{"id":36360,"date":"2017-03-04T21:49:31","date_gmt":"2017-03-05T04:49:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/?p=36360"},"modified":"2019-01-25T09:18:51","modified_gmt":"2019-01-25T16:18:51","slug":"how-long-does-winter-squash-store-soup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/how-long-does-winter-squash-store-soup\/","title":{"rendered":"How Long Does Winter Squash Store Soup"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"how<\/a><\/strong>What to do with last year’s winter squash<\/h4>\n

I had a half bushel bucket of Delicata <\/a><\/span>winter squash<\/a><\/span> in the kitchen still and it was already March. The previously green stripes had turned orange, but the squash seemed firm. I decided to cut one open and see what it looked like. It looked like fresh, raw squash, so I decided to bake it.<\/p>\n

<\/h4>\n

How to store winter squash<\/h4>\n
\"Checking<\/a>
Checking the inside of the Delicata squash that has been stored in my kitchen for around 3 months<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I had followed the storage recommendations from the book Root Cellaring<\/a><\/span>, keeping the winter squash dry and in the normal house temperatures. I was careful not to break off the stems, having cut them about an inch from the squash. I did not wash it, but just brushed excess dirt off, and placed the whole bucketful under the kitchen counter. \u00a0The exact location was also within a few feet of the wood stove, so it was definitely cozy sometimes. It stayed in that location from the time I harvested it in the late fall until now, March 4.<\/p>\n

How to bake winter squash<\/h4>\n
\"raw<\/a>
raw Delicata winter squash in the oven<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Two half sheet pans were covered with several now washed Delicata squash, including the one I had cut in half. I poked some holes in them with a sharp knife and put them to bake at 350\u00b0F for about an hour. I meant to check them sooner, but forgot, so they were extremely soft when I took them out. I set them to cool for a several hours, because I had other things to do.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

How to get the edible part out<\/h4>\n
\"Possibly<\/a>
Possibly over baked DelicatPossibly over baked Delicata squasha squash<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To get at the edible, or meat, portion of the squash, I cut them in half lengthwise. It helped to prick the peel with the knife, then proceed with the cut, to keep from just mashing the whole thing flat. Sometimes I cut off the stem end first.<\/p>\n

Removing the pulp and seeds was probably more challenging due to the squash being so soft, but I gingerly scooped them out with a spoon. Then, I sliced out the meat of the squash with similar care, avoiding the coarser portions right next to the peel.<\/p>\n

\"One<\/a>
One half has the seed pulp already removed<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Fortunately, I ended up with about 8 cups of squash, because that is what I wanted to make some soup. The recipe was one I had used in the fall for making pumpkin soup. I had thought I would have some leftover Delicata to make cookies, but there was not as much edible squash in each one as I thought. While making soup out of them was rather labor intensive compared to a pumpkin, I did learn that they are basically an individual serving size, which will make it easier for me to know how to use them for dinners in the future.<\/p>\n

How to make the soup<\/h4>\n
\"Cooking<\/a>
Cooking the onions and dehydrated garlic in butter<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The flavor of the Delicata squash was a little milder than the pumpkin, and the soup turned out excellent. It makes me wish the Delicata were larger so it wouldn’t be so hard. Maybe I will have to try to grow another larger winter squash.<\/p>\n

Here is a list of ingredients.<\/span> I do not remember where I found the recipe that I used as a guide. There is a printable pdf of my recipe here.I call it:<\/p>\n

How-Long-Does-Winter-Squash-Store Soup<\/em><\/h4>\n