Transform your abundance of squash into tasty treats and marvelous meals when you make recipes using squash.
Pumpkins require lots of space in the garden, though we successfully grew the smaller ‘Seminole’ pumpkin on cattle panels last year. Plant your squash in small hills or along trellises. If you’re using trellises, periodically tie the vines up on the trellis. Squash bugs are our biggest pest problem. ‘Seminole’ pumpkin is highly resistant to these, so it may be a good option if you struggle with squash bugs. Water regularly and provide good, compost-rich soil. Mulching discourages weeds but unfortunately encourages squash bugs. Harvest your winter squash when the rind is too hard to pierce with a fingernail or the vines start to die. Cure for 1 to 2 weeks in a shaded, dry, and airy location. Leave the stems intact for optimal storage.
Don’t choose a jack-o’-lantern or ornamental pumpkin or squash and expect great taste. Instead, choose heirloom varieties, such as ‘Blue Hubbard,’ ‘Seminole,’ ‘Green-Striped Cushaw,’ ‘Musquee de Provence,’ or ‘Gete Okosomin.’ Store in a warm, dry place for the longest storage possible; however, we store these in our crawl space, which is similar to a drier root cellar, and they easily store for 9 to 12 months. Don’t wash your pumpkins, but instead wipe off any excess dirt with a cloth. Let them dry completely before storage, as moisture can encourage rot. Check your stored squash every couple of weeks and remove any that are going bad. You may also peel and cube and then pressure can, cook and freeze, or peel and slice for dehydrating.
To process hard winter squash, cut squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Then, cut into 2-inch slices and peel these with a sharp knife. If you’re cooking the squash for muffins or pies or freezing it for later, you don’t need to peel it first.
Squash Muffin Recipe
Yield: 12 muffins.
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 2 cups pumpkin or squash purée
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 2-1/2 cups spelt flour or
- 2 cups regular flour
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease muffin tins or use muffin liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix eggs, maple syrup, butter, squash purée, and heavy cream together.
- Add in vanilla extract, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder. Beat well.
- Gently stir in flour until well-combined. The batter will be thick.
- Fill muffin cups 2/3 full and bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden-brown and a cake tester comes out clean. Cool and freeze or keep them on the kitchen counter for up to 2 days.
Sausage, Bacon, and Roasted Squash Sheet Pan Dinner
Yield: 6 servings.
- 3 cups peeled and cubed squash
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1/4 cup olive oil or melted butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pound raw sausage, crumbled
- 1 pound raw bacon, cut into
1-inch pieces
- Lightly grease a large cookie sheet. Preheat oven to 425 F.
- Coat squash and onions in oil and seasonings.
- Mix sausage and bacon with squash mixture.
- Spread evenly over pan. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until squash is fork-tender and meat is cooked through.
Roasted Mashed Squash Recipe
Yield: 6 servings.
- 1/4 cup olive oil or melted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups squash or pumpkins, peeled and cubed into 2-inch pieces
- 1 stick butter, chopped into
1/2-inch pieces
- Preheat oven to 425 F.
- In a large bowl, mix together oil or butter, seasonings, and salt. Add in cubed squash and coat.
- Spread on a large cookie sheet or iron skillet and roast until tender.
- Remove from oven, and place in a large mixing bowl and mash.
- Add in the butter, and whip until rich and creamy.
- Serve hot. To freeze, cool completely and place in freezer bags or containers. Label and freeze for 6 to 12 months.
Squash and Onion Fritter Recipe
Yield: 6 servings.
- 2 cups shredded raw squash
- 2 cups shredded raw onions
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
- 1 cup flour
- Oil or fat for frying (enough for 1-1/2 inches deep)
- In a large skillet, heat the oil or fat over medium-high heat.
- In a large bowl, mix together squash, onions, eggs, salt, pepper, and Cajun seasoning. Add in cheese if desired.
- Add in enough flour to make a scoopable batter. The batter should hold together but shouldn’t be as thick as cookie dough.
- Place large spoonfuls (approximately 2 tablespoons) of batter into hot cooking oil.
- Cover and fry until golden on one side. Flip and fry on the other side (about 2-1/2 minutes per side).
- Remove with a slotted spoon to drain on paper towels.
- Serve hot or cold. It can also be frozen and reheated.
Optional: To make these lower-carb, replace the flour with shredded cheddar cheese and bake at 425 F on a parchment-lined cookie sheet for 25 minutes or until golden-brown on both sides (flip halfway through).
Jenny Underwood is a homeschooling mama to four lively blessings. She makes her home in the rural foothills of the Ozark Mountains with her husband of 20 years. You can find her reading a good book, drinking coffee, and gardening on their little fifth-generation homestead.
Originally published in the September/October 2025 issue of Grit magazine and regularly vetted for accuracy.
