Have just roasted half a bon bon squash. Cooked it for half an hour. It was very dry. Will use it in soup in future unless I can find another way of cooking it. Ower Tone ate it but said he prefers butternut.
I read some where they are best steamed.
Mine all went in curries (only had 2), just fried them a bit, then added and fried a bit of chicken and cooked in a curry sauce.
Did find that if I added too many, then they did have a dry texture, but if I did not add so many they were very nice.
Will be growing a lot more next year, and try some other ways of cooking them.
Microwaving Winter Squash is my preferred method. Just cut into segments, remove seeds and place in an open container for about 10 mins until the flesh is soft. Scrape the flesh off the skin with a spoon. Use as a veg, add to homemade bread.
I have still to try it in a cake, just as you use carrots in a carrot cake.
Have half left so will try steaming it and adding to soup.
It's our favourite squash for flavour, cut into slices about the size of chips, a bit of oil then at about 180C for about an hour... Did you roast the half as a whole (if you see what I mean?!)... ?
Shirl that's interesting cos I found both the bon bon and the small sugar quite dry and fiberous (if you see what I mean), and had decided not to bother growing them again. We have a microwave but it hardly gets used, so I must remember to try and use it for some squash! The nicest ones we've had roasted have been the Anne Hubbard, Crown Prince and Australian Blue, nice and firm and yummy!
I cut the whole squash in half and then half again. Got the seed and the gooey part out which left the hard orange flesh. Put 2 parts in the fridge and cut the other 2 halves into half. So 4 parts went into the oven.(Are you still with me Ollie. I rubbed some oil into them to stop them from drying. It was like eating dry potato. ;D
Shirl, I'm glad you posted about this.
Someone gave me a bon bon to try and I found it to be very dry too.
I cut it into chunky chips and roasted it with olive oil, onions and chillies but even with a fair amount of oil, it was still very dry.
I agree that it would probably be best in soup.
Thanks for this thread folks.... I've got several Bon-Bon squashes in my crop, from what people are saying I'll target them for soup use and keep the butternuts and winter festivals for the roasts.... shame I didn't read this yesterday as I used a Festival for Roast Jerusalem Artichoke and Squash soup.... it's made me a bit Stentorian this morning but did taste particularly yummy.....
chrisc
I have never found BonBon being too dry and fibrous. It only needs to be cooked until the flesh softens. In a gardening Which taste test, BonBon came out tops.
Realfood, How long would you cook it for then and how would you cook it. I really do want to be able to enjoy the other one I have?
I do all mine in the microwave as on this page:-http://www.growyourown.info/page57.html near the bottom.
I have still to try my bonbon this year, and I must make some squash soup and pumpkin pie this year, but in previous years, I seem to eat it all as a vegetable, or in home made bread.
If you still find it dry, I wonder if the drought in some parts of the UK (not here in Glasgow), has made the Winter squash much dryer than usual.
Have any of your other Winter Squash been dry?
This is quite odd, it is usually a good squash. I do tend to microwave mine, or steam and I like them best cooked like roast potatoes around a meat roast. If I find a squash to be dry and yet has a good taste and I really want to use it I sometimes cook it then mash it as you would say carrotts and swede with seasoning added and a chunk of butter. If the flavour is there this solves the dry problem, however I have not found this with Bon Bon.. odd, unless it was immature maybe?? That is about as far as my thinking gows on this one.
XX Jeannine
this is interesting as
the bon bon were the 1st to ripen
the summer here in the SE has been dry
and I love the idea of mashing them with butter (just like my mum did with carrots and swede :) )
1066
Have still the other half to try so will steam. Do you steam it with its skin on?
Shirlton. no I take the skin off personally, but I don't think it would matter, may take a bit longer to penetrate.
XX Jeannine
I would have thought that you leave the skin on and scrape the flesh off when it is cooked. That way you do can eat all the flesh.
Checked my Winter squash today and will have to eat one of my Bonbons, as the skin is starting to break down. It was the first to go last year as well.
Have steamed it this morning watching it so carefully sao that it wouldn't dry out. Still the samr dry crumbly flesh. Am going to diguise it in soup
I think that I am going to have to slow down with my typing either that or check it afterwards
;D - how's the soup ?!
I'm going to try and find specific recipies for the pumpkins and squash I've grown, as much as I like roasting them and soups I think I need to get some variety going in my recipies! Such as Marina Di Choggia (have read its good a gnocchi) also have a kabocha which I need to figure out what to do with!
Well I blasted it with some tomatoes and fried some onions and celery stuck some mixed herbs and garlic in and bingo. I'm taking it to the plot tomorrow cos our daughter Tracy is bring the 3 little uns up there and they love soup. Will let you know how it goes ;D
Soup was fantastic. So in future thata the way it will be used
well that sounds like a happy ending! ;D