First garden we’ve planted, other than a few tomatoes & peppers, in nearly 30 years, this year. First time, ever, planting winter squash… Waltham butternut and Buttercup(Burpee strain). Both were quite productive for us.
While our adult children are fans of butternut, my wife and I much prefer the Buttercup… for flavor and texture; butternut is just kind of… meh. Don’t know that I’d ever plant butternut again, except to supply my kids.
We’ve enjoyed the Buttercup enough that I’m already looking ahead to next year, considering adding one of the ‘Candy Roaster’ squash, a delicata strain, possibly one of the ‘sweet potato’ types (TN or Thelma Sanders). Catalog descriptions are alway glowing, so I wanted to poll you folks for your recommendations on flavor, productivity, ease of growing, etc.
This is not my picture but this is what they look like for me too. We grew these this year, they are a Japanese variety called Kogigu. Got the seeds from Baker Creek which has a lot of interesting varieties. They are great, they have a slight nutty flavor and good texture. Slight stringiness but keeps its shape still, and has dry flesh. They were prolific and a single one feeds my family of 5 for one meal. They start green and then develop a waxiness, then turn yellow. They’re supposed to be good keepers and that’s been my experience so far but I haven’t had them long enough to test over winter yet.
They were not attacked by squash vine borers which are an issue for many squash varieties at my location.
Cushaws are my favorite. Or, maybe they aren’t ‘winter squash’ but ‘fall squash’.
I grow butternut and buttercup squash. I prefer buttercup. It has better flavor , dry texture, and more sweet. Some can be stored for whole winter
I am friends with a guy who is a winter squash fanatic. He has trialed dozens of varieties over a ten year period (zone 9b). The plot is large, wind-swept, and filled with squash bugs - so it’s a rough life out there for a squash. Mrs. Amerson’s is the most resistant to squash bugs. Marina di Chioggia has been a great variety as well. Tromboncino is another great one that he and I grow most years. You can harvest it at any time, young or mature, and it is tasty (and a great keeper at any stage). It will do best with trellising. Spaghetti squash, while boring to some people, has been a real winner for me year after year. A tough plant, and reliable (and tasty). I grew Candy Roaster years ago, once, and it was great. Jarrahdale is another good memory but only grew it once. We have grown several types of butternut and they are OK - they tend to be tough and reliable. All attempts at growing kabocha (of several types over several years) have been failures (they mature and look fine, but have zero taste).
I am one of those who dont care much of spaghetti squash. It is not boring, it is tasteless. When I select a squash variety to grow, the flavor is my first concern. Most winter squash I grew , I have found them were too watery (lack of flavor/not strong enough flavor) and not sweet enough.
I have a strong feeling that the local zone influences the flavor a lot (Kabocha for example). In my zone, Spaghetti squash has a nice, nutty flavor. But I must admit that I am the only one I know who grows it!
I think you are right. Flavor is such subjective thing and varied from person to person. Each individual’s tastes and likes have lot to do with what one ate when one was in childhood and how the squash was cooked /served. I like squash roasted then dabbled with butter and some brown sugar. Therefore sweetness and dry texture/flake texture is what I like.
Blue Kuri is excellent.
Butterkin is stringy and dull.
I usually grow Argonaut. You only get one fruit per vine, but the small ones are 10 pounds and the big ones are 20. Tasty too, but there are lots of tasty options. I just stick to this one because I love the look of shock on people’s faces when they see how big they get!
Yes, Blue Kuri is very good too. Most Kabocha type winter squash are sweet
Acorn and buttercup are my favorites. Hubbard are good, productive, and keep a long time.
I was in Chili a few years ago and in the farmers market they had huge squash that maybe weighed 40 lbs. People would buy a portion of the squash and seats were everywhere. I wanted to bring some seeds back but customs won’t allow it. I was tempted to smuggle some but followed the law. I have no idea of their name or how good they were. Has anybody had any?
Roasted vegetables are a family fall favorite, and it includes a mix of various winter squashes, often including butternut and delicata.
My father told me my grandmother’s secret to the best pumpkin pie was to use Hubbard squash instead of pumpkin.
We have a special fondness for Blue Hubbard squash because of its color and shape. My wife is a field biologist, and was part of the initial team working on the recovery of the Kakapo, the severely endangered New Zealand flightless parrot. As you might understand from the pictures, we have a preferred name for the Blue Hubbard — the Kakapo squash.
My absolute favorite winter squash is ‘Moorgold’ introduced by U of WI. The issue is this squash is so hard to cut in half you better take it outside and use a hatchet. GReat flavor.
My second favorite is buttercup. I cannot grow it however due to the severe squash vine borer levels in my area.
Thelma Anderson’s sweet potato squash? That is a real winner! I grew it for several years. Wonderful flavor. I stopped growing it this past year because of squash vine borers.
Delicata squash? I love them but they were not a big yielding variety. Grew them for 2 years. The flesh is not real thick either in them so definitely a low yield overall.
Tried Burpee Bush butternut this year. 6 plants yielded 20 nice squash! Not as big as Waltham but just right size for the wife and I now that we are empty nesters. They ripened super early too which surprised me. Definitely planting it again. The price of the seed is mighty high but worth it.
We don’t grow any but our friend does and has given us some kinds of squashes every year. This year, we got these.
Our family (multi generations) love buttercups more than other squashes with the same reason @IL847 mentioned.
All I have ever grown was Butternut as I wasn’t a huge squash fan. But I plan on trying some other types. In fact I went to the Va Beach area last Friday looking at the few farm stands still open looking for squash. I did find some nice pink banana. Everything else was the usual butternut or acorn. Wish I had looked earlier as Delicta season was long past.
It’s suppose to get down to 32 tonight here. Be my first frost this fall. About right on time for my area. I still have some peanuts I am trying to get fully mature in the garden. Even our commercial growers still have a large amount of acres to get harvested. Wet weather and an unusually late maturing crop has extended the season by a month. Last year harvest was over by September 15.
We grow the Blue Hubbard too. It does make a great pumpkin pie!
For me it’s “ Butternut “
There may be better tasting squash ?
But ButterNut is so trouble free here.
And productive !
Keep easily till April ++
Requires no pest control.
Most other squash gets either vine bores or mildew. And or storage problems.
Few things in life are as easy as growing. Butternut squash.
And … I like them.
Delicata is prolific here. Not much meat but very tasty.
Candy roaster is a maxima and wants to grow. Prolific and tasty.
Sweet meat is good. Meat is thick makes awesome pies. This is my favorite.
Butternut I like a few but prefer maxima
Thelmas sweet potato is prolific and great taste.
I did find a produce stand that had Delicata yesterday. Baked it last night for the wife and I. It was ok but we still like sweet potatoes better. We are not ones to add lots of butter or maple syrup. Just a little olive oil and sea salt.