Ingredient
Butternut squash
The most reliable winter squash: dense, sweet flesh, few seeds and a skin thin enough to eat once roasted, which saves the awkward job of peeling a hard squash.
- Sourcing
- Best from autumn onwards, and it keeps for months, so buying several is sensible. Pre-cut chunks cost far more and dry out quickly.
- Varieties
- Butternut, Crown Prince, Kabocha, Onion squash
- Quality cues
- Heavy for its size with matte, hard skin and an intact stem. Shiny skin means it was picked underripe and will be watery.
- Substitutions
- Pumpkin, Sweet potato, Kabocha squash
- Storage
- Whole, in a cool dry place — not the fridge, which shortens its life. Once cut, wrapped in the fridge.
- Shelf life
- 2-3 months whole in a cool larder; 4-5 days cut and refrigerated
Nutrition
Per 100 g
- Calories
- 45 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Fat
- 0.1 g
- Carbs
- 11.7 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
- Sugars
- 2.2 g
- Sodium
- 4 mg
From USDA FoodData Central (#169295). Raw, edible portion.