All about summer squash and winter squash

If you want to know the differences between summer and winter squash, check out this list to learn how to distinguish and cook different varieties of this vegetable that's technically a fruit.

• One of the most important differences between summer and winter squash is when it is picked, which influences how it is eaten.
• Summer squash is a crop that should be picked when it is very young and then eaten when it is tender. Alternatively, winter squash is grown for a long time, and thus it has a very thick and tough skin that can survive cold weather.
• Winter squash is harvested when completely mature, usually in the fall or winter. Because of its thick skin, winter squash is the type that is usually stuffed or baked and the skin is not eaten.

• Because winter squash takes a long time to grow and fully ripen on the vine, it cannot often be grown in cold climates.
• However, summer squash can grow well in the short, warm days of a northern summer, and summer squash also grows well in southern climates.

• Because summer squash is tender and is harvested young, it must be cooked or eaten quickly to enjoy the fruit at its freshest. Thus, it is not easily preserved, frozen or stored.
• Winter squash is much heartier than summer squash. It keeps for a long time, which means that you can store it, freeze it, dehydrate it, preserve it or even puree it for soups.

• Summer squash is delicate and mild, and it's best eaten chopped and cooked. It goes well with spicy flavours, as well as garlic, onions, and other foods and spices that add a zing.
• Because it is picked so young, the skin is tender and easy to digest, and people enjoy the taste and texture of preparing summer squash with the skin on.
• People tend to cook winter squash with sweet autumnal flavours like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice.
• The skin is not eaten with a winter squash because it is too thick and hard to digest. Winter squash is also commonly used in pies or soups.