Best Squash for cooking?

[Lovage]

Theres another thread going about 'what to do with a Turks Turban Squash'
I found them to be quite tasteless whilst others declared them sweet and nutty.
Taste is quite subjective and can vary with ripeness and of course with cooking method but just wondered which squash members preferred from a taste point of view.
There are so many varieties now and some are sweeter, some are quite dry even floury and some are distictly nutty

My favourites include

Buttercup a green 'Acorn' type
Uchiki Kuri
Crown Prince
Marina di Chioggia although very difficult to peel!

[scarey55]

I'm a bit of a Pottimarron (?sp) evangelist. They are delicious with a nutty flavour and they are small enough to make a meal for 2 people. Having said that, I don't really grow anything else squash wise. I probably will next year though as lots of peeps seem to use them as decoration around the house and garden here in France.

[Crosbie]

Going purely by the title of this thread...

I grew a number of different pumpkin varieties....little ones, big ones etc...and I made risotto, soups, ravioli, baking whole, etc...and to be honest, butternut squash (which, shamefully I bought) won hands down in all recipes. Onion squash was really hard to peel - really dense starch content - but it made a knockout sauce.

I guess it depends if you want something with a low water/high starch content...sweetness can always be adjusted.

Crosbie

[wellie]

I love, love, love the taste of the onion squash (and I can hardly ever remember how to pronounce it: Uchi Koochi Kuri or something?!) and I find that it's an all round 'good egg', fitting into most culinary niches.
You also cannot top Butternut Squashes, for their all-round culinariness (new Wellie Word?) Again, their taste is superb in whatever recipe you choose. And particularly, because their seeds are confined to a relatively small area, there's little flesh-wasteage, which is important to me.
The other top one with me is Crown Prince.

Others may disagree, but Trousers and I have found these particular three hugely useful in our cooking. However, I think it largely comes down to what cooking you are going to 'DO' with the pumpkin or squash, because that will hugely affect the outcome!!
X

[Brengirl]

In our local greengrocers they have 'crown prince' for sale. They are £1.50 per kilo. I tried to lift one to assess the cost - they were heeaaavy. I only want the seed! Are they worth it?

[waterfall]

We grow Butternut squash which is delicious cut into cubes, dusted with paprika and roasted. Then use as a substitute for potatoes or blitzed with onions for a tasty soup.
Two plants produced 24 kilos of fruit this year.

[waterfall]

Try this link

This guy can certainly grow squash

http://www.allaboutliverpool.com/all...butternut.html

[northepaul]

In our local greengrocers they have 'crown prince' for sale. They are £1.50 per kilo. I tried to lift one to assess the cost - they were heeaaavy. I only want the seed! Are they worth it?

Lovely looking squashes, Crown Price. Brengirl you can have a go with some of my cheese squash seeds if you want one about the same size?

[bluemoon]

I'm a bit of a Pottimarron (?sp) evangelist. They are delicious with a nutty flavour and they are small enough to make a meal for 2 people. Having said that, I don't really grow anything else squash wise. I probably will next year though as lots of peeps seem to use them as decoration around the house and garden here in France.

Have to admit I'm with you all the way here. One taste of pottimarron changed me from someone who thought pumpkins were only fit for Hallowe'en lanterns, to listing them in my top 3 veg. They have a lovely chestnuty flavour, are gorgeous roasted - we now have pork and apple sausages with roast veg at least once every couple of weeks and will do so until all the pottimarrons have gone, they just make a very simple meal into something delicious, - and one of my favourite recipes, which I normally only do at Christmas because it requires so much messing around (Brussels sprouts with chestnuts and strips of fried, smoked bacon) is now possible anytime I like because the chestnuts can be replaced by chunks of pottimarron (if you want it to look a bit posher you can use a melon baller thingy, it's still easier than peeling chestnuts). I'm going to try a couple more varieties next year, including one that's supposed to taste of nutmeg, but they'll have to be good to beat the pottimarrons.

[Lovage]

Poimarron squash has had quite a bit of publicity and is famous for it's 'chestnut' taste but has anyone else heard that it is one and the same as Uchiki Kuri?

Has anyone grown the 2 together for comparisson?

Brengirl - did you want the seed of Crown Prince for growing? Some sources suggest it is an F1 hybrid which means seed would give a variable result

[bluemoon]

I always thought they were the same, but I'm sure the Organic Gardening Catalogue has both varieties listed, so perhaps not.

[Brengirl]

Poimarron squash has had quite a bit of publicity and is famous for it's 'chestnut' taste but has anyone else heard that it is one and the same as Uchiki Kuri?

Has anyone grown the 2 together for comparisson?

Brengirl - did you want the seed of Crown Prince for growing? Some sources suggest it is an F1 hybrid which means seed would give a variable result

Last year I tried my hand at potatoes, without great success. I have decided to only do two containers next year. I never like to give up. That leaves me space for 5 containers and I want to try several types of squash. There are so many 'new faces' but the crown prince is one that has a good reputation. Not at all worried about variation, thats the spice of life.

[jackyspratty]

How easy is it to grow squash in pots? What size pot and compost do u reccomend? Gonna have a go at the lotty but maybe this is a great idea for making useof limited space and growing more? Do you grow them up a frame brengirl? Or do they trail on the ground? Grew some at the looty this year but fair bit of slug damage maybe thhis will work better?