Acorn squash (
Cucurbita pepoThe species Cucurbita pepo is a cultivated plant of the genus Cucurbita. It includes varieties of squash, gourd, and pumpkin.*Acorn squash*Delicata squash*Gem squash*Heart of gold squash*Pattypan squash*Some types of Pumpkin*Spaghetti squash...
) is a
winter squashWinter squash is a warm-seasoned vegetable, representing several 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...
with distinctive longitudinal ridges and sweet, yellow-orange
fleshFlesh is the biological tissue of a person or animal located between the skin and the bones. In ordinary speech, it typically contrasts with bone, as in the merism flesh and bone. It mainly refers to skeletal muscle and associated fat, though it includes all other internal soft tissue...
. Although considered a "winter" squash, acorn squash belongs to the same species as all "summer" squashes (including
zucchiniZucchini or courgette is a small summer squash. Along with some other squashes, it belongs to the species Cucurbita pepo...
and
yellow crookneck squashYellow crookneck squash is a variety of summer squash with bumpy, yellow skin and sweet flesh. The taste is closer to winter squashes than to summer squashes, although it is a short-season bearer....
). The most common variety is dark green in color. However, newer varieties have arisen including Golden Acorn, for its glowing yellow color, and some that are white. They can also be variegated (multi-colored).
Acorn squash (
Cucurbita pepoThe species Cucurbita pepo is a cultivated plant of the genus Cucurbita. It includes varieties of squash, gourd, and pumpkin.*Acorn squash*Delicata squash*Gem squash*Heart of gold squash*Pattypan squash*Some types of Pumpkin*Spaghetti squash...
) is a
winter squashWinter squash is a warm-seasoned vegetable, representing several 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...
with distinctive longitudinal ridges and sweet, yellow-orange
fleshFlesh is the biological tissue of a person or animal located between the skin and the bones. In ordinary speech, it typically contrasts with bone, as in the merism flesh and bone. It mainly refers to skeletal muscle and associated fat, though it includes all other internal soft tissue...
. Although considered a "winter" squash, acorn squash belongs to the same species as all "summer" squashes (including
zucchiniZucchini or courgette is a small summer squash. Along with some other squashes, it belongs to the species Cucurbita pepo...
and
yellow crookneck squashYellow crookneck squash is a variety of summer squash with bumpy, yellow skin and sweet flesh. The taste is closer to winter squashes than to summer squashes, although it is a short-season bearer....
). The most common variety is dark green in color. However, newer varieties have arisen including Golden Acorn, for its glowing yellow color, and some that are white. They can also be variegated (multi-colored). As the name suggests, its shape resembles that of an
acornThe acorn, or oak nut, is the nut of the oak tree . It usually contains a single seed , enclosed in a tough, leathery shell, and borne in a cup-shaped cupule. Acorns vary from 1–6 cm long and 0.8–4 cm broad...
. It is also good for winter storage, keeping several months in a cool dry location such as a cellar.
Acorn squash are easily grown. Seeds are started after all danger of frost is past and the soil is warm or within 3–4 weeks before the predicted last frost date in the area. Seeds directly sown are placed one inch deep, 5-6 to a hill; hills are 6 feet in all direction from other hills. Roughly 85 days after germinating, acorn squash are ready to be harvested. Curing takes a week to ten days in a sheltered area outside, or a warm dry place such as a garage, protected from frost.
The seeds of the squash are also eaten, usually after being toasted. Acorn squash is most commonly baked, but can also be microwaved, sauteed, and steamed. This squash is not as rich in
beta-caroteneβ-Carotene is an organic compound - a terpenoid, a red-orange pigment abundant in plants and fruits. As a carotene with beta-rings at both ends, it is the most common form of carotene. It is a precursor of vitamin A...
as other winter squashes, but is a good source of dietary
fiberFiber, also spelled fibre, is a class of materials that are continuous filaments or are in discrete elongated pieces, similar to lengths of thread. They are very important in the biology of both plants and animals, for holding tissues together. Human uses for fibers are diverse...
and
potassiumPotassium is the chemical element with the symbol K , atomic number 19, and atomic mass 39.0983. Potassium was first isolated from potash...
, as well as smaller amounts of
vitamins CVitamin C or L-ascorbic acid is an essential nutrient for humans, in which it functions as a vitamin. Ascorbate is required for a range of essential metabolic reactions in all animals and plants...
and B,
magnesiumMagnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg, atomic number 12 and common oxidation number +2. It is an alkaline earth metal and the eighth most abundant element in the earth's crust by mass, although ninth in the Universe as a whole...
, and
manganeseManganese is a chemical element, designated by the symbol Mn. It has the atomic number 25. It is found as a free element in nature , and in many minerals...
.