Michigan Winter Squash Season: Buying, Storing, and Cooking

Winter squash is harvested in fall and stores longer than summer squash. A Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems guide identifies the crop as a major part of Michigan agriculture and notes that properly stored squash can last for months.

Common market varieties include butternut, acorn, delicata, kabocha, and pie pumpkins. Names matter because texture, sweetness, skin thickness, and size differ.

A short variety guide

Butternut has a long neck, tan skin, and orange flesh. It is widely used for roasting, soup, and puree.

Delicata is smaller, with striped skin that becomes tender when cooked. Slice it into rings or half-moons and remove the seeds before roasting.

Acorn is compact and deeply ridged. Halving it creates a natural cavity for grain, vegetable, or meat fillings.

Kabocha has dense flesh and is used in roasting, soups, tempura, and simmered dishes.

Pie pumpkins are smaller cooking varieties. Large carving pumpkins are grown for size and shape and are not a direct substitute in every recipe.

These are general culinary uses, not guarantees that every market will carry every variety.

Buying and storage

Choose squash with a firm rind and a sound stem. MSU Extension's storage bulletin says not to wash whole squash before storage. Keep it in a cool place, ideally 45 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit, and wash it under cool running water before cutting.

Most properly stored varieties can keep up to three months. Cut squash belongs in the refrigerator and should be used within a week.

The Ann Arbor Farmers Market operates Wednesdays and Saturdays through December. The Washtenaw County market finder lists other local options. Vendor attendance and inventory vary.

Cooking and preserving

For a basic preparation, halve the squash, remove seeds, oil and season the cut surface, and roast until the flesh is tender. Time depends on the variety and size.

Freezing cooked squash is straightforward. Canning requires more care. MSU Extension says winter squash must be pressure canned in one-inch cubes. Pureed or mashed winter squash should not be canned because tested heat-processing guidance does not support that density.

Use the extension bulletin's jar size, pressure, and processing time exactly. Those tested directions are the safe foundation for preserving winter squash.