“It’s the squash everyone always buys.”
Size: Varies anywhere from one to two pounds to about seven pounds. “The Waltham butternut is the largest variety that came about from a UMass experiment in Waltham,” says Buckle.
Looks: Coffee-colored with one fatter end that tapers down to a skinnier end. The inside’s deep orange.
Taste: Sweet with a smooth texture, not stringy. Its moisture classifies it as a wet squash.
Uses: “I love it in soups,” says Buckle, but people also mash it up or grill it.
Farm life: A commonly grown squash, easy to plant and harvest.
“One of the few that you can eat with the skin on and it will still be delicious.”
Size: About a pound to a pound and a half.
Looks: Submarine-shaped with green and yellow stripes.
Taste: Nutty.
Uses: Most people just stuff them and bake them.
Farm life: An easier squash to grow.
“A real, true squash flavor.”
Size: A couple pounds, a little larger than a softball.
Looks: A less than meaty squash with almost black, ribbed skin. “It really looks like an acorn,” where the top is broad and tapers downward to a point.
Taste: It’s not too sweet and not too dry.
Uses: “I think that baking acorn squash seems to be the way to go. A lot of times I bake them with butter and brown sugar inside to sweeten them up.”
Farm life: Grows fairly easily.
“It’s the squash I grew up on.”
Size: Three to four pounds.
Looks: Green, with a button on the bottom, “almost like an outie belly button.” UFO-shaped.
Taste: Not too moist inside, with a flavorful, sweet deep yellow to orange flesh.
Uses: Another dry squash, typically baked. Extremely popular.
Farm life: One of the more difficult to grow, but still fairly easy to upkeep and harvest.
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