What are some types of squash?
Squash is a general name for plants in a family of gourds. All these plants have soft meat surrounding the core and many of them have hard skin. There is a dazzling series of edible varieties that fall into the categories of summer and winter. All gourds are equally tasty and have countless use depending on the type and goals of the chef. Members of this family range from modest zucchini to stringed spaghetti squash, two well -known examples of summer and winter varieties.
Summer varieties tend to ripen faster than winter types and usually have thinner skin. They are thrown with pasta and salads, eaten with fries and turns into chutures. Some may be consumed raw and appear on plant plates. Summer squash is usually planted at the beginning of spring for maturity in early summer and can be consumed until summer. They have a much stronger skin, rather like a bark, and it's not edible raw. These varieties tend to maintain well and can be stored in a cold dry place during the winter. It's excellent bakedé, added to soups and steamed meat and porridge. Many people also enjoy pumpkin cake, classic winter squash food.
flowers of both types are edible and tasty. Many Italian restaurants offer a fried squash flower and also seems to be mixed with pasta and salads. These flowers have a rich, delicate taste that is quite pleasant for the tongue.
One of the normal summer varieties is zucchini, dark green, club vegetables that are proliferated in most gardens. Yellow Crookneck, another summer variety, ranges from very small and tender to much larger and wooden varieties that should be roasted. Summer varieties become wooden and lose their taste if they remain on the vine for too long, so it is better to select small, solid vegetables without bruises and coloring in the grocery store.
Winter varieties are much more diverse and provide entertaining vegetables to eat in an otherwise grim winter. SpaghThe ETTI Squash is yellow and elongated. When it is cooked, it is divided into a thread similar to the urgent that gives the plant its name. Acorn Squash is green and acorn in the shape of a acorns and absolutely delicate baked with sprinkling brown sugar and goat cheese. Banana squash is also roughly elongated and has a rich, sweet yellow fruit.
Butternut Squash is another common winter variety. It has a light brown color and resembles a vase with a distinctive orange body. This gourd is round and ranges from dark green to rich red, with a gentle, sweet body.
Diricata Squash is undulating and elongated, with stripes yellow and green. The meat is extremely sweet and tender, somewhat like sweet potatoes. Gold Nugget looks like a pumpkin, a bit missing the characteristics color of the pumpkin and is usually very small. Hubbard Squash is roughly shaped, lumpy variety, from gray to green color with damp yellow body.
If you want to quickly prepare any winter variety, heat the oven to 350 ° Fahrenheit (177 °Celsius) and cut the squash longitudinally. Place it face down on a pan with approximately 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) of water and bake until the meat is brought to a fork that can take 35 to 70 minutes, depending on type and size. Drain the pan and turn the squash for five to ten minutes to finish, serve with butter and salt.