A bounty of produce can be had if you start growing butternut squash! Our in-depth guide reveals everything you need for great harvests.Nothing quite signals the arrival of autumn as a steaming bowl of butternut squash soup. A type of winter squash, it grows during the spring and summer but will last well into winter on a pantry shelf. Butternut squash can be made into any number of dishes, from being roasted and added to tacos to pureed and made into pie. For any gardener or home cook growing butternut squash, patience is key.
Like all squashes, butternuts are native to the Americas and have a long history there. Butternut squash is a modern variety of winter squash, as squashes have been cross-pollinating and creating new varieties for millennia! Today’s butternut squash was developed by Charles Legget of Stow, Massachusetts in 1944. Since then, even more variations have been grown from this one type, including miniature versions such as the Honeynut squash and Butterbaby.
Squash plants produce incredibly nutritious fruits, and butternut squashes are full of vitamins A, B6, C & E while low in calories. The seeds, when eaten, are even thought to be useful in calming the nerves. With a wide range of uses, and a long storage time, you’ll find many gardeners and homesteaders treat this as a staple in their pantry.