Style Stuffed Acorn Squash
9. ↑ All Recipes: Grandma's Sweet Hubbard Squash Custard Pie
10. ↑ That's My Home: Hubbard Squash in Sour Cream
11. ↑ Recipezaar: Butternut Squash Puree
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1} University of Illinois: Preparing and Serving Winter Squash
13. ↑ Epicurious.com: Steamed Kabocha Squash 
14. ↑ WHFoods: How to Enjoy Winter Squash
15. ↑ A Veggie Venture: Steamed Butternut Squash (September 16, 2007)
16. ↑ All Recipes: Baked Acorn Squash
17. ↑ ^{17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 17.5 17.6} Simply Recipes: Classic Baked Acorn Squash
18. ↑ ^{18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3} Food Network: Baked Acorn Squash
19. ↑ Epicurious.com: Pumpkin Puree with Prune Swirl 
20. ↑ Epicurious.com: Fresh Pumpkin Puree 
21. ↑ NPR: Roasted Winter Squash Puree
22. ↑ ^{22.0 22.1} Washington Post: Basic Winter Squash Puree
23. ↑ Food Network: Steamed Acorn Squash with Lime and Scallion