Recipes With Acorn Squash | Taste of Home (2024)

FAQs

Does acorn squash need to be peeled before cooking? ›

Good news: you don't need to peel acorn squash. Its hard, grooved skin softens significantly as it cooks, and it's edible, too. If you do want to remove the skin, wait until after you cook it, at which point it will peel right off.

Depending on the type of pumpkin or squash, it should last 2 to 6 months when stored at the ideal temperature of between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit; a cool basem*nt can work well. Under ideal storage conditions, acorn squash can last up to 2 months, butternuts 2-to-3 months, and hubbarbs 5 to 6 months.

Acorn squash is easily recognizable by its ridges and small, round shape. When cooked, the flesh is sweet. Also, you can eat the skin–with roasted or baked acorn squash, the skin turns tender and is easily pierced just a fork. Acorn squash, simply prepared, makes a wonderful side dish.

Skip eating most hard-skinned squash raw. "Hard skinned squash is difficult to eat raw," Marz says. "They are usually much larger in size, have a harder flesh, and are much more fibrous." Examples of hard-skinned squash that should not be eaten raw include: pumpkins, delicate, butternut, Hubbard, and acorn.

Acorn squash is packed with both soluble and insoluble fiber. Though they have different functions in your body, both play important roles in digestive health. Insoluble fiber adds bulk to your stools while soluble fiber softens them, preventing constipation and supporting regular bowel movements ( 13 ).

Acorn Squash Storage

Winter squash will last up to a month in a cool (50 to 55 F) dark cellar or storage area, but only about two weeks in the refrigerator. Ideally, only cut or cooked acorn squash should be refrigerated; they will suffer chill damage at temperatures below 50 F.

Acorn squash can either be frozen raw or cooked. Cooking before freezing is recommended if a longer shelf life is desired. Frozen raw squash can be roasted, steamed or boiled, but do not thaw beforehand. Cooked frozen squash can be mashed, puréed or added to pasta and risotto dishes or soups.

A squash with soft spots and is soft to the touch, is a sign that the squash has gone bad. And if it starts to leak fluid, that's a sure sign that the squash is spoiled. Likewise, if the flesh and seeds of the fruit are mushy and slimy, that's a clear sign that it shouldn't be eaten.

A squash that has turned orange is over-ripe, but that doesn't necessarily mean it has gone bad. If it's no longer firm to touch, don't use it. If you're unsure, cut the squash open to take a look at the flesh and seeds. Warning signs to look for are dull flesh and seeds that are slimy and gray.

The principal difference is that a butternut is starchier than an acorn. This makes it smoother in texture, which gives it more versatility in how it is cooked or served. Acorn squash is generally eaten just the way it comes out of the oven or steamer, while butternut can be mashed, puréed, made into soup, etc.

Is acorn squash A carb or vegetable? ›

Acorn squash is a starchy vegetable, meaning it's higher in carbs than non starchy ones, like broccoli and spinach. If you're watching your carbs, limit acorn squash to one cup or about 25% of your plate.

Acorn squash is nutrient dense and definitely worth eating more of! Acorn contains less beta-carotene than butternut, but similar amounts of folate + vitamin C.

Yes, squash can spike insulin levels. Squash is a starchy vegetable that contains carbohydrates, which can cause a rise in blood sugar levels and trigger the release of insulin.

How to Prep Acorn Squash for Cooking. Learning how to cook acorn squash begins with its easy prep. It's a breeze since there is no real need to peel the squash, as the flesh separates easily from the skin and can be eaten directly from the shell once cooked. (Eating the skin is a personal preference—but it is edible.

Acorn squash skin

A smaller vegetable than many of its squash cousins, the acorn squash has a soft, tender skin that cooks beautifully along with the flesh. It can be cut up and roasted, or stuffed and baked whole, and the skin will be just as tasty as the rest.

Sure, you know about the delicious orange flesh of winter squash—but the skin? In case you didn't know, all winter squash skins are edible, and full of fiber and vitamin A to boot. Whether or not you should eat the skins of every type of winter squash is its own question.

You don't have to peel it before roasting. That's right. You do not have to suffer through peeling an entire slippery butternut squash if you're going to roast it. The skin is perfectly safe to eat, and it's hardly noticeable after a nice roast in a hot oven.