COOPERATIVE KENTUCKY STATE UNIVERSITY
FACT SHEET
Information about the Kentucky State University Cooperative Extension Program
2020
Fall Into Healthy Eating with Kentucky Butternut Squash
Dr. Allison P. Young, Associate Extension Professor, Family and Consumer Sciences
The Kentucky Butternut squash is one of the signature vegetables for the fall season. August through October. Butternut squash is an excellent choice for your food budget and can be prepared in savory and sweet recipes. Butternut squash has a hard rind that keeps it fresh for months if stored in a cool, dry location. When purchasing butternut squash, choose full-sized, mature fruit with a hard, tough rind. Also, look for squash that is heavy for its size. Avoid soft squash with cuts, punctures, or sunken or moldy spots on the rind.
Butternut squash is the fruits of the Cucurbita genus's vines. The butternut squash, like many vegetables, is called a vegetable in recipes and cooking,
In some Native American languages, the word “squash” means “eaten raw,” but winter squash is rarely eaten raw.
Besides the fruit, other edible parts of squash plants include the seeds (eaten whole, toasted, ground into a paste, or pressed for oil); shoots, leaves, and tendrils (eaten as greens); and blossoms (used for cooking and decoration).
Wash the butternut squash, peel and cut into two-inch cubes, and steam 25 to 40 minutes, until fork-tender. Or steam large pieces in the rind. Once cooked, the cook can remove the rind.
To steam, bring one inch of water to boil in the bottom of a pan.
Place a colander or a collapsible steaming basket in the pan.
Then put the vegetables in the colander or steamer and cover it tightly.
Reduce heat to medium-low, but make sure it is high enough to keep the water bubbling.
Add a dash of nutmeg to the cooked squash. Serve cubed or mashed.