Acorn squash

Acorn squash is a winter squash that can be stored for many months, sometimes all the way through winter and into the next spring.

As its name indicates, it looks like an acorn. Most traditional varieties are ripe and ready to use when they turn a dark, dull green. New varieties sport brighter colors, but they mature at the same rate the older ones do.

Individual squashes typically weigh one to two pounds, on average, but they sometimes can get considerably larger during a favorable growing season.

The acorn is indigenous to North and Central America, and was introduced to early European settlers by Native Americans. Like other American squashes, it’s now used widely around the world.

Acorn squash is usually baked but can also be microwaved, sauteed or steamed. It can be served as a side dish itself, or stuffed with rice, meat or vegetable mixtures. It has a large seed cavity, so it provides plenty of room if it’s used as a vessel for other foods.

If a sweeter dish is desired, maple syrup or brown sugar is sometimes used to fill the halves prior to baking.

In some varieties, its skin is thick and tough, so it’s usually peeled before preparation. If it’s baked, however, it can eaten or scraped out of the shell.

 Its yellow-orange flesh has a mildly sweet and nutty flavor.

Not as rich in beta-carotene as other winter varieties, acorn squash is still an excellent source of dietary fiber and contains vitamin C, vitamin B6, magnesium, and manganese plus a substantial amount of potassium.

It’s lower in starch than other late season squashes.