A Guide to Squash and Pumpkins
VARIETY | APPEARANCE | FLAVOR | AVAILABILITY | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Acorn (Green Acorn, Gold Acorn, White Acron, Carnival Squash) | Small to medium in size. Acorn-like shape with deep ridges and a pointed bottom. Green and Gold Acorn get their name from color of shells. Both have orange flesh. White Acorn has creamy white shell with light flesh. Carnival Squash is green with mottled shell and light flesh. | Sweet, nutty | Green Acorn: Year-round Gold, White & Carnival: Fall | |
Buttercup | Green Buttercup has dark green shell with gray stripes and orange flesh. Ambercup has an orange shell. | Very sweet | Fall | |
Butternut | Beige in color, with a vase-like shape.Deep orange flesh. | Sweet, similar to a sweet potato | Year-round | |
Delicata (Sugar Loaf) | Elongated shape. Creamy white shell with forestgreen stripes. Yellow flesh. Sugar Loaf is a cross between Delicata and Acorn, shorter in length, and wider. | Sweet, similar to sweet corn | Year-round | |
Hubbard (Green Hubbard, Blue Hubbard, Golden Hubbard) | Large and round with tapered ends. Shell can be green, gray-blue, or golden. Orange flesh. | Sweet, rich | Fall | |
Kobocha | Pronounced kah-BO-shuh, this is a Japanese variety with a pale green, gray, or orange shell. Thick golden flesh. | Sweet, rich | Year-round | |
Spaghetti (Small Wonder) | Small, watermelon shape. Golden yellow shell with pale yellow, spaghetti-like flesh. Small Wonder is a smaller version. | Slightly sweet, nutty | Spaghetti: Year-round Small Wonder: Fall | |
Sweet Dumpling | Pumpkin-shaped. Green and white-striped shell. Tender orange flesh. | Mildly sweet | Fall | |
Turban | Bright orange shell with green or white stripes. Bulb-like cap extends from blossom end. Orange flesh. | Sweet, rich | Fall | |
Jack-be-Little (We-be-Little) | Small, about the size of a tangerine.Bright orange or white shell. | Sweet | Fall | |
Fairy Tale Pumpkin | Classic squatty pumpkin shape with well-defined ribbing. Think Cinderella’s coach. | Light and sweet | Fall | |
Pie Pumpkin | Orange shell with orange flesh. Smaller than traditional jack-o’-lantern pumpkins used for carving. | Sweet | Fall |