Butternut squash is a much sweeter variety of squash than a summer of zucchini squash. The flavor is a lot like a sweet potato and butternut squash is often substituted in recipes calling for sweet potato. The average squash weighs about 3 pounds and the pulp is a yellowish orange color.
Differences in Butternut and Buttercup Squash
Butternut squash has a pale orange rind and is shaped like a gourd. Buttercup squash has a dark green rind and is a round shape. Both of these winter squash have the sweet flavor with butternut having the nuttier taste of the two. The brighter color rinds produce a squash with more Vitamin A. Buttercup squash are high in fiber and protein also.
How to Cook Butternut Squash
This squash is good just steamed or baked before serving. One way to bake a butternut squash is to cut it down the middle, scoop out the strings and seeds. Turn both pieces face down on a foil covered baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees. When the squash is soft inside, remove from the oven, add butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon and enjoy the sweet squash. Mashed butternut squash can be added to freezer containers in serving size to enjoy for a snack at a later time.
Butternut Soup Recipe
- 4 small Butternut squash
- 4 packages powdered chicken broth
- 1 medium Onion chopped
- Olive Oil: 1 tbsp
- Cream: 1/2 cup
- Water: 4 cups
- Salt
- Pepper
- Cut the butternut squash in half
- Cook the butternut squash cut side down on baking sheet at 350 degrees for 45 minutes
- Scoop out the cooked squash.
- Saute the onion in olive until tender.
- Add squash, water, broth powder, salt and pepper.
- Bring to boil and cook for 30 minutes or until squash is tender.
- Blend squash mixture in a blender until smooth
- Put back in saucepan and hold until time to server.
- Add cream and heat but do not boil.
- Butternut squash seeds can be toasted and eaten like pumpkin seeds.
- Buttercup squash can be carved like a pumpkin.
- After partially baking a buttercup squash, cut the top like a pumpkin, scoop out the innards, remove string parts and seeds. Mix with sausage, raisins, and apples. Return to the shell and cook for 30 min.
- Butternut Squash can be fried or candied.
- Butternut Squash is a healthy vegetable even kids will eat.
Butternut squash is healthy and plentiful. With the large variety of kid friendly ways of cooking, future trials of getting the vitamins in the children may be limited
For more information on Buttercup squash visit WiseGeek. For a view of pictures of many varieties of winter squash see What's Cooking America.
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