Farmers' Market Report: Tahitian Squash Los Angeles

Farmers' Market Report: Tahitian Squash
Los Angeles

For the past few weeks at the Hollywood Farmers' Market, we've been irresistibly drawn to these long, curved-necked Tahitian squashes. But with weight of up to 30 pounds, actually buying one of these giant squashes seemed like an option limited to those with very large ovens or freezer space...

posted originally from: AT:Kitchen

As always, talking to the grower proved to be enlightening. It turns out that a Tahitian squash (also known as melon squash) doesn't have to be used all at once. After the desired portion has been sliced off, the cut end will "heal" over, and the remainder of the squash can be stored, unrefrigerated. According to the farmer, the squash will keep for a couple of months this way.

Tahitian squash is related to butternut squash and has very sweet, bright orange flesh. It can baked and cooked like other winter squash or grated raw into salads.

Does anyone have experience storing and cooking this squash?

Comments (1)

I grew this squash several years ago. Living in southern MO we really don't have a long enough season for it but I managed to get a couple hundred pounds from one hill. They did have to finish ripening in storage though.

Good points
Prolific
No problem with squash bugs (Its the only squash I have grown that didn't need poisoned constantly for squash bugs)
If you don't mind running the cooked flesh through a blender to break up the stringy texture it makes the absolute best pumpkin pies!
It stores seemingly forever. I used them as they got small bad spots in them from bug bites or whatever and I worked up the last one 18 months after harvesting them.

Bad points
It has huge rampant vines.
Stringy flesh (as mentioned above run the cooked flesh through a blender and its great for pumpkin recipes)

Haven't heard of just using part of it at a time I worked them up and froze them as they got bad spots in them. That one hill lasted me for years! Will definitely have to try that!
I'm moving to the Philippines and this is one seed I went to a lot of trouble to find before I start gardening there.

John