Because its rind is quite thick, raw acorn squash can be difficult to slice. Instead, pierce the rind all over with a sharp knife and cook the vegetable whole — an average-sized specimen needs about 45 minutes in a degree oven or right around 12 minutes in a microwave.
Once it's cool enough to handle, slice the squash in half, remove its seeds and scoop out the tender flesh. Whether you leave it in shapeless chunks or cut it into cubes, cooked acorn squash can be refrigerated for up to three days in an air-tight container. So you finally decided to plant a vegetable garden, and acorn squash was your bumper crop of the year — after giving some away and finding creative ways to eat one or two a week, you still have more squash than you can consume in two months.
Look no further than your freezer for a solution. Properly prepared acorn squash can be stored in the freezer for up to a year without affecting its quality, according to Michigan State University.
Squash should be cooked, allowed to cool and mashed or pureed before it's frozen in an air-tight, dated container. Your squash will be ready to use after it spends a day or so thawing in the refrigerator. Like all fresh vegetables, damaged squash decays quickly. Always avoid specimens that have any kind of crack or dent. Slimy, gray seeds are a good indicator that the squash has turned.
Once cut, you can tightly cover any unwanted portion with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to four days, or cook the squash and freeze it for as long as a year.
Acorn squash is easy to prepare for cooking: The simplest prep involves splitting the squash in two with a sharp knife, and then scooping out the seeds and stringy bits with a spoon. If a recipe calls for cubes, turn the squash half flesh side down and slice into rings, then cut away the peel with a knife.
Once cut and cleaned, a half acorn squash can be baked in the oven at degrees F for 50 to 60 minutes. Chef John's Baked Acorn Squash. Check out this technique, which involves scoring the squash to let the orange-maple glaze soak in.
Alternately, you can cook it in the microwave by placing it cut side down in a microwave-safe dish with an inch of water and heating for approximately 10 minutes, or until tender.
Finally, to grill acorn squash, wrap squash halves tightly with tin foil and cook over low flames until tender. Browse dozens of delicious acorn squash recipes! How to Cook Acorn Squash. Pin FB Share. For this method, remove the skin of the squash with a vegetable peeler. Then, cut the squash into halves and remove the seeds and pulp. Dice the squash flesh into cubes, then freeze it in a storage bag or airtight container. Knowing how to spot a spoiled squash is just as important as knowing when to pick acorn squash.
Additionally, avoid squash that has soft spots or extremely shiny skin. These are signs of overripe and unripe winter squashes. When you cut your squash open, inspect the interior. Another sign of a bad squash is if the seeds have turned gray. Healthy, ripe squash has seeds that are cream or tan in color. A ripe squash is typically dark green with an orange mark on the underside.
As the squash continues to ripen, the orange mark grows. If more than one-third of the squash is taken over by orange, the squash may even be overripe. Some acorn squash varieties are white or entirely orange, meaning that coloration is not always the ideal way to check for squash ripeness.
Instead, pick up the squash.
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