Crown Prince example
- Characteristics
- Bluish skin and orange flesh
Other winter squash
Winter squash is grown to maturity for its edible fruit, with varieties that differ in shape, skin color and flesh.
- Harvest stage
- Mature fruit
- Variety differences
- Shape, skin color and flesh
Types and forms
Harrier, butternut example
- Characteristics
- Pear-shaped fruit with orange flesh
Sweet Dumpling example
- Characteristics
- Small, cream and green-striped; orange flesh
Try it in the kitchen
Roast pieces of squash and serve them with lentils and sage, or blend the cooked flesh into a soup. Ask which variety you are buying before deciding the cut: a pear-shaped fruit and a small striped one offer different starting shapes.
For a risotto, cooked squash can become a smooth cream stirred into the rice. Riso Scotti finishes its version with butter, Parmigiano, black pepper and sage.
Choose a named variety
Ask for the variety and choose a fruit shape that suits the dish. The RHS examples illustrate some of the range; orange flesh in these examples should not be taken as a rule for every winter squash.
Storing the whole mature fruit
The RHS recommends a well-ventilated place for mature winter squash, with fruits spaced apart and checked for deterioration. This advice concerns whole fruit prepared for storage; keeping quality depends on the variety.
