Cucurbita moschata
Many mass are finally catching on to the magic of calabaza squash , and it ’s about time .
This winter type is more resistant to disease than a lot of the other diverseness of squash on the market , and a single yield can yield 10 pounds or more of dumb , scrumptious form .
In other words , because it ’s generally healthy and grows a ton of yield , one plant will belike give you enough intellectual nourishment to last a good , long time . You ’ll be handing calabazas out as gifts to all the neighbors !
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There ’s something to be said about the aesthetics of this variety , too .
If you like creating a tumble display with dissimilar type of squash and gourd , calabaza has an eye - bewitch , cock-and-bull story - esque look to it , though I would n’t advocate that you apply it for carving Jack - o - lantern . The skin is tough !
But that tough skin is actually a great thing when it come to edible purpose . It means the fruits can be stored for month and months with no trouble at all .
Because this is an open - pollinated , heirloom character , there are wonderful variations in the plant from region to neighborhood . I ’ve hail across some unbelievable ones in markets in my travels and I saved a few ejaculate to try in my own garden .
So , if you ’re ready to give calabaza a go in your garden place , you ’ll need two matter . A gravid old chunk of uncommitted background , and this pathfinder .
Here ’s everything we ’ll tackle , coming up mighty up :
What You’ll Learn
Calabaza is thesame species as the butternut tree , and the taste is somewhat similar .
Just suppose butternut squash but slightly denser and more sapid , and you ’ve got the theme . It ’s buttery , sweet , and mashes up into an meth cream - like consistency that is to go for .
Mmm , my mouth is already water …
What Is Calabaza Squash?
This winter squelch belongs to the tropic speciesCucurbita moschata .
The name “ calabaza ” translates from Spanish to mean autumn pumpkin or gourd and bear on generically to anytype of winter squash , but in English , it refers to the plant commonly known as auyama , West Indian pumpkin vine , or Puerto Rican pumpkin vine .
Because the name is a generic term for wintertime squash , it can be a little confusing to narrow down the specific plant in doubt .
Some other specie , includingC. foetidissimaandC. maxima , are sometimes called calabaza .
Even amongC. moschatavarieties , the size , shape , and people of color can vary because of cross - pollination and regional cultivation .
In general , the fruits range from five to 10 British pound sterling , and are normally circular and dumpy , like a hoops that someone step on .
But they can also be elongated like a big football or round like a Cucurbita pepo too .
The backbreaking skin can be hoary , blue , orange , yellow , ointment , unripened , or a mixture of these colors , with legato or slightly jumpy skin . Each fruit weighs anywhere from three to 50 pounding .
Depending on how they ’re reap , they can have long , round-shouldered stem . The mature hide takes on a matte appearance .
These combined characteristics make them awfully good - looking for , which is why you often see them in fall display . Their form is yellow to orange , meaty , and thick , with a large , hollow seed caries filled with stringy pulp magazine and relatively modest seeds .
They grow on large vining plants with grayish , somewhat mottle immature leafage .
These plants can really stretch their limb , so to speak , and a undivided vine can grow 50 feet out from the shopping centre , though most detain smaller .
plant life take around 100 days to ripen , though they ripen more speedily in southerly part of the country than in cool , northern parts .
It can take up to 140 days in Maine but just 80 mean solar day in Florida for the same plant to maturate .
Cultivation and History
Calabaza crush is aboriginal to the Caribbean , North America , and central South America .
Today , this squash vine is extensively cultivate in the Philippines , where it ’s call kalabaza , as well as in the West Indies , Cuba , Puerto Rico , and tropic parts of South and North America .
Propagation
Propagating calabaza could n’t be easier . Use the seeds from a mature squash , purchase seed , or buy a little seedling and get to work !
From Seed
It ’s possible to notice seeds , but it ’s not easy to be certain that you ’re gettingC. moschatarather than something else labeled as calabaza , refer to winter squeeze in cosmopolitan , or one of the other species . Make indisputable the source you corrupt are from the veracious plant .
C. moschataCalabaza
Amazon , for instance , carries a 25 - pack ofC. moschatacalabaza seeds .
The other way to go is to buy one of these mash at a market and harvest the seeds from there . The fact that you get to eat the flesh while you ’re at it is a bonus ! And that agency , you could be sure that you like it before you institute .
Once you buy the yield , crock up it heart-to-heart and scoop out out some seeds . If you ’re finding it to be a challenge to crack that thing undecided , we ’ll talk about the best ways to do that in a bit .
Once you release the seeds , rinse them , and let them dry by post them in a undivided bed on a home plate , bake sheet , or towel . Or , you could institute them right aside .
Whatever clean seeds you do n’t practice can be roasted with some butter or petroleum and your favorite spice – we ’ll blab out about that more in a bit , too !
Place the seed an in deep with six foot between them in Hill of plenteous , loamy , loose land . If you have stiff or sandy territory , work in deal of well - rotted manure .
Water the semen in well .
Since these yield take at least 100 days to maturate , you might need tostart cum indoorsbefore transplanting them outdoors .
you could get a six - week head start out this way , starting in the late winter or early spring . Count back six weeks from the last predicted Robert Lee Frost date in your area to decide when to imbed .
To start up seeds indoors , fill six - column inch containers with pot grease . adhere a germ one column inch late into the snapper of each pot .
Water and post the pots somewhere that they will receive eight hours of sunshine orsupplemental lighting .
Keep the soil moist .
Transplant as described below after hardening off for a hebdomad . Hardening off is what it sounds like : it ’s a way of toughening up a seedling so it ’s quick for life-time in the big open air .
Do this process bit by bit by bring the seedling out of doors for an minute and plant it in a protected spot . Bring it back in and then tally an extra hour the next day . Keep adding an hour per day for a calendar week .
By the way , it help to set a timekeeper for each twenty-four hours of this process . I ca n’t tell you how many time I ’ve take a seedling out to indurate it off and then got distracted with some other chore and forgot all about it !
From Seedlings
If you pick up seedlings at the nursery , check that to imbed them after all risk of icing has passed . They ca n’t handle any amount of frost .
set them in hilled filth that is plentiful , open , and well - draining with a pH between 5.5 and 7.0 .
dig up a mess the same sizing as the growing container and remove the seedling from the pot very lightly . localize it in the hollow and tauten the territory up around it .
Water well .
How to Grow Calabaza Squash
Being native to the tropical zone , these plants love the estrus . They allow heat well than many other specie , and conversely , they do n’t do as well as some species in chillier climates .
implant them in the sunniest spot in your yard . If you ca n’t give them at least eight hours of sun , pick another eccentric of squash to develop .
They can bear brief periods of drouth , but the solution should generally stay moist . If you pose your finger in the soil and it feel dry to the 2d knuckle , it ’s clock time to supply piss . If the leaves get down to droop , add water .
Always water at the stain floor and not on the leaves because moisture on the folio is a fast lead to disease .
You need to be highly persevering about keep skunk aside . Weeds not only steal nutrients from the plant , but they can host pests and disease . This is especially important when the plant are vernal .
There ’s no want to inseminate , but side dress with well - moulder manure after the fruits start to organise to give the plant a little cost increase .
There ’s no genuine maintenance necessary with these plants . Cut off any humiliated or diseased leaves because they ’re just a retarding force on the works .
Growing Tips
Cultivars to Select
In warm venue , you could often find regional varieties or named cultivars , but most are simply sold under the generic name calabaza , calabash , or calabasa .
La Estrella
‘ La Estrella ’ is the most common cultivar in commercial-grade production available in the US . It has passing obtuse , vivacious flesh , a waxy skin , and it flowers and fruits earlier than the mintage plant .
This cultivar can be ready to rust in just 70 days in hot areas with long day . In northern latitudes , ask it to take around 120 days .
breed at the University of Florida , it has a big , pear-shaped shape and average about 10 pounds .
El Dorado
‘ El Dorado ’ was bred in Florida and produce orotund fruits with a fatheaded , buff - colored rind and promising orange flesh .
The plant life take a few weeks longer to fruit and mature than ‘ La Estrella . ’
La Primera
While ‘ La Primera ’ has been formally introduced into the market , it has n’t really catch on exterior of Florida . It produces smaller yields and smaller fruit than the other cultivar on this listing .
It has vibrant orange form , green skin , and a round build . It fruits and matures at the same swiftness as ‘ El Dorado . ’
Managing Pests and Disease
C. moschataplants are generally less susceptible to pests and disease than other wintertime squash species . That ’s one of the great thing about them .
The flesh is similar to that of the common “ pumpkins ” that many gardener grow , so you may relish them similarly , but the plants are less likely to get sick and die .
Powdery mildew may potentially impact everyCucurbitaplant , but when the rest of my squash rackets plants were reverse fuzzy and snowy , my calabazas were just hanging out , wondering what the adult deal was . At least anecdotally , they really seem to be altogether imperviable to disease .
Even so , it ’s salutary to watch out for pest . These plant life are n’t resistant to pest problems .
Squash bugs , crush vine stone drill , striped cuke beetles , andflea beetlescan all be a trouble . We hash out all of these in more detail in ourguide to produce winter squash racquets .
Harvesting Calabaza Squash
When it ’s time to harvest , the stems attach to the fruit should be hard and brown .
If you urge your fingernail into the stem , you wo n’t make a mark . The same go for the pelt – your fingernail should n’t leave a St. Mark .
Once it ’s ready , take a brace of clippers or pruners and cut the squash aside from the plant , leaving at least an in of root attach to the top .
All of the fruit produced on a single vine will not mature at the same time , so control each one before harvesting .
Preserving
you’re able to preserve this squash for months and months if you simply go through thearduousprocess of placing it in a cool , dark , ironic office .
They can salt away for up to four month in a root root cellar or basement , though off the record , I had one that lasted seven months that had fallen off the back of a lazy Susan inside a cabinet .
I discovered it well into spring and chopped it open – perfectly fresh and delicious , and here I was in May , enjoy nutrient I had harvested in October .
Just observe for rotten , quaggy , black spots or rotting at the stem . If that happens , you could start the squash racquets up and endeavor to save the good spots or justcompost the whole thing .
If you ’re picking up squash at the marketplace , go forrader and skip any with colored or easy spot . That indicates decompose inside . But at home , you do n’t have to squander absolutely good food .
Just cut away the rotten bits , and you’re able to eat on the rest period , though you should n’t seek to preserve flesh from fruit that show rot .
This is n’t a industrial plant where you ’re fighting for every harvestable bite ( that would be you , wasabi ) .
You ’ll likely get a monolithic harvest from each industrial plant , so you ’re go away to need ways to preserve the pulp . It cans and freezes well , andyou can also dehydrate it .
Recipes and Cooking Ideas
You ’ll often find this squash for cut-rate sale in markets already turn out into sections or twenty-five percent . That ’s partially because it ’s a pain in the neck to cut .
These have thick skins , and the chassis is meaty . To cut them at home , you might attempt pulling out your 15 - amp table saw . Just wear some goggles , and get ready to watch the glint vaporize !
Not really , but this is n’t wholly a laugh . I ’ve really disregard a few open with a fresh saw blade now and then . They ’re that hard to get into . For those who do n’t fancy using power tools on their vegetables , there are other ways .
you may use a meat cleaver and hack away , or work smarter rather than harder . Bake the yield for about 15 minutes on a rimmed baking bed sheet with just a fleck of water in the bottom .
Or you could nuke it in a arena with urine for about five minute of arc , if it match . allow it cool , and you should be able-bodied to cut through much more well .
Besides opening the fruit , the other challenging thing about them is decease to be narrowing down the respectable agency to falsify them .
There are an interminable act of way , and anything apumpkincan do , a calabaza can do .
you could batter and fry shredded material body as savoury or angelical fritters , broil the flesh on a preparation sheet with some butter or olive oil and spice , grind the flesh , or puree it into a soup .
Make calabaza curry or whip up some calabacitas , mash fudge with tomatoes , onion , garlic , chilis , corn , Malva sylvestris , and spices .
Then there ’s dessert . Calabaza en tacha is candied squash . And of course , there ’s the old classic : pie .
The obtuse flesh really loan itself nicely to all kinds of applications , and the vivacious orange hue livens up whatever mantrap you utilise it in .
Speaking of , if you ’re working with a really undimmed squash , you might need to get into an proscenium or something sometime that you do n’t mind if it gets ruin . The orangish color can sully your hand and anything else it comes in contact with .
The bloom ( flor de calabaza ) are a traditional food in South America . And the veteran seed , known as pepitas , are also delicious roast .
Quick Reference Growing Guide
Bring on the Piles and Piles of Squash!
really , the vainglorious challenge about growing this wonder is finding the place with enough sun vulnerability , and then figure out how to crack into those tough shells .
Other than that , this is a solidifying - it - and - forget - it type of vegetable .
desire to act as around withsome other types of wintertime squash ? We have set of expectant guides that can help you on your journeying . Consider check out out the following next :
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Kristine Lofgren
