Acorn Squash

Acorn squash get their name because they resemble acorns!  Of course, they are much larger than the kind that fall off trees.

These 2 acorn squash at right are about 7-8" in length.

Last night, I roasted my first acorn squash from last year's harvest and it was really good.

What I did was quarter the squash and remove all the seeds and stringy insides.  Then place the quarters in tin foil and place on a cookie sheet.  Add a little butter, salt and pepper and roast it on 450 for 20-30 minutes, or until the flesh is soft enough to scoop away from the skin.

I served the squash with salmon and some roasted potatoes (which I'd also grown and harvested last summer) and it was a fantastic dinner.  It's so nice to be eating from the garden in February!

Growing Acorn Squash

You start acorn squash in hills just like other squash and plant the seeds about a 1/2 inch deep.  The nice thing about the acorn squash plant is that it does not get as big as other squash plants.  You'll still need about a 2 foot square area to grow them, but the plant doesn't spread out and take up as much space as, say, a kapocha or hubbard squash plant does.  It doesn't "run".

You can expect to get anywhere from 5-8 acorn squash per plant.  They'll store for months on the kitchen counter, so you can use them at your leisure!

Enjoy!