Michigan Leads the Way In Growing the Hearty and Healthy Winter Squash Crops

You always know it’s autumn when the winter squash crops start making their way into our stores. More hearty, with thicker skin than summer squash (zucchini, yellow squash, cucumber, etc), the winter varieties are popular fall decorative pieces, while also making for a great addition to our recipes and dinner tables. But how much do you know about them? 

Winter squash comes in a variety of forms, including such common options as acorn, butternut, spaghetti, hubbard, buttercup, dumpling and pumpkin. History books tell us that both summer and winter squash have been around since very early historic times, and they’ve always played a prominent role in our country’s earliest settlements and culinary traditions. 

Why has this super squash earned the name of “winter squash” despite being a fall crop? Winter squash played a particularly valuable role in the settler’s diets because they required no refrigeration.That meant it could be kept fresh for very long periods of time, often well into the winter. Thus its name was born. 

There is no doubt that winter squash is one of Michigan’s favorite fall produce, which makes sense given that the Mitten State is also the largest annual grower by acres. Winter squash crops take about three to four months to grow and are generally harvested at the very end of summer or early fall and then cured to further harden the skin and stored in a cool, dry place. This process will generally keep squash from spoiling for up to four months after initial harvest. 

Now, if you would like to enjoy Michigan winter squashes for longer than a few months, our produce team at Nino’s advises you to stock up and freeze as much as possible no later than the middle of November. Typically, all Michigan squash is sold out by this time, although this may vary by a week or two either way, depending on each season’s crop. If freezing squash is something you plan on doing, we would suggest cutting or chunking it into cubes, whichever variety you desire. Want to make your life even simpler when it comes to squash? Head over to our Nino’s Frozen department and check out our Sno Pac Organic Butternut Squash and Earthbound Farms Organic Steam-In-Bag Butternut Squash. 

Tips For Picking out Winter Squash

We chatted with our very own Senior Produce Buyer, Joe Santoro, to get some tips on selecting the right squash. Joe says that when he is buying most varieties of squash for Nino’s, he typically looks for hardness and full color. For example: Acorn Squash - look for full black/dark, no orange; Spaghetti Squash- look for full yellow, no white. This applies to almost all winter squashes depending on the color. Joe also told us that “My personal favorite is butternut squash, and I really enjoy it in ravioli (stuffed).  Winter squashes are some of the healthiest vegetables you can consume, they supply antioxidant vitamin C, blood pressure-lowering potassium, and plenty of fiber.” 

Joe Santoro, Nino's produce buyer,  and Ken Hamblin of 5-H Farms, selecting the very best Michigan winter squash down at Eastern Market.

Winter Squash Recipes to Try

Click HERE to have a go at these two recipes that are a favorite of our culinary team:

• Spaghetti Squash Rollatini with Marinara & Parmesan
• Pumpkin Creme Brulee

Other Winter Squash Products

At Nino Salvaggio International Marketplace, we certainly pride ourselves on having one of the best varieties of products … our own and those from others. That’s no different than when it comes to winter squash, as the products we carry include:

• Squash seeds. We have our own, but also those from another great Michigan company, Germack. 
• Frozen Butternut Squash from Sno Pac and Earthbound Farm.
• Soups. Give Zoup!’s bottled butternut squash soup a try, it’s delicious.

We know that searching for the right squash and making sense of the different options takes time. Whether you are searching for the perfect squash variety for your family meal, or need assistance in selecting the ingredients for your squash recipe, our produce team is here to help.  We look forward to educating you about our numerous squash varieties and welcome all of your questions. 

Lastly, we have created this amazing resource to help you when it comes to making sense of squash. Take a look at our “Nino’s Squash Guide” for some of our favorites and please share with your friends and family! For more information on different varieties of squash, how to use them, recipes,  nutritional information and more visit Have A Plant, created by The Foundation for Fresh Produce.

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