Heather Rockwood is a food science junior and Mustang Daily food columnist.
Winter squash has been generously packing on the pounds over the years so you and I don’t have to.
The thick-fleshed, modern-day squashes originated from their much thinner relatives native to Guatemala and Mexico. These ancient squashes were cultivated primarily for their seeds, and thus did not have much edible flesh beneath the hard rinds. As the years of history advanced though, so did modern day squashes’ fleshy waistlines.
Luckily, in the case of winter squash, bigger really does mean better. The best squashes to purchase from the market are those that are heavy for their size. Staying true to its roots, and spending a fair amount of its juvenile life on the ground connected to a vine, squash isn’t really a glamour girl. Keeping this in mind, always purchase squash with dull, not glossy rinds. Give the rind of your potential squash purchase a good tap to ensure it is hard and firm — indicating no water loss and a crisp, flavorful flesh hidden beneath.
Don’t be fooled by the tough exteriors of winter squash — after a little warming up they’re all a bunch of softies. The most beneficial, and definitely the most scrumptious, way to consume any winter squash is after it has been cooked.
As with many other starchy foods, there are many methods to bring down the heat: boiling, baking, roasting and, my faithful college favorite, microwaving. Whatever method you decide to follow through with, keep in mind the size of the pieces you are cooking — the smaller the surface area (aka bite-sized cubes compared to the whole squash), the faster the cooking time.
Don’t throw away those seeds either. Although modern-day winter squash is not cultivated primarily for its seeds, they act as the bonus that seals the deal. The seeds can be quickly roasted, salted or covered in cinnamon sugar to serve as the snack that can get you through the final 20 minutes of your never-ending statistic lecture.
Similar to the quarter system, in which winter quarter is normally the most productive for students (encouraged by the lack of sun inspiring studying), the health benefits of winter squashes seek and accomplish to outweigh the health benefits of their fun-loving summer squash cousins such as zucchini. Such benefits include the higher nutrient content of carotenoids — helpful in protecting against heart diesease. Winter squashes’ low-fat profile and anti-inflammatory compounds also make for it to be a heart and health-friendly food choice.
Although, the use of an umbrella term like “winter squash” can lead many to assume all squash falling under this umbrella are the same, this is simply not true. The flavor profiles of each winter squash contribute a subtle difference in every prepared dish. That being said, if you do happen to need a substitution for a recipe there are more than 14 well-known varieties of winter squash, not including the many lesser-known varieties. You may not get the exact taste intended if you use a different squash, but in a last minute ingredient bind, you have many go-to substitutes.
HINT: I am the rich, lazy man’s orange.