When to Buy
Winter squash are available from late summer through winter. Since they arrive late in the growing season (and have a long shelf life), they’re a good choice in winter, when other fresh vegetables are harder to come by.
How to Choose
Squash should be heavy and firm with no bruising or softness anywhere on the skin.
Prepare
For most squash, the best preparation method is to chop in half using a sharp, heavy knife; scrape out any seeds and strings; then roast or bake with the shell on. Butternut squash, with their relatively thin skins, can be peeled with a good, sharp vegetable peeler, halved and then cut into chunks before roasting. No-slip tip: Before peeling a butternut squash, stabilize it by slicing off the bottom. That way, it will sit flat as you scrape with the peeler.
Store
Keep your squash in a dark, cool, dry place but never in the refrigerator—temperatures lower than 50 degrees will cause them to decay. Most squash last from one to six months, acorn and butternut squash about three months.
--Jenny Rosenstrach
Feb 14, 2011
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