Recipes With Acorn Squash | Taste of Home (2024)

FAQs

What does acorn squash pair well with? ›

For instance, you can add roasted squash to a fall salad, cook it alongside chicken, or serve it up with bacon and eggs. Of course, one of the most popular ways to serve acorn squash is to stuff it. The edible bowls act as a vessel for anything from mac and cheese to sausage to taco fillings.

Good news: you don't need to peel acorn squash. Its hard, grooved skin softens significantly as it cooks, and it's edible, too. If you do want to remove the skin, wait until after you cook it, at which point it will peel right off.

Depending on the type of pumpkin or squash, it should last 2 to 6 months when stored at the ideal temperature of between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit; a cool basem*nt can work well. Under ideal storage conditions, acorn squash can last up to 2 months, butternuts 2-to-3 months, and hubbarbs 5 to 6 months.

“It's definitely OK to eat squash skin,” Rayna Joyce, vegetable production manager at Bread and Butter Farm in Shelburne, Vermont, told me. “Some (winter) squash have really delicate skins and they become tender when cooked. You can bake them and eat the whole thing.”

Acorn squash is packed with both soluble and insoluble fiber. Though they have different functions in your body, both play important roles in digestive health. Insoluble fiber adds bulk to your stools while soluble fiber softens them, preventing constipation and supporting regular bowel movements ( 13 ).

This squash has a lot of antioxidants, which can boost your immunity and help your body to fight off certain diseases. Acorn squash contains antioxidants like vitamin C that help strengthen bones and blood vessels. It also has vitamin A, which helps improve the health of your lungs, heart and other vital organs.

Skip eating most hard-skinned squash raw. "Hard skinned squash is difficult to eat raw," Marz says. "They are usually much larger in size, have a harder flesh, and are much more fibrous." Examples of hard-skinned squash that should not be eaten raw include: pumpkins, delicate, butternut, Hubbard, and acorn.

Klein explains that the best types of squash to feed your dog are butternut squash, pumpkin, zucchini, and acorn squash. In particular, zucchini is the squash most easily digested by dogs.

Acorn Squash Storage

Winter squash will last up to a month in a cool (50 to 55 F) dark cellar or storage area, but only about two weeks in the refrigerator. Ideally, only cut or cooked acorn squash should be refrigerated; they will suffer chill damage at temperatures below 50 F.

Acorn squash can either be frozen raw or cooked. Cooking before freezing is recommended if a longer shelf life is desired. Frozen raw squash can be roasted, steamed or boiled, but do not thaw beforehand. Cooked frozen squash can be mashed, puréed or added to pasta and risotto dishes or soups.

How do you tell if an acorn squash is bad? ›

Also avoid Acorn Squash that are over three pounds, as these have probably been picked past their optimal time and may be dry and stringy inside. You may eat and cook with overripe Acorn Squash, but if the inner flesh contains any dark or mushy spots, throw it out.

Acorn squash is a starchy vegetable, meaning it's higher in carbs than non starchy ones, like broccoli and spinach. If you're watching your carbs, limit acorn squash to one cup or about 25% of your plate.

Acorn squash is nutrient dense and definitely worth eating more of! Acorn contains less beta-carotene than butternut, but similar amounts of folate + vitamin C.

When deciding which gourd is the best fit for your dish, consider the individual characteristics of each variety. For example, acorn squash is popular for roasting and baking because of its thick rind, while the smooth texture of butternut squash makes it particularly delicious in soups.

Radishes, peas, peppermint, dill, parsley, oregano, and even flowers like marigolds or nasturtiums are a few other options for gardeners. Most importantly, zucchini and squash should grow with plants that also need regular watering but don't take up too much space.

Acorn squash: It has less vitamin A than butternut but provides even more fiber (9 grams per cup) and potassium (896 mg). Pumpkin: This squash has beta carotene and also contains more than twice as much alpha carotene as butternut squash.

It is an outstanding source of vitamin C, selenium, folate, dietary fibre, magnesium, and potassium. Acorn squash skin consists of carbohydrates that are not easily digestible. Thus, consuming at least ½ a cup per day or at least 7 cups per week is handy for a healthy diet.

Acorn squash is milder in taste and slightly more fibrous in texture than butternut squash: Its sweet, nutty flavor is additionally muted by the watery character of its flesh. Still, most recipes that call for acorn squash can be made with another members of the squash family, such as Hubbard or butternut.