Turban Squash Information (Winter Squash)

Tybel harvesting the winter squash

The squashes that we harvested this week are a variety of Turban squash that we chose because of their small size and excellent storage qualities. In a drier season, we would have left them on the vine longer, but due to the moisture in the gardens, we needed to harvest them before they started to spoil or before the squash borers got to them. Still, they are full size, ripe, and beautiful. Some of them you will start seeing in the boxes this next week, and some we will cure and store for later distribution.

Turban Squashes are a variety of winter squash, known for their hard shells which enable them to store longer than summer squashes. Their flesh is mildly sweet and they have seed-containing hollow inner cavities.

Health Benefits
Winter squashes are high in carotenes, and they are good sources of vitamins A, C, B1, B6, folic acid, pantothenic acid, potassium, niacin, iron, riboflavin, magnesium and dietary fiber. Carotenes are highly valued for their anti-carcinogenic properties.

Uses

• To cook halved squash, pierce it in several locations with a fork to allow steam to escape and bake at 350 F until tender (30-90 minutes depending on size). It can be cooked dry, rubbed with butter or oil, or steamed with a little bit of water in the pan.
• After cooking, it can be mashed and used in breads, cakes, muffins, scones, pies, etc.
• Steamed...cube the squash and steam until tender. Dress it with melted butter or olive oil and your favorite seasonings.
• Creamed in a soup.