Topic: Winter Squash taste tests

[realfood]

Yes, I usually add some dried fruit and nuts.

[Dandytown]

Just for you Dandytown...
[attachment=1]
This Futsu is almost changed its colour now. As I did not have better things to do today I decided to trial one .
It cooked lovely..I steamed one lot in big cubes and other as spicy wedges in oven ;D ;D ;D
QB was really stodgy and much heavier  compared to Futsu..and Futsu wasn't overly sweet neither.I think I'd like QB better for baking...and for caseroles stews as it is much 'meatier'.
Futsu I think is nice as it is..just as steamed side 'dish'. It is not over powering and has lighter 'mouth feel'.
QB was better raw..where as Futsu I didn't like raw at all....there..I'm that little bit wiser now ;D

I agree with your comments about Futsu, they are not over sweet and have a delicate and moreish taste creamy/nutty taste.  Cant wait to grow again nexy year!

[GrannieAnnie]

I simply do not get this complaint about squash being too sweet.
I thought the goal was to grow the sweetest fruits, carrots, parsnips, peas and... winter squash,
i know, i know, everyone's tastes are different but really, they could go chew on a white potato if they want bland ;D

[Vinlander]

Sweetness is not the main thing for people like me... it comes second most of the time - sometimes third or fourth.

Some fruits are pretty useless without it - but even then it is like the old maths expression:

"Necessary but not sufficient"

If it were sufficient we would all give up gardening and suck a sugar cube instead - now that's what I call bland!

Pumpkins may be an exception but in many cases it's actually a lot easier to grow fruits that are very sweet and flavourless than ones that are mildly sweet but full of complex flavours.

That's why so many heritage apple varieties are absolutely delicious and "golden delicious" ......... simply isn't.

I think most people who take the trouble to grow their own would agree to some extent - though I have to admit I'm at the other extreme - I actually get more enjoyment from the occasional chew on a decent raw potato than I've ever had from those yellow bags of French sugar-water sold as apples.

Each to their own - a tablespoon of white sugar for you, an Alphonse mango for me...

Cheers.

[realfood]

My latest batch for taste testing were Festival, Uchiki Kuri, and Squashkin.
Uchiki Kuri had moist flesh of good taste and medium level of sweetness.
Festival had drier flesh and good taste and high level of sweetness.
Squashkin had dry flesh and good taste and high level of sweetness.
Of these three, I thought that festival was the best as it is easier to grow than Squashkin.

By taste, I am referring to the complexity of the flavour, which is quite different from the sweetness.

[chriscross1966]

My latest batch for taste testing were Festival, Uchiki Kuri, and Squashkin.
Uchiki Kuri had moist flesh of good taste and medium level of sweetness.
Festival had drier flesh and good taste and high level of sweetness.
Squashkin had dry flesh and good taste and high level of sweetness.
Of these three, I thought that festival was the best as it is easier to grow than Squashkin.

By taste, I am referring to the complexity of the flavour, which is quite different from the sweetness.

Festival gets my vote generally, as well as the decent taste it stores like a brick, it's a sensible size for the 1 or 2 person household, the plants are easy to grow adn you always get a decent crop, even in bad years...

chrisc

[realfood]

Another taste test between my own Festival and a bought piece of Muscadet Squash( as they take too long to mature this far North).
Festival as good as usual. Muscadet medium sweetness but rather stringy texture which I did not care for. Very impressive amount of usuable flesh.

[1066]

I read recently a suggestion to bake the squash whole and then cut it open.

If you do this remember to pierce the skin a few times, otherwise it might explode in your oven!! As an alternative I've cut them in half before now, and place the halves on a roasting tray face down, with some olive oil and seasonings of choice. And then sliced them up

 :)

[Mortality]

I had to eat one of my (almost) Butternut squashes because it started to rot up by the stem. Made it into a squash and lentil soup, delicious  ;D

One interesting thing I did note is that it had hardly any seeds, roughly 20 that ive saved, I probabily had more than 50 from the parent (shop bought) butternut squash, any thoughts as to why?

[realfood]

Another taste test. Black Forest squash. Small, not much usable orange flesh, with medium sweetness and good flavour. Not so easy to grow this far North.

[galina]

One interesting thing I did note is that it had hardly any seeds, roughly 20 that ive saved, I probabily had more than 50 from the parent (shop bought) butternut squash, any thoughts as to why?

I often get few or no seeds, because butternut pollen is so temperature sensitive.  If it is borderline warm enough and only some of the pollen grains are alive, then there will be  fewer seeds, even no seeds at all.  For some reason, butternuts can be tricked into thinking they have been pollinated when they have not and these will have no seeds inside, but store quite well.  Usually we get our warmest weather earlier in the year, before the butternuts are flowering.   Another reason to start early with butternuts or get seeds of the really fast growing varieties.  Especially in cooler areas.  And handpollinate when the flowers have been thoroughly warmed, if you do handpollinate.   

[realfood]

Yet another taste test!! GOLD NUGGET, small fruit, dull orange skin with orange flesh with medium sweetness and one of the strongest tastes that I have found in a Winter squash. It matures early and is the only Winter Squash that I have grown that I would describe as a true bush type.
Anyone else grown it?

[realfood]

Invincible Winter squash is the latest of my taste tests. A great disappointment. Billed as an improved Crown Prince type, it has low sweetness, average taste, and poor storage compared to Crown Prince.
It is more heavily ribbed and the skin goes more yellow in storage than Crown Prince.
Has anyone else grown Invincible?

[froglets]

Hi,

I've grown Invincible for two years now & while I agree it's not as tasty as my favourite Burgess Buttercup, I though it worthwhile.  I've found it  stores better than my ichuki Kiuri which are all going white and furry all of a sudden.

The skin on mine have been a lovely bluish pale green and not very ribbed.  I bought the seeds from Unwins three years ago.  The only reason I won't be growing it this year is that the fruits get too big for just two of us so we are sick of pumpkin by the time we get through one.

Sounds like seed or local conditions introducing variation.

[realfood]

Turks Turban Squash. This had a small amount of pale orange flesh, with low sweetness and a slightly bitter taste. Only suitable for soup.
This is much in line with what I had previously read. It is really only grown for decoration.

[GrannieAnnie]

Turks Turban Squash. This had a small amount of pale orange flesh, with low sweetness and a slightly bitter taste. Only suitable for soup.
This is much in line with what I had previously read. It is really only grown for decoration.

That was my experience with Turks Turban- a pity since they have that unique appearance.

[Vinlander]

I've never found turks turban to be noticeably bitter, but I dislike the soft bland "carrot manque'e" or "geriatric home cuisine" aspect of cooked squash so I only eat it raw (coleslaw).

I've never had a TT with noticeably less than 'normal' thickness flesh (compared to say crown prince) - except the striped end is always half the thickness.

There may be a 'florists variety' out there that has been bred for a huge striped end at the expense of everything else worth having?? I have seen some in the shops (at ludicrous prices) for 'seasonal display' that are as much as 45% striped.

I can't believe the original TT would have been this primped, permed and probably useless 'poodle' of a veg...

I've grown at least 3 packets from various specialist veg seedsmen in the last 20 years and they all turned out with a cute little stripy hemisphere on the end that was less than half the full diameter at most ie. 14% striped at most.

Apart from that, I don't think you can ever get a true pumpkin seed - even in the biggest fields with the most careful controls, pollen from elsewhere will eventually creep in. 

I also have to admit  I do like a hint of the right kind of bitter! I will even go so far as enjoying a bit of rue in a salad (but only with dressing - the oil keeps it away from lips or any other tender bits that get sunlight).

The seeds are the best-tasting part of any squash and turks turban are excellent.

I must admit however that I got two good crosses a few years ago and I now grow them in preference to buying in seeds. One is orange without a striped end and the other is green with a striped end.

The seeds are just as good as TT and the flesh is better, though I'm not sure I could put my finger on why.

Grow it near crown prince like I did - you may get a happy surprise!

Cheers.

[realfood]

My dark green Rollet now look just like oranges and are now bright orange.
What an amazing change of colour in storage!!

[realfood]

The latest of my taste tests pits Harlequin against the old standby Festival. Very similar in taste and texture but I thought that Festival was slightly sweeter.

[manicscousers]

realfood, we grew golden nugget last year, brilliant taste but very difficult to get into the last one  ;D
used the last of the butternuts yesterday, still got a couple of potimarron left , I like the flavour of these  :)