Cricklewood Farm & Corn Maze

Cricklewood’s Squash

Fifteen different varieties of winter squash are grown at Cricklewood Farm, varying in size, flavour, storage and ways to be prepared. The season for winter squash usually begins around early to mid-September.

Squash are full of dietary fiber, potassium, vitamin B6 and folate which are all important in maintaining a healthy diet. They have very few calories; 100 g provides just 45 calories. Squash contains no saturated fats or cholesterol.

Storage and Preparation

Squash can be stored at room temperature for up to a month. To store squash for 2-3 months, keep it in a cool, dry, dark place, around 50 degrees, but do not refrigerate. You can also cut fresh squash into cubes and freeze it, ready to be used in soup any time of year.

Squash can be prepared in several different ways; it can be halved and baked, diced and roasted or boiled, pureed, and grilled on the BBQ. Several varieties make a great pie! To find out how to prepare and cook squash check out our preparation guide here.

Our different squash varieties are:

Acorn

The acorn squash has a dark green skin, pale golden flesh that has a aromatic and sweet flavour with a light nuttiness that is enhanced by roasting. Flesh is fairly moist, has almost no fibres. It is a good source of vitamin C, iron, fibre and thiamine and is higher in calcium than the other squashes. Look for squash that has a small orange patch, which indicates maturity.

Banana

Large, pink, banana-shaped squash which can weigh up to 40 lbs. Smooth, thin skin, easily peeled. Thick, firm, dry, creamy textured flesh. Very sweet with a slightly fruity flavour. Stores well. Excellent for pies, baking and canning. Can bake, steam or microwave. Heirloom variety.

Buttercup

Burgess (shown) is an heirloom squash, has a dark green skin, orange flesh and a distinct cup on the bottom.   Sunshine has an orange shell, is in the shape of a pumpkin and lacks a cup.

Both varieties have a dry, firm flesh with a rich, sweet, creamy texture, once cooked. They are much sweeter than other winter varieties. Buttercup Squash can can replace Sweet Potatoes in most recipes.

Butternut

Butternut has a tan yellow skin and is shaped like a vase or a bell. This is a more watery squash and tastes somewhat similar to pumpkin or sweet potatoes. The flesh is golden yellow to orange in colour, is fine-textured, and has no fibres. The sweet, nutty flavour makes it a favourite for soup. Rind is thin enough to peel off with a vegetable peeler. Can also be baked and mashed.

Cushaw

Large, bulb-shaped fruit with curved necks, light-orange tops, and white stripes from top to bottom. The light yellow flesh is sweet, thick, medium-coarse, and fibrous and is fine for pies and baking. Can be used in every recipe you would use pumpkin in. Weigh up to 15 lbs.

Delicata

This is one of the tastier winter squashes, with creamy pulp that tastes a bit like corn and sweet potatoes. The sweet flesh is fine textured without coarse strings. It is small, has an oblong shape, with green or orange stripes on a lemon-coloured background. Size may range from 5 to 10 inches in length. The squash can be baked or steamed. The thin skin is also edible. It is also known as sweet potato squash.

Galeuse d’Eysines

Salmon/peach-coloured skin covered with large warts!, Rich, orange yellow, flavourful flesh.

The more peanut-shell like protrusions, the sweeter the squash. Its moist flesh tends to become too wet when cooked with water so boiling and steaming should be avoided. Its skin, bumps and all, should be removed prior to eating. The fibreless, sweet flesh of the Galeux d’Eysines is ideal when cooked and pureed for use in soups, sauces, preserves, or pies.

Grey Ghost

This is a larger squash, with a bright bluish grey skin. The shape is similar to buttercup but lacks the cup on the blossom end. The thick orange meat has a fine texture, and sweet, smooth flavour. Can be baked, braised, pureed, stuffed or steamed. Excellent storer.

Hubbard

Blue Magic; unique, small, hybrid Blue Hubbard that is more size-friendly. It has the same great eating qualities as a normal size Hubbard, with its fine-grained, tasty flesh. The hard shell is grey-green in colour and the fruit weigh around 4 to 6 lb.

Mini Green; smallest of our Hubbard varieties, weighing from 2 to 4 lbs. Medium green in colour. The flesh is orange-yellow, is very thick and is sweet with a clear pumpkin flavour.

New England Blue;The extra-hard skins make them one of the best keeping winter squashes. These are very large and irregularly shaped, with a skin that is quite “warted” and irregular.

The yellow flesh of these tends to be fine grained, dense and very moist needing longer cooking times in the oven. They are generally peeled and boiled, cut up and roasted, or cut small and steamed or sautéed. It’s perfect for pies. To open the squash up the best thing is to drop it onto the ground. Can weigh up to 40 lbs. Stores up to 6 months.

Uchiki Kuri

This Japanese variety has an almost smooth orange-red rind and a butter-coloured flesh that is smoother than butternut squash. It has a pronounced, distinctive, sweet chestnut flavour, is good in soups or baked goods, and the small size makes it perfect for stuffing and roasting. They weigh around 3 lbs and have superb storage characteristics.

Spaghetti

Vegetable  Has a watermelon shape with the golden-yellow rind being smooth and very hard. Is slightly sweet with a mild, nut-like flavour and if not overcooked, is crunchy and watery. When cooked, the flesh separates in strands that resemble spaghetti pasta. Can be baked, boiled or steamed, and served with sauce as for pasta. Stores well.

Stripetti is a cross between Delicata Sweet Potato and Vegetable Spaghetti. Has a sweeter, better taste than vegetable spaghetti squash. Striped cream colour rind turns orange when well ripened.

Sweet Dumpling

Resembles a miniature pumpkin with its top pushed in. Hard, cream coloured skin with dark, green stripes. Dry, fine grained flesh. Each squash can weigh up to 1 lb and contains enough flesh to serve 1 to 2 people. Honey-sweet flavour similar to sweet potato. Stores up to 3 months. Microwave, bake whole or cut off tops, scoop out seeds, add spice and butter and bake; put tops back on for presentation on each person’s plate.

Sweet mama

Dark green, squash with hard skins. The deep orange flesh is moderately-dry, and thick, with a very smooth texture and sweet, nutty flavour. It is drum-shaped with rounded shoulders and no cup. Outstanding storage ability and flavour.

Turks Turban

Named for its shape. Heirloom variety. Turban squash is a beautiful squash striped in red, orange, green, and white. It has golden-yellow flesh and its mild taste is reminiscent to hazelnut. Excellent for steaming, baking, soups and stuffing.