Squash, Winter, including Pumpkin

Appears in
Professional Cooking: 8th Edition
Professional Cooking

By Wayne Gisslen

Published 2014

  • About
  • Identification: Winter squash are mature members of the gourd family, with thick skins and hard seeds in a hollow cavity. They are starchier and less moist than summer squash and, unlike summer squash, are not generally eaten raw.
  • Related Varieties: Many types, of all sizes and shapes, are available, including Hubbard, acorn, butternut, buttercup, kabocha, turban, delicata, sweet dumpling, and pumpkin. Spaghetti squash has a fibrous flesh that, when cooked and scraped out of the shell, resembles a tangled pile of spaghetti.
  • Evaluation: Heavy and firm. Hard rind. No blemishes.
  • Preparation: Wash. Cut in half. Scrape out seeds and fibers. Cut into portion sizes. For puréed or mashed squash either steam or bake, then remove peel; or peel, dice, then steam.
  • Percentage Yield: 65–85%