If there is a color synonymous with fall, it has to be orange. Red-orange, is probably more definitive. Yesterday, we gathered a big haul of orange. It's called Potimarron, and Seed Savers Exchange describes it this way:
"Famous winter squash from France. The name is derived from potiron (pumpkin) and marron (chestnut). Very aromatic and chestnut-like in taste. One of our all time favorites for both baking and roasting. Nice-sized 3-4 pound fruits store well into the winter. White seeds."
This is truly a "honey" of a winter squash. I use it to make "pumpkin" pies, we bake it, we microwave it. It's an all-around winner. One of the many things I like about it is that it is generally speaking smallish. A great choice for two people. Some of them get a bit larger than we can handle in one meal, but they keep beautifully, even when sliced open. And talk about sweet! Oh, my! One could easily become a squash addict!
Another nice thing is you can save your seed to plant the following year, so long as you don't plant any other varieties (and that includes gourds!) That will keep you on the safe side of being able to replicate the variety.
It was a BIG haul yesterday, with a few more to come!
Posts
What a beautiful haul! I'll gave to give this one a try next year.
ReplyDeleteElora -- Your close-up photo of your Potimarron squash is absolutely beautiful! What lovely colored squash. And what a haul -- what do you do with them all? Do you dry or freeze winter squash? I would decorate my porch railings with these wonders. I love the colors of fall. __ barbara
ReplyDeleteElora -- Just one more small comment. When I was young my parents bought fresh produce from a couple of "truck" farms. Today they are almost non-existent. Are you familiar with the term? Would you be considered a truck farm? -- barbara
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of this squash before, but I am definitely going to find one and give it a try. We are squash lovers, winter and summer.
ReplyDeleteHi, everyone! I'm a little slow answering, here! Found a stash of pickles still in the crock which needed cleaning up!
ReplyDeleteVicki and NCmountainwoman,
Thanks so much for stopping by! If you're a squash lover, this is the perfect delight! Sweet, (I burned the pan baking it this evening because all the sugar flow out and I have oven a little higher than it needed with the amount of time we were outside milking. I suggest one hour at 350 degrees. Or I've micro-waved it, too, but it tends to be a bit more dry that way. It's a wonderful squash. Stay in tough, NCMW, and let me know if you're able to find it. Of course, Seed Savers as I mentioned in the post, has the seed.
Barbara, I think what we do isn't big enough to be called a "truck" farm or "truck" garden. In Delaware, where the heart of truck farming has always been, the gardens and veggie farms are HUGE! It's hard to believe that little Delaware produces so much ...well...produce! Beyond belief. We lived on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and had an opportunity to see that breadbasket. It was amazing!
As to what we do with them, we have an ad in the local freebie paper to sell them (50 cents per pound); we have a lady coming over to purchase some this week, for canning and for fresh...we've sold to a local Farmer's Mkt. And, of course, they keep exceptionally well, so we can do this over an extended period. I haven't tried drying, but that might be a great thing to do! Also, Ruta in North Devon UK got some veggie "chips" the other day. I am so curious how they are made, and how they taste. She had a mixture of beets, I think...maybe squash..can't think why not. Probably deep fried. Ruta? Have you tasted the chips yet???
And BTW I didn't photoshop the squash pix!
Thanks again, everyone!
Again, thanks for visiting!
There was a definite woah! when I scrolled down to the final photo. I had been thinking of 20 or so squash, not a trailer full. I did eat the mixed veg chips, these had been fried and salted but you could taste the different kinds of veg especially the beetroot.It was all root veg, parsnips, carrots and sweet potato. Cottagesmallholder recommends (for root veg such as beetroot) parboiling and then slicing thinly before dehydrating.
ReplyDelete