Allotments 4 All
Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: realfood on September 28, 2010, 20:01:48
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Last year there seemed to be general agreement that among the best tasting, easy to grow varieties of Winter Squashes were Bon Bon, Crown Prince and Uchiki Kuri.
This year for the first time I grew Invincible, which is claimed to be an improved Crown Prince type, in the same bed as my other Winter Squashes. Invincible has proved to be such a disappointment!! It has a similar shape, lighter colour but does not seem to be so robust as Crown Prince. One invincible had to be eaten early, and I thought that it was poor tasting and lacking sweetness compared with Crown prince.
Has anyone else grown Invincible and what did you think of the taste?
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I saw it advertised and wondered what it was like. So no I haven't tried it, but interested to hear your experience
1066 :)
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Thank you for this - it's always interesting and useful to get veg reviews, one of the reasons I love this site and how i found it! I won't bother with Invincible then!
Did anyone try Squashkin? (Marshalls) Also supposed to be a Crown Prince hybrid - with a butternut - claimed to be the best of both types?
Also on squash, I like and have been successful with pink banana (still have a lot in the freezer from last summer!). Real Seeds reckon their blue banana is much better - any views out there? I have had mixed experience with their seeds.
Hope I am not hijacking this thread but the title is quite general!
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We grew invincible but only had one fruit on each of the 3 plants.We are yet to try it so will let you know the result
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It will have to be a very good tasting squash at that rate of productivity unless they are huge?
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I'm still eating Festivals from last year and they're very nice... possibly not as sweet as a well kept butternut, but a heck of a lot easier to grow, and if nothing else I've proven than they'll store well in non-optimum conditions.... they spent the winter in my folks garage adn since March they've been in my kitchen, on a shelf, next to the boiler...
I've got high hopes for Potimarron though, this year it's given me some sensibly sized squash and the mini pumpkin hooligan has too... if they turn out to be nice then I'll grow them again... uchi Kuri is a bit big for anythign I have a use for , Boston Winter is bigger than my head, the Galeux D'Eysines are too big, as are the Crown Prince, the Anna Schwartz Hubbards, the Muscade, the Cha-Cha and the Tondo di Padana (when it did come true. Burgess Buttercup and BOn-BOn both produced small fruit this year but I know Bon-Bon will get bigger than that, though I welcome having a small buttercup to hand for cooking.... I'll ge to see my final tally at the weekend, all the stuff is coming off the plot on Saturday...
chrisc
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Hi,
well we liked Invincible enough last year to grow it again this year, but for my money it's not as good as Burgess buttercup ( real seeds). The down side for me is that there are usually only two fruits per plant and they just get too big. Once we start one it's hanging around for ages and ages.....
I've grown uchiki Kuri for the first year based on what folks here have said, but not eaten any yet.
I will definitely be growing more burgess Buttercup though - my fave.
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Grew pink banana this year I thought it was tasteless you must have to smother it in spices to get any result.
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Re pink banana: I find it improves dramatically in flavour after storing for a couple of months, then I really like it. Best for soup, as when pureed the fibres break down to a lovely velvety texture. Not so good for chunks/roasting.
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Thanks Morris I will try that I have a sixteen pounder sitting in the shed at the moment.
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I grew Squashkin last year, and it was as sweet as a Butternut but much easier to get to fruit in the North, with a lot of usable flesh.
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Thanks Realfood I think I might try Squashkin next summer, even in Hampshire it can be a gamble getting enough ripe by autumn.
PaulW - they grow huge, don't they? My best tasting of the 3 last year was the one I left longest, until April - it was very sweet and tasty. That's the one that still has flesh in the freezer!
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The best I've eaten was Crown Prince. Blue hubbard was pretty good too.
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My opinion is that frankly it is too early to test types of winter squash for taste so soon,, the sugars will increase dramatically over the next couple of months,right now they are really not matured enough.
My favourites still are the blues and the delicatas.
XX Jeannine
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Today, I tried Blue Kuri and Rolet. Blue Kuri was sweet and had a fudge-like consistency of flesh. Rolet was only slightly sweet with a stringy flesh.
Rolet was the most prolific of my Winter Squash, with an incredibly hard skin.
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Made today with my daughter a great tasting pumpkinsoup made from a blue hubbard,it was heavenly.Great taste,fine structure.My daughter is learning for cook and her teacher was also enthousiastic about the blue hubbard.
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Rolet was only slightly sweet with a stringy flesh.
I was googling Rolet a while back and it said it was better to eat them fresh, less stringy apparantly. It seems to pan out. The first one I ate back in August was delightfully nutty with some acceptable stringiness and saved ones have been disappointingly bland and nothing but string.
So far I have had to eat two Queensland Blue's because of mouldy stems: it's the finest smoothest tastiest squash I ever ate. (But I haven't eaten many, this is my first year of growing winter squashes ;) ) But really, no comparison to supermarket ones I've tried in years before, a league apart. Can't wait to eat the best, really ripe one - but must, must wait!
So far also sampled a Kamo Kamo which has disappointed too, but some set when it was hot and some just had a very dull, wet summer - don't know which camp the one I ate came from. I've got a roomful of those so hoping some are nicer or they improve in storage.
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Re pink banana: I find it improves dramatically in flavour after storing for a couple of months, then I really like it. Best for soup, as when pureed the fibres break down to a lovely velvety texture. Not so good for chunks/roasting.
I took Real Seeds' advice on banana squash and bought their Blue Banana - mainly because I've been looking for a plant that gives me lots of immature squashes because I prefer them to courgettes - denser flesh, stronger nutty flavour.
In this they worked well - even though only 25% of the plants came out with blue fruits - the rest of the plants produced green and obviously not the true strain.
In Sep I picked the last squash - the only one I'd let get a bit big, and started chopping it to bulk out a stew - but I always try new varieties raw in case they work as well as grated pumpkin in coleslaw.
I was very surprised to find it was the best raw squash I've ever tasted - so good that it competed with my apples for after-dinner nibbles!
I've kept its seed but the bad news is that it was one of the green ones so I won't know if Blue Banana is as good until next year!
Cheers.
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That's interesting Vinlander.
Since the summer crookneck is botanically a winter squash and so much tastier for me than a courgette I do similar if I've got enough squashes.
Queensland Blue as a rather large soft courgette was also very tasty and orange fleshed early, but it would never be productive enough for courgette style picking. Kamo Kamo was disappointingly bland in it's early state. Must sample more varieties next year....
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Must sample more varieties next year....
Ooooo you're on a slippery slope here, there are so many ;D ;D ;D Enjoy ;)
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Can anyone advise if 'Turks Turban' improves with keeping?
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I think that the banana squashes tend to only develop their characteristic skin colour in very mature specimens, and especially after long storage.
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Can anyone advise if 'Turks Turban' improves with keeping?
I grew Turks Turban once as ornamentals, and ate them experimentally when they were over a year old. They were incredibly sweet with a melting almost toffee-like taste when roasted, and good in soup.
I think they must be quite variable though as I have also many times heard/read them described as bland/fibrous and inedible.
So if, as your post suggests, they aren't nice yet, you haven't anything to lose by keeping them longer and seeing if time helps, I think squash always are better for maturing - winter ones, that is.
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Thanks Morris,
We did eat one in August to try it as I had read that they were nothing special.
Found it 'nothing special'.
I have two large ones which I'll keep & see if they improve!
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Mine is a different view because I don't really enjoy any kind of squash/pumpkin cooked - but Turks' Turban does well for me and is good raw - usually grated into homemade coleslaw.
I tend to eat them either in the gap between the summer and winter cabbage or when the carrots run out - in my case that means before the end of Nov.
Cheers.
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That's interesting, Vinlander, I've never thought of trying winter squash raw; whereas I often have eaten uncooked summer squash in salads etc.
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At the risk of sounding like a cracked record - you should try combining chopped raw chard stems (finely sliced across the grain) with grated pumpkin and mayo - a very enjoyable way to use significant quantities of what I would otherwise consider to be fairly unappetising ingredients.
Cheers.
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My Black Futsu have now turned a reddish brown with black spots so I decided to try one today. I was amazed at the strong melon flavour when grated raw. It also made a wonderful soup and some very sweet chips. I'm going to try the next one in a cake recipe and roast some too.
Tricia
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and some very sweet chips. Tricia
Interetsing to hear how you are getting on with the Black Futsu Tricia, as mine came to nowt! And I'm loving the idea of chip sized roasties, made me think of trying some tempura style ....
Early Pea - I can only echo Galine - a VERY SLIPPERY SLOPE ::) ;) :D
Have now tried the Rouge Vif D'Etamps, lovely lovely lovely :)
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Thanks, Vinlander I'll give that a go. But it will have to be next year as this summer was winter squash's turn for a 'rest' which is part of my rotation attempts in a smaller garden plot.
Chard stems I often use to bulk up soups or soften in butter like onions to add to lots of dishes, but it's good to have another, interesting, use for them.
BTW, these squash threads have been very ill-timed for me, having joined A4A with its squash obsessives in the year I had decided to only grow a couple of plants! Jealousy and teeth-grinding have reined!
My husband frequently reminds me I haven't time for an allotment as well as the garden but if I did I would grow masses of squash and maincrop potatoes. Sigh ...
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I bought a turks turban squash at the store once- it was a beauty and I'd thought I'd save the seeds to grow next season but it tasted bland and was stringy- another idea out the window though they'd make a pretty addition to a Fall decoration.
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I bought a turks turban squash at the store once- it was a beauty and I'd thought I'd save the seeds to grow next season but it tasted bland and was stringy- another idea out the window though they'd make a pretty addition to a Fall decoration.
The seeds are the most reliable part of Turks' Turban - they are a good size and delicious.
As to the flesh - that's commercial growers for you...
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I bought a turks turban squash at the store once- it was a beauty and I'd thought I'd save the seeds to grow next season but it tasted bland and was stringy- another idea out the window though they'd make a pretty addition to a Fall decoration.
The seeds are the most reliable part of Turks' Turban - they are a good size and delicious.
I guess the best part went in the garbage then!
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The seeds are the most reliable part of Turks' Turban - they are a good size and delicious.
I guess the best part went in the garbage then!
Not even in the compost? for shame - though if you were worrying about encouraging rats with such tasty seeds - then you know the solution now - get to them first!
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I learned my lesson a couple of years ago when I put all my squash waste in the compost. When the compost was later spread over my raised beds I had squash plants springing up everywhere. Never again. Tomato seeds don't compost either!
Tricia
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I learned my lesson a couple of years ago when I put all my squash waste in the compost. When the compost was later spread over my raised beds I had squash plants springing up everywhere. Never again. Tomato seeds don't compost either!
Tricia
Now when I microwave a winter squash the seeds are left in and I'm hoping they won't be viable in the compost after that cooking.
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I've eaten a galeux d'eysines squash. It was my first year growing them. It was nice, very light, perfumed, almost melon-like flavour. Even when grilled with olive oil on, when other squashes get rich and dense and meaty-tasting somehow.
I'll definitely grow some again next year.
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Both make a good indicator of soil temperature though for putting out tender plants like beans and corn... :)
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Both make a good indicator of soil temperature though for putting out tender plants like beans and corn... :)
good point saddad
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Good to look on the positive side!
I find I have a lot of small weed seedlings around to let me know when spring is on its way. I suppose I am truly blessed in that way ;)
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I ate my first Bon Bon squash yesterday and it was lovely ;D I will definitely grow it again. Although I love the taste of crown prince and jarrahdale I find them too large for just two of us. I also grew sweet dumpling this year but I am a little dissapointed with it's flavour and texture. I think it's a little dry. Next year I want to grow smaller squashes as I find them more practical.
duke
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I love butternuts but this year I had success with a dark green squash given to me by a friend, it's a Kabocha type I think, with a funny paler patch on the bottom. Excellent flavour. He also gave a a Tristar fruit, which is the green-grey type that is sort of bent over on itself ;D That is also very tasty but hard to cut.
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My latest taste test involves BonBon, Uchiki Kuri and Blue Kuri and you can guess that BonBon won, but not by a huge margin.
BonBon had a sweet, fudge like consistency dark orange flesh, with good flavour and is a well deserved winner.
Uchicki Kuri, sweet and a lot of flavour with dark orange flesh was very good.
Blue Kuri was sweet with a light orange flesh, but not quite as much flavour as Uchiki Kuri.
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Came across this page http://www.thepumpkinpatch.com/wintersquash.htm which is of interest.
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Not sure if anyone else has mentioned this, but the RHS had a big trial of winter squash at Wisley this year, about 40 varieties, most of which did pretty well. I understand they will be doing taste tests in the New Year and awarding AGMs and I assume the results will be in their magazine, eventually. There were some that I hadn't heard of so it will be interesting to see if the old favourites come through.
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On recommendation I grew 'Bon Bon' for the first time this year and tasted the first of my harvest yesterday - it was very very sweet, too sweet for the dish I was serving it with, however I also found the texture quite dry - is this the way it should be?
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On recommendation I grew 'Bon Bon' for the first time this year and tasted the first of my harvest yesterday - it was very very sweet, too sweet for the dish I was serving it with, however I also found the texture quite dry - is this the way it should be?
I don't know what the rest of you have found with the sweeter squashes, but so far I've noticed they don't hold up in storage as long as the butternuts. We're eating "Sunshine" and "Confection" at a great rate due to this, however, I like their flavor immensely as they remind me of sweet potatoes. I'm guessing the fact that the furnace is in the storage area isn't helping but we don't have any other storage place that wouldn't freeze.
The other convenient things about "Sunshine" are: it is only around 3 lbs. and has a beautiful bright orange skin which makes it quite decorative. We just celebrated Thanksgiving and used a pile of them and the multicolored-striped delicata winter squash named "Bananaboat" as centerpieces which worked nicely- then handed them out as people left.
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Hi all,
As a relatively new gardner I have not grown many varieties but I can say that my Japanese Black Futsu were extremely tasty. They were picked prematurely and eaten soon after. I roasted them in olive oil and salt very slowly and the flesh was creamy and nutty.
I'm keen to discover how they taste after maturing and will certainly grow a plant or two next year.
Reccomended.
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Suzie, BonBon has a dryish or fudge-like texture which I like and is normal.
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I was 'murdering' one of my Queensland Blue squashes yesterday...pheww, what a job. Thoroughly seasoned skin..could have done with chainsaw to get through. But what I ended up was stockpot full of lovely big cubes of deep orange flesh. Dog enjoyed it raw..poor thing is nearly blind now and cut it 'dog chew-like' strips and they went down well ;D
We had it cooked ...looovely and sweet,,really rich taste. Last one wasn't quite as ripe so taste wasn't half as good as this one had.
Futsu's are just starting to turn from green to brown so I'm waiting to taste them bit longer.
I'm going to have cup of coffee now...after all this typing...and with slice of squash & mince pie ;D
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I was 'murdering' one of my Queensland Blue squashes yesterday...pheww, what a job. Thoroughly seasoned skin..could have done with chainsaw to get through. But what I ended up was stockpot full of lovely big cubes of deep orange flesh. Dog enjoyed it raw..poor thing is nearly blind now and cut it 'dog chew-like' strips and they went down well ;D
We had it cooked ...looovely and sweet,,really rich taste. Last one wasn't quite as ripe so taste wasn't half as good as this one had.
Futsu's are just starting to turn from green to brown so I'm waiting to taste them bit longer.
I'm going to have cup of coffee now...after all this typing...and with slice of squash & mince pie ;D
I read recently a suggestion to bake the squash whole and then cut it open.
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Thanks realfood, much appreciated.
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Please let me know how your Futsu's are goodlife. Mine was green when I ate it. I only had one as the plant had a split vine plus a few rookie mistakes on my part which I care not to mention :(
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How do you cook & what do you serve it with the Bob Bon realfood, I ask because I have tried it roasted and now I have just made soup that I would normally use Butternut squash and I have found it so so sweet my O.H. just cannot eat it! I have quite a few Bon Bons to use and not sure what to do with them - any thought would be much appreciated :)
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You can use other veg and stronger stock to 'cut' through sweetness and only use squash as part of the soup..not the main incredient.
And the really sweet ones make good 'pumpkin' pie filling,,but as the squash is much dried fleshed you will need some cream or yughurt to add some moisture to the filling.
You can also eat it raw..just like carrots etc. then the sweetness doesn't matter.
Mash made with half squash, half potato is looovely..served with something more 'salty' like sausages, gammon etc. YUM!
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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
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Thanks for that Goodlife - I am going to try and 'elongate' the sweet flavour of my soup by making another soup & combining - wish me luck :-\
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;D ;D ;D ;D :D ;D
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Even though I have been growing Sweet Winter Squash for a few years now, I have never made soup with them as I feel they are far too good for that. There are plenty of pumpkins with a low sweetness, which could be used for a soup. See my soup recipe here :-http://www.growyourown.info/page60.html
After microwaving one of the sweeter Winter Squashes, I use the flesh as a veg on its own. BonBon and other sweet ones are marvelous in pumpkin pie. See my recipe here :- http://www.growyourown.info/page171.html It is even quicker to substitute ginger nut biscuits for the pastry. I just line the base and the sides of the tin and pour on the pie mixture.
Or how about my recipe for pumpkin scones here :- http://www.growyourown.info/page178.html
I also use Squash flesh to make a sweet bread using my cheap breadmaker. See my recipe here :-
http://www.growyourown.info/page151a.html
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I also use Squash flesh to make a sweet bread using my cheap breadmaker. See my recipe here :-
http://www.growyourown.info/page151a.html
Do you add the nuts and dried fruit also? I don't have a bread machine but it looks like an interesting recipe to try anyway.
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Yes, I usually add some dried fruit and nuts.
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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!
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
:)
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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My dark green Rollet now look just like oranges and are now bright orange.
What an amazing change of colour in storage!!
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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.
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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 :)
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Had to cut up my only Bonbon yesterday as it had a small chink of soft on it. Perfect when I opened it apart from a 5p patch. Have put it to freeze until we need it. Still have 8 butternut and a blue pumpkin to try
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I grew Harrier Butternut, pretty bog standard variety but after a couple of months in storage, the flavour was exceptional, best soup I ever made.
d**n, I bought some Turk's Turban seeds this year! Now you are all telling me that they are rubbish?? :o :( I am dead disappointed as they looked so tempting.
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d**n, I bought some Turk's Turban seeds this year! Now you are all telling me that they are rubbish?? :o :( I am dead disappointed as they looked so tempting.
You never know- it might be a good one. You might plant one just to see. At worst you'll have a beautiful Fall decoration. You can always prune the plant to leave room for more promising varieties.
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We tried some of the frozen bon bon in a curry but we both agreed that it would be better in a soup.It breaks up a lot more than the butternut does after freezing. It doesn't taste as sweet either. Twould make a good soup thickener