Topic: Which pumpkins/squash would you grow again?

[Dandytown]

quote author=goodlife link=topic=69928.msg714291#msg714291 date=1321177746]

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However, thelma sanders and spaghetti squash are probably not suited to my taste buds.  I found them bland but doesnt mean they will not be good for someone else.
Well..first TS squash is tested now... :-\..and I have to agree with Dandytown...they are soooo bland. [/quote]

Thanks for that comparison Goodlife,

I tried the uchiki kuri by roasting with a little oil and salt and I would have liked it a little more if I did not have the bon bon to compare it too.  

For 2012 I will only be growing as many plants as I can of just Black Futsu and Bon Bon as these pumpkins taste delicious by themselves which is my preferred way to eat them.  

Sadly that means I will not be involved in another squash swap  :(

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[goodlife]

Well...I've got another one for my 'must grow again' list..Red Warty Thing.
It is not heavy fleshed..and just right amount of sweetness for my liking.
Only trouble is that it is hard job to cut through...and those squashes that I have are quite large so I've got loads to eat...blessing or not.. :-\
I lost my patience with one today..I took ages to get wedge out of it..so by the time the wedge was out..I just hacked it into large chunks..brushed the chunks with oil..sprinkle of salt and pepper and into oven to roast...but they were looooovely.. ;D Same again tomorrow with few sausages... ;D Even OH, who is not fan of squashes enjoyed his share.. :o
RWT is not strong tasting one..well the one I've eaten wasn't..so perharps is best just simply roasted as cooked into food the flavour will be lost amongst other flavours.
And none of mine had warty skin as such..not like in photos...their skin just look like bad case of acne.. :-X ;D
I've got now loads of seeds drying out..so hopefully I shall enjoy RWT again next year..

[Vinlander]

I'm quite impressed with blue banana - smallish for me (probably neglect helped) - delicata size but more pointy - seem to keep well, very good grated as coleslaw - one fruit makes 3 double portions so we can use it all in a week (before it goes off).

I did get a bit of variation last year but the ones that were green instead of blue were actually just as good & sweet with slightly tenderer, crunchier flesh. I tried to grow the green ones on this year but the seed failed.

Cheers.

[GrannieAnnie]

We roasted both Kikuzu and Butternut the other night for a comparison taste.

Kikuzu was lovely and more of a custard texture  with a gentle sweet flavor. I liked it the best.

Not sure how well it will store compared to butternuts. Also they weren't as productive as butternuts which makes it a difficult choice.

I just read on an American site about Seminole which is supposed to be very productive and can last two years in storage. Has anyone tried Seminole?

[Ophi]

I was impressed with Blue Banana too.  We had four plants and they produced some huge fruits.  I have five cured and we ate and gave away four.  You have to be a bit creative though to use all that flesh.  I go for a curry, soup, puree to freeze for pies, and a risotto.  So each time I use one I get several meals.

Thelma Sanders Sweet Potato was prolific also but a smaller squash that will do one curry or risotto.  We popped some in with a roast and it was quite nice.  I have a few stored for future use.

Sucrine Du Berry produced a few fruits but did not cure that well so I am using it first.  The flesh smells like a melon and is very nice without needing to flavour with spices.

Uchiki Kuri produced one fruit that is cured for later on.

We have been trying different squashes each year and noting our favourites.  I do like the smell and flavour of the french varieties but they never seem to cure that well with our autumns.

[antipodes]

I have started to eat the Black Futsus, except - they are no longer black! In storage they have turned a rich terracotta colour! very odd. The flavour is outstanding, a fairly dry flesh which I like. Excellent as mashed pumpkin. I will try making little "duchess pumpkins" out of them for Christmas!

[saddad]

Almost all pumpkins turn shades of orange as they ripen... irrespective of original skin colour... they grey blue Crown Prince for instance..  :)

[Kea]

I like the buttercup/kaboucha squash....dark green with silver stripes. I grew Cha Cha from King's this year and was very pleased with the results but not pleased with the thief who stole the 5 biggest ones.
Having said that I was impressed that the smaller ones had good flavour usually they seem to need to reach a certain size before the flavour and texture is right.

I mostly roast my squash with rosemary and garlic; make soup again with garlic and coriander but other herbs work and so does nutmeg. Also delicious mashed with some butter after being steamed. Kaboucha squash has a 'mealy' texture and doesn't usually require any thickening agent when making soup. I usually saute an onion until soft add garlic then cooked (steamed or roasted and peeled) Kaboucha squash and vegetable or chicken stock (good quality) cook for awhile to soften then mash and blend with hand blender and reheat while you clean the orange of your kitchen walls ;D

[Duke Ellington]

Yesterday I made some soup out of a golden Hubbard squash. I have never grown it before  so I am pleased to report that the the flavour is excellent. However it only produced two squashes per plant. I will try it again next year to see if it will produce more.

Duke