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.

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.

Acorn squash is a highly nutritious carb choice. It's rich in many vitamins and minerals that promote your health in various ways. The bright orange flesh of acorn squash is packed with vitamin C, provitamin A, B vitamins, potassium, magnesium, iron, and manganese, all of which are critical for health.

Acorn Squash

Starchy vegetables like winter squash also provide fiber to help you poop. Acorn squash is a small winter squash with orange flesh; its exterior is typically green but can also be white or orange.

Acorn squash is rich in antioxidants, which can neutralize potentially harmful molecules called free radicals. These antioxidants can help to protect people against health issues like arthritis, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, and certain cancers.

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.

How to Bake Acorn Squash. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the squash halves cut side up on the baking sheet. (Cut side down works too, but I prefer the slightly firmer texture that you get when you roast it cut side up.)

Yes, You Can Eat the Skin of Acorn Squash and Other Winter Squashes—Here's How. Some varieties, like acorn squash and honeynut, have tender, tasty skin. Others, not so much.

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.

How long before acorn squash goes bad? ›

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.

Food Safety and Storage

Scrub winter squash with a vegetable brush under cool running water before cooking or cutting. Do not use soap. Do not wash squash before storing.

And if it starts to leak fluid, that's a sure sign that the squash is spoiled. Likewise, if the flesh and seeds of the fruit are mushy and slimy, that's a clear sign that it shouldn't be eaten. Color - the outer skin of the squash is a quick way to check for any sign of spoilage.

Acorn squash has more carotenoids than any other food. Carotenoids are a powerful antioxidant that help fight inflammation and prevent cell damage.

Acorn squash has very low-fat content, with only 0.1 grams per 100g. Most of this fat (0.042grams) is polyunsaturated, a beneficial source for weight loss. Furthermore, it contains fewer sugar molecules than other winter and summer varieties. As a result, squash is a perfect low-carb diet.

Zinnia flowers and marigolds grow alongside squash plants in this home garden. Planting a variety of flowers alongside squash invites pollinators as well as other beneficial insects to help out in your garden. Zinnia flowers and marigolds grow alongside squash plants in this home garden.

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.

Blend butternut squash with milk, dates, and cinnamon to make a satisfying smoothie. Make spaghetti squash noodles as a healthy substitute for your favorite pasta dish. Use butternut or acorn squash as a filling in ravioli. Sauté squash with bok choy and edamame to form a unique stir fry.

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.