Can I cook with nearly ripe butternut squash?
Due to a frost I had to bring in a few not-quite-ripe butternut squash. The greenish markings on the outside and the not-well-developed seeds are signs they are not as ripe as desirable. Can I still cook with these? Note they were photographed on a green cutting board but the color of the squash is close to true.
Best Answer
Unripe winter squash taste different from ripe, but you can treat unripe, peeled butternut like summer squash with good results.
My personal preference is to pluck any later flowers rather than let unripe fruit develop. These can be eaten raw or stuffed and cooked (my go-to method is seasoned cream cheese and chive).
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Can you eat a butternut squash not quite ripe?
But what to do with squash that is not ripe? You can continue to ripen unripe squash by bringing them inside, washing them off and putting them in a sunny spot. You watch them carefully, turning them occasionally until they reach the proper color for eating.Can you cook unripe butternut squash?
Unripe winter squash taste different from ripe, but you can treat unripe, peeled butternut like summer squash with good results. My personal preference is to pluck any later flowers rather than let unripe fruit develop. These can be eaten raw or stuffed and cooked (my go-to method is seasoned cream cheese and chive).Can you cook under ripe squash?
Slice the butternut into 1/2 inch rounds. Dip the rounds into beaten egg mixed with a bit of water. Dredge through some seasoned bread crumbs. Either fry in oil or bake on an oiled cookie sheet at 350 degrees.Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Ave Calvar Martinez, Sarah Chai, Jill Burrow, Karolina Grabowska