Squash’s History:
Squash has been around for about 8,000 years and was first cultivated in Mexico. To put this into perspective, this is about 4,000 years before the cultivation of corn in the same areas. Squash is native to the America’s being grown all the way from Canada down to Argentina. Native Americans grew several types of squash and are credited with sharing this vegetable with the Colonists.
From there, seeds were taken back to Europe and spread rapidly due to popularity as well as ease of hybridization. By the 1800’s after much research and plant breeding, the species of squash that we are most familiar with today were created. Growing squash was relatively easy and had many benefits contributing to its popularity. In addition to quick germination, it has early flowering, rapid growth, preservable seeds, and the plant’s large leaves provide shade for other crops to grow.
Health Benefits:
Squash provides many vitamins and minerals, and as such has a variety of health benefits. All squash is rich in vitamins A, C, & K. Vitamin A in particular aids in regulation and function of eye health. They also provide caretoids, a precursor to Vitamin A, which plays an important part in immune function and health. Squash also happens to contain other carotenoids known as lutein and zeaxanthin that are responsible for slowing down and preventing free radicals as well as maintaining eye health. Squash have Vitamin B6, which has been shown to lower risk of depression. The Vitamin C they offer helps in cell tissue repair, and squash provide a good amount of fiber aiding in gut health and digestion.
As far as minerals go squash offers quite a few. This includes magnesium, potassium, manganese, copper, phosphorus, calcium, and iron. Magnesium supports muscle, nerve, and energy functions. Potassium helps to maintain fluid levels in cells, and copper helps activate genes and plays a role in immune and nervous system health. For those with IBD, calcium and iron are very important minerals and having squash is a great way to sneak some extra in. Who knew this versatile vegetable provided so much?
Which Squash Should You Buy?
Squash can last for quite a while after being harvested. While this is an advantage for transport, it can make it difficult to pick out a ripe squash at the grocery store or your local farmer’s market. So how do you know if it’s ready to eat? Well luckily there are a few rules when picking out a squash that can help. Firstly, take a look at the stem. It should be firm and dry. Next, look at the skin. Is it firm, non-glossy, and rich in color? Are there no cracks or blemishes? If you say yes to all of the above chances are it’s good to go. However, there is one more way you can check if you aren’t sure. Holding the squash, gently try to press your fingernail through the skin. If it easily goes through it is more than likely immature, but if it is firm and pushes back it’s ripe and ready to cook. Of course, some squash has thinner skins than others, so if it checks all the other boxes, you probably have ripe squash.
Now that we know how to pick out ripe squash let’s take a look at some of the most popular varieties and what makes them unique:
- Spaghetti– This squash is oval and oblong in shape with yellow or orange skin with yellow flesh. This squash, as the name implies, looks like thin strands of spaghetti and is an excellent Paleo and SCD replacement for it. Recipe: Garlic & Butter Spaghetti Squash
- Acorn– Also called pepper squash, acorn squash has green skin with patches of yellow or orange and is considered a winter squash. It has longitudinal ridges along the sides and is shaped almost like an upside-down teardrop shape. The flesh is sweet and orange. Recipes: Stuffed Acorn Squash with Mushroom ‘Duxelle’ and Rosemary Chicken & Acorn Squash and Apple Soup with Bacon
- Sweet Dumpling– This squash has the same shape as the acorn squash and has the same deep ridges. Similar in size you can tell them apart by the coloring on the outside. Sweet dumpling squash are green with white ‘spots’ or patches all over it. These have orange flesh and are sweeter than acorn squash.
- Carnival– This type of squash is a cross between acorn and sweet dumpling squash. It looks very similar in appearance to the sweet dumpling squash. However, in addition to the green base and white patches, there are specks of orange as well. They also have orange flesh, but aren’t quite as sweet as the dumpling squash.
- Kabocha– Also called Japanese Pumpkin, this is a Japanese winter squash characterized by a green knobby exterior and squatty round shape, similar to a pumpkin. It can have light green or white stripes though the skin. The inside is a bright yellow-orange and is arguably sweeter than a sweet dumpling squash. It also has a texture of pumpkin and sweet potato.
- Delicata– This winter squash is oblong in shape, but much smaller than spaghetti squash. It has a cream-colored skin with green stripes or patches. Its flesh is yellow-orange and is about as sweet as an acorn squash. As the name suggests this squash has a more ‘delicate’ skin that can be eaten after cooking. This squash is also referred to as sweet potato squash or Bohemian Squash. Recipe: Delicata, Apple, Arugula, and Blue Cheese Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette
- Butternut– This squash is oblong and round towards the bottom with a pale tan skin. The seeds only reside in the round part of this squash and has a deep orange colored flesh. Slightly sweet and partly nutty, this squash is used in many dishes including desserts and baked items and is certainly one of the most popular here in the states. In Australia butternut squash is known as butternut pumpkin. Recipes: Butternut Squash Breakfast Hash, Butternut Squash Fritters with Lemon Sage Aioli & Butternut Squash Gnocchi
- Sugar Pumpkin– Also called pie pumpkins or sweet pumpkins these are smaller than their cousin that get used for jack o lantern carving, and therefore make a better choice for cooking. They are squatty and round in shape with smooth orange skin and flesh. After cooking, the flesh turns almost creamy making them ideal for desserts like pumpkin pie. Pumpkin Pie with Almond Flour Crust, Pumpkin Waffles, & No Churn Pumpkin Ice Cream
- Red Kuri– ‘Kiri’ in Japanese means chestnut. These squash are nutty in flavor, hence the name, and are also known as onion squash. It’s shaped like an onion with a bulbous base and bright red-orange skin. The flesh is a deep golden yellow and has some sweetness with the nutty flavor.
- Pattypan– So far, all the squash we have covered have been winter squash. Pattypan, however, is considered a summer squash. It is small in size and is shaped almost like a toy top. It has scalloped edges, and is also known as peter pan squash, scallop squash, and sunburst squash. It comes in a variety of colors including white, green and yellow. Its name in French, pâtisson, is derived from a cake that is baked in a scalloped pan. The skin is edible, and this squash makes a great side dish.
- Yellow– This is a summer squash that is harvested when immature, making the skin edible and soft. The seeds are also edible for this reason and the flesh is a shade white-yellow with a yellow exterior. It has a long neck with a bulbous bottom and can look a bit irregular in shape. Recipe: Yellow Squash and Carrot ‘Fries’ & Mint & Rosemary Sqasuh with Honey Drizzle
- Zucchini– This, like the yellow squash, is considered a summer squash variety and is harvested before maturity making the skin and seeds soft and edible. Green in color with smooth skin and a white-yellow interior, it is oblong in shape and more even than yellow squash. It is also known as courgette and baby marrow. Recipe: Mini Zucchini Bread Loafs & Zoodles with Creamy Cashew Alfredo Sauce
Squash & SCD:
Squash is an important vegetable in SCD and provides not only vitamins, nutrients, and easily digestible fiber, but also offers a wide variety to choose from. Squash can be introduced in stage one, after the introduction stage in the form of Acorn, Butternut, Buttercup, Zucchini, yellow squash, and other summer varieties like pattypan. In this stage they all must be peeled, deseeded, and well cooked.
In stage two the squash varieties expand to pumpkin, and other winter varieties like carnival, sweet dumpling, kabocha, red kuri, and delicata. Again, these must be peeled, deseeded, and well cooked. In stage three spaghetti squash can be added as long as it is cooked, deseeded, and peeled. It is, however, not recommended for those with a stricture (narrowing of the intestines) as it can get more easily trapped than other softer squash.
In stage four you can have summer squashes raw if you wish, and winter squash too, although winter squashes are really much better after being cooked and I don’t recommend eating them raw. Technically the skins of acorn, sweet dumpling, carnival, delicata, and summer squashes can be eaten. Delicata has the thinnest skin of the winter squashes, and if you want to try squash with the skin, I would start with delicata. If you do well with the delicata skin, you can try some of the others, although I would skip it if you are experiencing symptoms, have a stoma, or have excess inflammation in the digestive tract.
I hope this answers all your questions about squash, and gives a comprehensive overview of this ancient produce. Be sure to check out some of my SCD squash recipes above!
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