What would fall be without butternut squash? The color, the flavor, the warm coziness it seems to bring on a cool day. To some, it makes a better pie than pumpkin! Here’s 5 quick facts about butternut squash.
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Butternut squash is loaded with Vitamin A, in fact one cup provides more than you need for the whole day!
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Though the skin is not as thin as a summer squash or Delicata, it is edible, and the seeds can be baked and eaten just like pumpkin seeds.
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The name squash comes from the Narragansett Indian term “askutasquash”, which means raw or uncooked. In fact the settlers in New England and Virginia were not big fans of squash until they had to survive the winter, then butternut and pumpkin was adopted into their cuisine and became staples.
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Whole butternut squash can last as long as a month, being stored in a cool dry place. It is best to not refrigerate. If it’s peeled, it’ll last up to 5 days and should be refrigerated.
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It was bred from crookneck squash, and the crookneck variety was the preferred squash until commercial distribution of foods became the norm. Since then butternut is widely more popular due to it being more compact & easier to stack.
