Winter Squash come in an assortment of shapes and gloriously bright colours, the pigments of which are believed to contain cancer fighting properties.
Part of the Cucurbitaceae family, along with gourds and pumpkins, they have high water content and are low in calories. Squash are packed with fibre, potassium, magnesium and vitamins too. Perfect for creating delicious, healthy dishes!Super stores
'Winter Squash’ are so-called because they can be stored for winter consumption. The fruits are planted in April/May and grow over the summer. Cold weather destroys them. To avoid any waste, we’ll be picking our crop at The Farm before the first frosts arrive, towards the end of October. Just in time for hollowing-out at Halloween!
Curing’s key
Once ripe, the fruit must be cured in the sun for two weeks, to allow the skins to harden for extended storage. Our squash have varying shelf-lives. The butternut and spaghetti varieties last a few weeks, but the crown prince and golden nugget will last well into the New Year - even longer if stored at around 12°, and in dry conditions.
Giant proportions
This season we planted 2,400 fruits, and over a dozen different varieties. They are filling our warehouse with such colour. Last year our largest squash grew to 61kg – that’s about nine and half stones! We reckon we can beat that this year …
