You can tell a butternut squash is ripe when it has a firm skin that is a tan color and feels heavy for its size. The stem should be dry and the squash should sound hollow when tapped.
Cooking with ripe butternut squash is generally better for optimal flavor and texture. Ripe squash is sweeter, more tender, and has a richer flavor compared to unripe squash.
To pick a ripe butternut squash, look for one that is firm, heavy for its size, and has a dull, matte skin without any soft spots or blemishes.
You can tell a butternut squash is ripe off the vine when it has a deep, uniform tan color, a hard skin that you can't easily dent with your fingernail, and a dried-out stem.
You can tell when to pick butternut squash from the vine when the skin is hard and the stem is dry and brown.
A butternut squash is officially a "courge musquée" or "courge butternut" in French.
Some delicious recipes for baking butternut squash include roasted butternut squash with maple syrup and cinnamon, butternut squash soup with coconut milk and curry, and stuffed butternut squash with quinoa and cranberries.
Some delicious recipes that can be made using a sheet pan and butternut squash include roasted butternut squash with herbs, butternut squash and chickpea curry, and butternut squash and kale salad with a balsamic glaze.
Some creative and delicious recipes using cubed butternut squash include roasted butternut squash with maple syrup and cinnamon, butternut squash soup with coconut milk and curry, and butternut squash risotto with sage and Parmesan.
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Some delicious recipes featuring green butternut squash as the main ingredient include roasted green butternut squash with herbs, green butternut squash soup with coconut milk, and green butternut squash risotto with Parmesan cheese.
Acorn squash is not available in Australia. Butternut squash is found in Australia, but it is known there as butternut pumpkin.
One cup of butternut squash is about 80 calories.