It's Delicata Squash Season! These Recipes Show Why You'll Want It (2024)

FAQs

Is delicata squash seasonal? ›

Delicata squash is typically grown in the summer season and harvested in the fall. With the modern disease-resistant cultivar, growing your own from seed is easy.

The delicata is actually named for its delicate, edible skin, so there is no need for peeling here. The rind of these cylindrical, striped vegetables is similar in texture to a summer squash like zucchini, and becomes perfectly tender when cooked.

Delicata squash is a type of winter squash that's well known for its striped exterior and bright orange interior. Delicata squash's nutrition profile features various vitamins and minerals, particularly vitamins A and C. This type of squash is mostly made of carbohydrates, with little fat and small amounts of protein.

You'll know delicata squash has gone bad if it has wrinkles or soft spots. Also, if the seeds look slimy or their color is off, you'll know it's spoiled. The seeds are normally a cream or white color. Typically, they'll be covered in the flesh of the squash.

As with any food, taking note of any unusual reaction, such as itching or swelling, is important, but there are no known problems with the delicata squash. However, because of its fiber content, too much could cause flatulence.

"Squash contains a toxin known as Cucurbitacin E, which can give the squash a bitter taste. If too much of the toxin is consumed it can cause illness. It is rare, but if the squash has a bitter taste, stop eating it, and grab another one."

Health Benefits

Delicata squash, like all winter squashes, is a good source of carotenoids, nutrients that improve night vision and eye health. As vision acuity often decreases with age, it is particularly important for seniors to get enough dietary carotenoids.

Storage tips: Winter Squash is best stored between 55-65 degrees, however, Delicata squash does not store quite as well as heartier varieties like Acorn and Butternut. Place in a cool dry room in your house (do not refrigerate) and it should last 3 months.

Delicata squash also has a ton of potassium: One cup delivers a whopping 500mg of the mineral, which can help control your blood pressure. As with many varieties of squash, it's also full of vitamin C, which plays a role in the growth and repair of body proteins.

The good fiber-rich carbs in delicata squash provide longer-lasting energy, more stable blood sugars, and fiber-driven heart protection. The bad fiber-depleted carbs in most processed foods, on the other hand, tend to cause spikes in blood sugar levels, which can trigger hunger and lead to food cravings.

Is delicata squash anti inflammatory? ›

Cancer prevention: Being high in carotenoids, Delicata squash has anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant compounds that make it a probable option for preventing cancer.

It contains essential vitamins and minerals such as vitamins A and C, magnesium, potassium, and dietary fiber. Additionally, Delicata squash is an excellent low-calorie food choice, containing just under 40 calories/ 9 g carbs in a 100 g serving.

While delicata squash is usually pretty easy to grow, sometimes you may come across a few issues that are common within the squash family. The most common problems are powdery mildew or cucumber beetles, but there are some others as well.

First introduced in 1894, the delicata has a shorter shelf life – and smaller yield – that made it less commercially viable than hardier winter squash like butternut, and as a result, delicata was nearly lost during the Great Depression.

Always: Acorn, Delicata, Honeynut

Wofford and our test kitchen editors will leave the skin on delicata, acorn, and honeynut squash to save time, add nutrients, and reduce food waste. These varieties have thin skins that soften readily when cooked. Next time you slice a delicata into rings ready to roast, don't peel it.

In order to harvest the squash, cut it with pruning shears that have been sterilized, leaving at least 1 inch of the stem intact to the squash. It is possible for the harvest time for delicata to begin in the late summer and continue all the way through the month of October.

Winter squash and pumpkins are generally ready to be harvested in early- to mid-autumn, usually late September through October. Unlike summer squash, which is harvested when tender and a bit immature, harvest winter squash when it is fully mature.