What is the best squash to eat? A Guide to Choosing Your Perfect Variety

Squash, a staple crop for many Indigenous American groups, is a versatile and nutritious fruit belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family. With dozens of varieties, from sweet butternut to mild zucchini, understanding the differences is key to deciding what is the best squash to eat for your next meal.

Quick Summary

This guide explores popular winter and summer squash varieties, detailing their distinct flavors, textures, and ideal culinary uses. It provides insights into how to select and prepare different types of squash, ensuring you choose the right one for any dish.

Key Points

• Butternut Squash is a Versatile All-Star: With its sweet, nutty flavor and creamy texture, it is excellent for roasting, purees, soups, and mashes.

• Summer Squash is Best for Quick Cooking: Zucchini and yellow squash have tender, edible skin and mild flavors that work well for grilling, sautéing, and salads.

• Delicata Squash Offers Easy Prep: This winter squash has a thin, edible skin and sweet, nutty flesh, making it a convenient choice for roasting without the need for peeling.

• Spaghetti Squash is a Great Pasta Alternative: After cooking, its flesh shreds into noodle-like strands, providing a low-carb option for pasta dishes.

• Kabocha Squash Has Intense Flavor: Known as Japanese pumpkin, it has a dense, dry, and sweet flesh, ideal for soups, curries, and roasting.

• Choose Squash Based on Your Dish: Winter squash is better for long-simmering dishes and roasting, while summer squash excels in quicker cooking applications.

Understanding the Two Main Types of Squash

Before diving into specific varieties, it's essential to understand the primary distinction between winter and summer squash. This classification dictates their flavor profile, texture, and how they are best cooked.

Winter Squash: Hard Rinds, Sweet Flesh

Winter squash is harvested when the fruit is fully mature, typically in the late summer or fall. Their hard, thick outer skin allows for long-term storage throughout the cooler months. This maturation process also results in a denser, often sweeter, and more starchy flesh. Unlike their summer counterparts, the seeds of winter squash are fully developed and are usually removed before cooking, although they can be roasted for a tasty snack.

Summer Squash: Tender Skin, Mild Flavor

Summer squash is harvested when immature and has a thin, tender skin that is completely edible. They have a shorter shelf life and are best enjoyed within a week or two of purchase. The flesh is much softer and has higher water content, with smaller, softer seeds that are typically not removed. Their flavor is milder and can be easily overpowered, making them incredibly versatile for absorbing other seasonings.

A Comparison of Popular Winter and Summer Squashes

To help you decide which squash is best for your cooking needs, here is a detailed look at some of the most popular varieties.

The All-Star: Butternut Squash

Butternut squash is one of the most recognizable and versatile winter squashes.

• Flavor and Texture: It offers a sweet, nutty taste and a creamy, smooth texture that intensifies when roasted. Its flavor is often compared to a mix of sweet potato and butterscotch.
• Best For: This all-purpose squash is perfect for purees, soups, mashes, pasta sauces, and roasting.

The Pasta Alternative: Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti squash is a unique winter variety prized for its stringy, noodle-like flesh.

• Flavor and Texture: It has a mild, almost watery flavor, making it an excellent vehicle for strong sauces like marinara or pesto.
• Best For: Used as a low-carb, gluten-free alternative to traditional pasta.

The Easy-Prep Favorite: Delicata Squash

Often called the 'sweet potato squash,' delicata is a winter squash with a surprisingly delicate, edible skin.

• Flavor and Texture: Its flavor is sweet and nutty, with a creamy flesh that roasts beautifully.
• Best For: Roasting into crispy rings or half-moons without needing to peel.

The Japanese Gem: Kabocha Squash

Also known as Japanese pumpkin, kabocha is a top-tier winter squash known for its intense flavor.

• Flavor and Texture: The flesh is notably dry and flaky, similar to a sweet potato or roasted chestnut, and becomes velvety smooth when roasted.
• Best For: Curries, soups, stews, or tempura where its dry texture absorbs moisture and flavor well.

The Grill-Friendly Option: Zucchini

Zucchini is a classic summer squash known for its incredible versatility.

• Flavor and Texture: Mild, slightly sweet, and high in water content. It has a tender, edible skin.
• Best For: Grilling, sautéing, adding to stir-fries, spiralizing into 'zoodles', or using raw in salads.

The Saucer-Shaped Delight: Pattypan Squash

Pattypan squash, with its unique scalloped edges, is a visually appealing summer variety.

• Flavor and Texture: Mild, slightly nutty, and buttery flavor with a firm flesh.
• Best For: Sautéing, grilling, or stuffing, as it holds its shape well.

Winter vs. Summer Squash: A Quick Comparison

Feature	Winter Squash	Summer Squash
Harvest	Fully mature, late summer/fall	Immature, during summer
Skin	Thick, hard, mostly inedible	Thin, tender, edible
Seeds	Large, mature, usually discarded	Small, immature, often eaten
Flesh	Dense, starchy, sweet	Soft, watery, mild
Storage	Months in a cool, dry place	Refrigerate for 1-2 weeks
Cooking Time	Longer cooking times (roasting, soups)	Faster cooking times (sauté, grill)

Nutritional Spotlight: The Healthiest Choices

While all squashes are healthy, some offer a higher concentration of certain nutrients. Registered dietitians often point to butternut squash as a nutritional winner due to its very high beta-carotene content, which the body converts into vitamin A. A single cup can provide hundreds of percent of your daily beta-carotene needs. Other standouts include:

• Acorn squash, which is particularly rich in potassium and magnesium.
• Summer squash like zucchini and yellow squash, which offer significant vitamin C and are lower in calories and carbs.
• Spaghetti squash, known for its low-calorie and low-carb profile, making it a great pasta alternative.

How to Pick and Cook the Best Squash

Choosing the right squash is just the first step. Proper preparation is key to maximizing flavor.

Choosing Your Squash

When selecting any squash, look for one that feels heavy for its size and has a firm, unblemished skin. A dried-out stem on winter squash is a good sign of ripeness.

Cooking Methods for Optimal Flavor

• Roasting: Excellent for intensifying the flavor of butternut, delicata, and kabocha squashes. Simply toss with olive oil, salt, and your favorite spices, then roast until tender.
• Sautéing/Grilling: Best for summer squash like zucchini and pattypan. These methods create a pleasant char and soften the flesh quickly.
• Soups and Purees: Butternut and kabocha squash are ideal for creamy, blended soups due to their smooth, dense flesh when cooked.
• Stuffing: The cavity of acorn, delicata, or carnival squash is perfect for stuffing with a savory mixture of grains, meat, or vegetables.

Conclusion

There is no single "best" squash to eat, as the ideal choice depends on your desired flavor, texture, and cooking method. For a sweet, creamy flavor and incredible versatility, butternut squash is an excellent all-purpose choice. If you're looking for a low-carb pasta substitute, spaghetti squash is your go-to. For easy preparation and edible skin, delicata is a convenient winter option. Summer squash varieties like zucchini offer a mild flavor and quick cooking time for grilling and sautéing. By understanding the unique characteristics of each type, you can confidently select the perfect squash to create a delicious and nutritious meal every time.

For more information on the distinctions between winter and summer varieties, the MasterClass article on the topic provides further details: What's the Difference Between Summer Squash and Winter Squash Varieties?.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which squash is best for making soup?

Butternut, kabocha, and buttercup squash are excellent choices for soup due to their sweet flavor and creamy, dense flesh that purees beautifully.

Can you eat the skin on all types of squash?

No, the edibility of squash skin depends on the variety. The skin of most summer squash (like zucchini) and some winter squash (like delicata and honeynut) is edible when cooked, but the thick rind of most winter squash should be removed.

Which squash is the healthiest?

While all squash are healthy, butternut squash is often cited for its high beta-carotene content, which is converted to Vitamin A in the body. Acorn squash is also high in potassium and magnesium.

How should I store different types of squash?

Winter squash can be stored for several months in a cool, dark place with good air circulation. Summer squash is more perishable and should be refrigerated and used within one to two weeks.

What's the best squash to use as a pasta substitute?

Spaghetti squash is the best option for a pasta substitute. When cooked, its flesh pulls apart into strands that resemble and function like spaghetti.

How do I pick a good squash at the store?

Look for a squash that is firm, heavy for its size, and free of blemishes, soft spots, or cracks. For winter squash, a dry, woody stem is a good sign of ripeness.

What are the key differences between winter and summer squash?

The main differences are in maturity and skin thickness. Winter squash is harvested when mature with a hard skin and dense, starchy flesh, while summer squash is harvested young with a thin, tender skin and milder, watery flesh.