Winter squash facts for kids

An assortment of winter squashes

Winter squash is an annual vegetable representing several squash species within the genus Cucurbita. It differs from summer squash in that it is harvested and eaten in the mature stage when the seeds within have matured fully and the skin has hardened into a tough rind. At this stage, most varieties of this vegetable can be stored for use during the winter. Winter squash is generally cooked before being eaten, and the skin or rind is not usually eaten as it is with summer squash.

In New Zealand and Australian English, the term "pumpkin" generally refers to the broader category called "winter squash".

Planting and harvesting

Squash is a frost-tender plant meaning that the seeds do not germinate in cold soil. Winter squash seeds germinate best when the soil temperature is 21 to 35 °C (70 to 95 °F), with the warmer end of the range being optimal. It is harvested whenever the fruit has turned a deep, solid color and the skin is hard. Most winter squash is harvested in September or October in the Northern Hemisphere, before the danger of heavy frosts.

Nutritional value

Winter squash is a low-calorie food and a good source of complex vegetable carbohydrates and dietary fiber. It is an excellent source of vitamin A, a great source of vitamin C, potassium, dietary fiber and manganese, and a good source of folate, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B₁ (thiamin), copper, tryptophan, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), vitamin B₃ (niacin) and vitamin B₅ (pantothenic acid). It is also a source of iron and beta-carotene. Usually, the darker the skin is, the higher the beta-carotene content.

Subspecies, cultivars and varieties

Cucurbita maxima

• Ambercup squash
• Arikara squash
• Atlantic Giant
• Banana squash
• Buttercup squash
• Georgia candy roaster
• Hubbard squash
• Jarrahdale pumpkin
• Kabocha - "Hokkaido squash"
• Lakota squash
• Mooregold squash
• Red kuri squash - also called "orange Hokkaido squash" or "baby red Hubbard squash"
• Turban squash

Cucurbita argyrosperma

• Cushaw squash (also called "winter crookneck squash")

Cucurbita moschata

Butternut squash is a variety of winter squash

Calabaza, a winter squash common in Cuba, Florida, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines

• Butternut squash
• Calabaza
• Dickinson pumpkin
• Long Island cheese pumpkin
• Fairytale pumpkin squash or Musquee de Provence
• Kent pumpkin

Cucurbita pepo

• Acorn squash
• Carnival squash
• Delicata squash
• Field pumpkin
• Heart of gold squash
• Spaghetti squash
• Sweet dumpling squash
• Autumn cup squash
• Giraumon
• Gold nugget squash
• Sugar loaf squash