Topic: Tastes of different Winter Squash

[realfood]

This week I took the chance to compare the taste and textures of BonBon, Blue Ballet and Pink Banana Winter Squashes. They had all been grown, stored and cooked in the same way.
Bonbon came top of the list with extremely sweet and tasty orange flesh. I would estimate that it was sweeter than butternuts and perhaps 3 or 4 times sweeter than the other two. The flesh was finely grained and floury and suitable to use as a vegetable as well as in pies. It is not surprising that it was top in "Gardening Which" taste tests, as well as being an AAS award winner. The only downside is that it does not store as well as some others.
The other two had moist fibrous yellow flesh of average sweetness and flavour and were suitable for use in pies, soup and bread.

[saddad]

Not varieties I have grown realfood... did they all do well in Glasgow? I've never managed to get Pink banana going here in the Midlands...  :-\

[chriscross1966]

Very good to know, I'll target my Bon-Bons to be eaten next then... but be warned, the plant is an absolute thug, even by the standards of squash....

[mpdjulie]

Very good to know, I'll target my Bon-Bons to be eaten next then... but be warned, the plant is an absolute thug, even by the standards of squash....

What do you mean it's a thug?

[GrannieAnnie]

I just read up on BonBon in a catalogue and it called it more of a small bush than a long trailing vine type squash. Could the seed catalogue possibly have lied  :o 8)

[TISH]

just wondered if you tried delicata and how it compared to bonbon, delicata is supposed to be very sweet as well. I love my blue hubbards (think they are similar to blue ballards?) but they are quite big squashes.

[chriscross1966]

Very good to know, I'll target my Bon-Bons to be eaten next then... but be warned, the plant is an absolute thug, even by the standards of squash....

What do you mean it's a thug?

I lost a courgette plant and nearly lost two uchiki kuri plants (saved them enough to grow one decent fruit each) due to rampaging pair of bon-bon.... anybody calling that thing a "bush", to them I say "Pah, and thrice "Pah""

Some of it made it to over 15 feet away.....
chrisc

[greenstar]

Realfood, did you have them under glass?  Or did you start them off very early?  I've only ever managed to grow one squash outside in Glasgow - not just one type, but one squash!

[Tulipa]

Realfood,  I am interested to read your post.  I have grown several different squashes this year and so far have eaten Blue Ballet and Burgess Buttercup.  I didn't enjoy them nearly as much as my normal squahes, that is Crown Prince and Winter Festival.  I am saving those as I know they keep really well and using up the newer varieties first.  I am hoping Red Kuri will be an improvement on the other 2 when i try it during the week.  My family all commented that they weren't as good as the old favourites so it is not just me being fussy!

I have a beautiful Jarrahdale to try too, courtesy of Duke.:)

Thanks

T.

[GrannieAnnie]

Very good to know, I'll target my Bon-Bons to be eaten next then... but be warned, the plant is an absolute thug, even by the standards of squash....

What do you mean it's a thug?

I lost a courgette plant and nearly lost two uchiki kuri plants (saved them enough to grow one decent fruit each) due to rampaging pair of bon-bon.... anybody calling that thing a "bush", to them I say "Pah, and thrice "Pah""

Some of it made it to over 15 feet away.....
chrisc

This is a quote from the catalogue:" 2005 All-America Selections Winner! 81 days. Cucurbita pepo. (F1) This semi-bush plant produces high yields of 4 lb green buttercup squash. The deep creamy orange is extremely sweet, "Sweet as Candy". Suitable for small gardens as vines spread only 8 ft. Excellent storage variety. A winter squash variety. Disease Resistant. pk/10 $3.00"

[JoeCocker]

 We had the Hooligan F1 Hybrid this weekend , stuffed with chilli and sundried tomates, they were gorgeous, but like the others very invasive into other plants

[chriscross1966]

 This is a quote from the catalogue:" 2005 All-America Selections Winner! 81 days. Cucurbita pepo. (F1) This semi-bush plant produces high yields of 4 lb green buttercup squash. The deep creamy orange is extremely sweet, "Sweet as Candy". Suitable for small gardens as vines spread only 8 ft. Excellent storage variety. A winter squash variety. Disease Resistant. pk/10 $3.00"

They lie like dogs then.... the only sqaush I grew this year that I woudl categorise as "bush" was Festival and that's still afailry big plant, about the size of a biggish bush courgette....

[Biscombe]

Hooligan!! Great name! My fave this year was a Dutch crookneck, sweeter than the butternuts I grew and spectacularly long, I hope I have more seeds!

Thanks for the tip, I'll give bonbon a go next year.

[GrannieAnnie]

 This is a quote from the catalogue:" 2005 All-America Selections Winner! 81 days. Cucurbita pepo. (F1) This semi-bush plant produces high yields of 4 lb green buttercup squash. The deep creamy orange is extremely sweet, "Sweet as Candy". Suitable for small gardens as vines spread only 8 ft. Excellent storage variety. A winter squash variety. Disease Resistant. pk/10 $3.00"

They lie like dogs then.... the only sqaush I grew this year that I woudl categorise as "bush" was Festival and that's still afailry big plant, about the size of a biggish bush courgette....

I grew Festival last year and did not find it sweet and also it was stringy compared to butternut but made a nice Fall decoration- what did you think of your Festival?
 After your Bonbon taste test (what a great idea , wish more  testing like that were possible) I'll give Bonbon a whirl next yr. Am building a slanted frame for it this week from some hand-me-down lumber!

[chriscross1966]

THe one festival I've eaten so far was very nice.... and not at all stringy....

chrisc

[realfood]

I had a look at several of the seed catalogues and they usually describe Bonbon as semi-bush but then go on to say that it spreads up to 3 m or so. I have grown Bonbon for 2 years and both years it trailed for 3 m.
I have grown Festival in the past and it can spread up to 2 m in a long growing season. I remember it as being sweet with a good texture and worth growing, but not as good as a butternut.
Tulipa, I hope you will tell us in due course how Red Kuri compares. I think that Red Kuri and Uchiki Kuri(very similar), are sweeter and have a better texture than than Blue Ballet and Pink Banana, but I will need to check that later this Winter with another taste test.

[Jeannine]

Number 1 for me is the delicata family streets ahead then followed by most of the Ausatralian blues.

If I could grow just one.. oh heaven forbid,, it would be the delicata family,I say family cos wether it is Deliucata, Sweet dumpling or Sugar Loaf they are all good as one another.


Having stuck my neck out I feel sure I will find some means of growing the 146 other varieties  I currently have in my collection !!!!!!

[earlypea]

Number 1 for me is the delicata family streets ahead then followed by most of the Ausatralian blues.

Jeannine - which of the Australian blues would do well in the UK, south-east, if any?  Thanks.

[chriscross1966]

Jeannine..... you didn't write a book called "The Compleat Squash" did you?....

[1066]

Earlypea - I grew Australian Blue this year (for the 1st time) and have to say it is delicious roasted, nice and firm and not stringy at all. I'm sure Jeannine will have others to recommend though!  :)