As temperatures drop and the seasons change, this is a great time to enhance your meals with delicious winter squash.
These flavorful varieties, like acorn, spaghetti and butternut squash, are harvested in late summer or early fall. They come in lots of shapes and sizes and are packed with nutrition.
A mere cup of cooked winter squash, at just 80 calories, offers vitamins A, C, B6 and K, as well as potassium and folate.
From savory soups to cozy side dishes and entree enhancements, winter squash adds both taste and nutrition to your culinary creations.
Winter squash should be heavy for their size and very hard. Press firmly to test the firmness of the rind. Look for squash with a portion of the stem still attached. A missing stem may be a sign of mold or bacterial growth inside.
Squash can be stored in a dry, cool (50-60 degrees) place for several months. Once sliced, wrap dry pieces in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to five days. Cooked squash can be frozen for up to one year.
Baking winter squash brings out its natural sweetness. Begin by slicing the squash in half and scooping out the seeds and strings. Place the squash, cut-side down, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Pour a quarter-inch of water into the pan, cover with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes or until tender. Scoop the flesh from the rind to use in a variety of squash recipes.
Try stuffing acorn or butternut squash halves with cardamom, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, honey, brown sugar, maple syrup, fruit juice, nuts, raisins, apples or onions. Bake, upright, in a 400-degree oven until tender. Enjoy!
Amanda Rau is a registered dietitian at St. Luke’s.
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