Surveying the Many Winter Squash Varieties

Are you ready to explore the world of winter squash? There’s something for everyone from bright orange pumpkin patches to the best butternut squash to decorative gourds.

Growing squash can be a fun and very rewarding crop. It is abundant, delicious and, depending on the variety, it can last a very long time indoors once harvested. 

Let’s peruse the winter squash varieties, with pictures to help you identify common types, their unique flavors and textures, and ideas for using them in your cooking.

Grow Big or Gourd Home

Along with this guide to winter squash, I have also shared blog posts about the types of summer squash, tomato plant varieties, types of lettuce, types of garlic, and more. By learning about different varieties, you can find the perfect ones for your garden and kitchen and grow bigger!

Summer Squash Vs Winter Squash: What’s the Difference

There are two main classifications of squash: summer squash and winter squash. Confusion arises because they are both Cucurbita Pepo.

To tell them apart, it is easiest to consider the skin. Summer squash has thin, edible skin. It grows on a stumpy, more bush-like plant and is best eaten fresh, early, and young.

Winter squash is left on the sprawling vine seemingly all season long. Its thick skin hardens to become mostly unpalatable. Once cured, it can be stored indoors for 3 to 4 months or more!

Exploring Winter Squash Varieties

Nine different types of winter squash make up the winter squash category:

• Pumpkin - The quintessential fall crop, pumpkins are usually round and thick-skinned

• Butternut Squash - Known for its sweet, nutty flavor and versatility in recipes

• Kabocha Squash - A Japanese variety with a sweet, slightly nutty flavor and dense texture

• Banana Squash - A large, long squash with smooth skin and sweet flesh

• Acorn Squash - This very popular squash is characterized by its unique acorn-shaped rind

• Hubbard Squash - Great storage squash with delicious flavor and varied culinary applications

• Delicata Squash - A sweet, creamy, oblong-shaped variety that's perfect for roasting or sautéing

• Cushaw Squash - Lesser-known green and white striped squash that tastes similar to a pumpkin

• Pumpkin Squash - There are a lot of different “pumpkin squashes” out there. Some are called pumpkins and some are called squash because the botanical world doesn’t quite know how to classify them.

As you can see, there are many options to grow and enjoy. 

You may be surprised to learn that pumpkin is a subtype of winter squash. What differentiates a pumpkin from other winter squash is a slightly thinner skin and less sweet flesh.

It’s fun and rewarding to grow a pumpkin plant at home and harvest pumpkins from your own pumpkin patch! We have many varieties of heirloom pumpkin seeds available from MIgardener, so you can do just that.

Some of the more popular pumpkins are:

• Long Island Cheese Pumpkin - Before the modern canned pumpkin trend, this heirloom was one of the most sought-after culinary varieties for its rich, sweet flesh and storage ability. It resembles a wheel of cheese with its creamy white skin and dramatic ribbing. It is one of my favorites!

• Big Max Pumpkin - This incredible, bright orange pumpkin gets about 60 to 70 lbs, up to 200 lbs! It has edible seeds and delicious flesh.

• Rouge vif D’Estampes Pumpkin - The Cinderella pumpkin, as it is called, has tender and delicious flesh perfect for canning or baking (once you crack through its thick skin). It stores longer than most varieties.

• Winter Luxury Pumpkin - This light orange variety is the most sought-after culinary pumpkin worldwide because of its absolutely fiberless flesh! Once baked, this variety mashes into a creamy blend, without additional ingredients, that is perfect for pies.

• Long Pie Pumpkin - Long Pie is an heirloom cross between a butternut squash and a pie pumpkin that yields elongated pie pumpkins that weigh around 8-10 pounds each with sweet, string-free flesh.

• Connecticut Field Pumpkin - An American classic for several hundred years, this pumpkin is perfect for carving!

• Valenciano Pumpkin - A snow-white variety with rich orange color flesh that makes a unique doorstep decoration. It is also suitable for pies!

Pumpkin is a key ingredient in many dishes, from sweet treats to savory meals. It adds depth and warmth to soups, stews, and mixed roasted veggies. Its slightly sweet, earthy taste goes well with spices and herbs in breads, drinks, desserts, and more.

Watch this video to learn how to make pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls! To roast the pumpkin seeds, just scoop them out, wash them, toss them with oil and seasonings (like salt, garlic powder, and paprika) and roast them. 

Butternut squash is a favorite in many kitchens, loved for its sweet nutty flavor. It is easily identified by its two-lobed peanut shape and yellow-tan color.

These are some of my favorite butternut squashes:

• Waltham Butternut Squash - Its amazing quality and flavor make Waltham Butternut the most popular winter squash variety on the market today! It also stores well.

• Butterbush Squash - This compact butternut squash is a crowd favorite for its standard fruit size, long shelf life, and amazingly compact plants.

• Honeynut Squash - One of the most popular butternut squash varieties currently, this fan favorite is loved for its super sweet, deep orange flesh and unique mottled brown and orange skin.

• Butterneck Squash - Butterneck squash is a Canadian heirloom that is a close cousin to butternut squash with a slimmer neck. The variety is nearly extinct, but it boasts a wonderful, rich, creamy texture perfect for roasting, mashing, or making soups or pies.

Butternut squash is great in soups and purees. Or try it roasted, steamed, or pan-fried to find your favorite way to prepare it.

Squash has been grown for centuries around the world. Some varieties, like this Asian-style squash, are more commonly found in other cultures.

Larger than an acorn squash but smaller than a hubbard, the Kabocha is a big hit in Japan and is now becoming popular all over the world.

• Kabocha Squash  - Also known as Japanese pumpkin, the Kabocha is a very productive squash with a dark-green exterior and bright yellow-orange flesh.

• Burgess Buttercup Squash - Commonly used as a great alternative for mashed sweet potato. Plants produce 3 to 3.5-pound fruits. The flesh is stringless and great for baking and steaming.

Kabocha squash is great in tempura, mixing well with seafood and veggies. It also makes cozy stews by soaking up the broth's flavors. You can use it to replace other squashes in recipes.

Many winter squashes are vining by nature, but this is where you start to get into winter squash options for smaller growing spaces. Acorn squash can be bush or vining, has a long storage life, and a delicious, sweet flavor.

Delicata style squash can be seen for its uniform, elongated shape. Some are ribbed, some are not. They all have hard skin, but the meat-to-skin ratio is very high. If you are looking for a high yielding squash without a lot of waste, you’ll love delicata.

• Sweet Dumpling Squash - One of the sweetest squash varieties, it grows small, flattened, ribbed fruits with white skin and green stripes. The flesh is smooth and orange.

• Table King Bush Acorn Squash - A compact plant that is great for home gardeners. Great for storage and an excellent source of fiber, minerals and vitamins.

• Gill’s Golden Pippin Squash - This bush variety grows delightfully compact fruits with rich, sweet flavor. The vibrant golden-yellow skin encloses tender, orange interior perfect for baking, roasting, and stuffing.

• Delicata Squash - This classic squash is one of the oldest varieties, dating back almost 3,000 years! You’re sure to enjoy its smooth, creamy flavor. It can be stored for months and still stay fresh.

• Sweet Meat Squash - An American delicata-style variety that grows as a large, flattened globe with a hard, grey-green rind. The delicious deep yellow flesh is orange, hard, and fiberless, and the flavor improves in storage. It's great for soups and pies.

Winter squash is a great staple for wintertime meals because it is nutrient-dense, low in calories, and high in fiber. It supports the immune system, heart health, and blood sugar management.

Hubbard and banana squash both produce large fruits. Hubbard squash is a German variety that looks similar to a Kabocha squash, only much larger with a teardrop-shaped point.

Banana squash is smooth and long. It tastes a bit sweet. It's great for baking, mashing, or adding to casseroles.

Try growing some of these nutritional giants:

• North Georgia Candy Roaster - This pink, banana-style squash has distinctive greenish-blue blossom end marks. Once roasted, it has the highest sugar content of any winter squash. Its super-rich flavor is excellent for pies, baking, or frying.

• Golden Hubbard Squash - An outstanding winter vegetable, easy to grow and prolific, it often produces 15-pound fruits! This squash is excellent tasting and delicious in pies or cut into serving-size pieces and baked, steamed, boiled, or mashed.

• Blue Hubbard Squash - The Fruits will weigh between 15 and 40 pounds apiece and are a beautiful deep blue color. They keep remarkably well if stored properly. The flesh is meaty and thick.

Other Winter Squash Varieties

We're not done yet. These other winter squash varieties are worth mentioning, too:

• Green Stripe Cushaw Squash - The Cushaw is a large squash that grows between 20 to 30 lbs each. It is eye-catching in the garden and will add a delicious touch to your culinary creations.

• Black Futsu Squash - If you saw it in a field, you would say this is a pumpkin, but it is actually a pumpkin squash. The bumpy skin is thin and edible, and they are delicious.

• Musquee De Maroc Squash - A French squash prized for its heritage and flavor. Not a pretty-looking squash by any means, but don't let the outer skin deter you from enjoying the creamy, nearly stringless meaty interior.

• Vegetable Spaghetti Squash - This is a winter squash, meaning it can be stored for 3-4 months if kept in a cool and dark location. The flesh is a great carb replacement.

What’s the Difference Between a Squash and a Gourd

I'm often asked what the difference is between gourds and squash. Gourds are still a Cucurbita Pepo, which means they are the same as winter squash, but different.

Certain varieties of gourds are edible, but eating them is not recommended because of their flavor, skin thickness, or fruit size. Often, gourds have very, very, thick hard skin with a large seed cavity and less meat. The flavor is unpalatable, sometimes so bitter that it causes nausea and an upset stomach.

Gourds are mainly used decoratively. Here are some beautiful and functional varieties of gourds you can grow in your home garden:

• Crown of Thorns Shenot Gourd - An extraordinary and captivating ornamental gourd variety known for its remarkable appearance. This gourd has rich, earthy tones, marbled with dark and light shades, including orange, white, yellow, lime green, and dark green skin, adding to its allure.

• Cornucopia Gourd Mix - These thick-rind decorative gourds make the perfect fall decorations for your home.

• Luffa Gourd - Grow your own loofah sponge! These gourds grow prolifically and are great for soap crafts.

• Birdhouse Gourd - Birdhouse gourds have been used for centuries by aboriginal tribes in Africa to create homes for birds.

• Bi-Color Pear Gourd - This ornamental gourd is a stunning addition to fall and harvest decor, whether showcased in centerpieces or as a decorative accent.