Golden Acorn Squash

 

They look beautiful this time of year! When an Acorn Squash has reached its full growth on the plant, it's harvested and cooked within a few days, it's one of the best tasting things in the garden. Acorns, unlike other winter squash, aren't "cured" for a week or two after being harvested.

 

Typical winter squash aren't cut from the plant until the stem has dried. The stem has turned a greyish-tan, shriveled, and looks dead. The squash is then carefully cut an inch or two from the squash. That stem isn't a handle for the squash. Lift or carry the squash by the stem and you'll probably break the seal, air will enter the squash, and it will begin spoiling. The typical winter squash is then left in the bed for a week or two to "cure," then stored in a cool dark place, for up to several months, until it's used.

 

Acorn squash start losing their flavor immediately after being harvested. Once they've reached their full growth on the plant, they're at their peak of flavor and nutrient content. From that point on it has begun losing its nutrients and flavor. 

 

If you leave the green Acorn out of the sun and out of refrigeration, it will start turning "golden." The older it gets, the more "golden" it will become. The more "golden" it becomes, the less flavor and nutrients it contains. It's that flat, nutrient absent flavor of squash too old, that people who "don't like squash," are thinking about.

 

If you're tempted to pay 2-3 times as much for a "Golden Acorn Squash" because it looks so pretty, go ahead. It can be a beautiful part of a table decoration. If you expect it to taste "good," it won't. Leave the Golden one as part of a decoration, but serve and enjoy eating the green one.