How to tell summer squash from winter squash
Published 4:00 am, Saturday, October 1, 2005
Q: What is the difference between winter squash and summer squash? I know them when I see them, but is there a botanical distinction?
A: Yes and no. Many of the best-known winter squashes, like buttercup, a Cucurbita maxima, and butternut, a C. moschata, have no summer cousins. But acorn, delicata and pumpkins are all C. pepo, the same species as soft-skinned summer squashes like zucchini, crookneck and pattypan. Amy Goldman, the author of "The Compleat Squash" (Artisan), says the key distinction is growth stage: "No matter what species they are, winter squash are always mature, hard-rinded, with a long shelf life. Their flesh is generally yellow or orange, and they usually have much higher starch levels than summer squash."