Squash Varieties
A List Of Some Common Squash Varieties
There are many different squash varieties, and there are sure to be some you enjoy as a foodstuff or a decoration - or both!
The Baby Boo pumpkin is a mini-pumpkin that is normally about three inches across. This squash is used mostly for decorative purposes, because they don't contain very much flesh.
The Banana squash is shaped like a log, and it can be anywhere from two to three feet long. It has a peach or cream colored rind and flesh that is much the same color as cantaloupe. You can find specimens that weigh ten or twenty pounds, but your local grocer will have them available in portions that are easier for you to manage. If you plant banana squash in your garden at home, they may grow up to forty or fifty pounds. There is one of the banana squash varieties called a Bush Pink Banana squash, and it has orange flesh and pink skin.
The Buttercup squash is green and stout, with green or gray vertical stripes. It can be used for decoration, and it has orange flesh that tastes quite a bit like a sweet potato. These are available year round, but their main harvesting season is during the Autumn and early Winter.
The Butternut squash varieties include gourds with a shape like a bottleneck, and the color of cream. This is a fairly common type of squash, and it tastes like a sweet potato, but nuttier. This gourd is available year round as well, and its peak season starts in the summer, and extends into early Autumn.
The West Indian squash is also known as the Calabaza squash. It is generally pear-shaped or round, and its coloring ranges from the color of a pale sunset to beige. Calabaza squash varieties are grown mostly in the Caribbean, and also in South and Central America. It is sometimes compared to the butternut squash, but it has a more fibrous texture, and a firmer feel. This squash is generally available year round.
Carnival squash has a beautiful pattern, and it boasts orange stripes and green specks. The flesh of the Carnival squash is similar in color to the butternut squash, a golden yellow, and the taste is sweeter and creamier than sweet potatoes.
Chayote squash is another of the squash varieties that has an appealing and original shape. This squash is shaped like a pear, and it was originally grown in Central America. It is mild in taste, similar to an apple in its crispness, and like a cucumber in its ability to refresh. This squash can be prepared in many ways, much like Zucchini. The Chayote is a lot like summer squash, but takes longer to cook.