Summer Squash

Summer squash. Sarah Jackson / Pixabay.com / 2016 / CC0 1.0

Summer Squashes are squashes are harvested and eaten before they mature. They have very thin skins and, generally, edible seeds.

They are generally harvested in the summer or at the end of summer, as opposed to in the fall, though some plants may continue producing into the fall.

Summer squashes will cross-breed with acorn squash, some pumpkins including jack-o-lantern pumpkins, as well as with each other, of course. Though you may not see the results of the cross-pollination that occurred in the current year’s crop, it would show up in the seeds from the crop if they were planted this year.

Summer squashes will not cross-breed with cucumbers, or melons.

The most well-known example of summer squash is zucchini.

Cooking Tips

To home can summer squashes, they must be used in some kind of pickle or relish to acidify them. Plain canning of summer squash is recommended against by the USDA. ^[1]National Center for Home Food Preservation. “Why is canning summer squash or zucchini not recommended?” Accessed June 2015 at http://nchfp.uga.edu/questions/FAQ_canning.html#24.

To preserve them, freeze instead.

Summer squash varieties

Chayote

Chayote © Leclaire & Schenk Chayote are sold as "Chayote Squash", though they are not really a squash -- they're gourds that are treated as Summer Squash in cooking. Chayote are very small squash, only about the size of a large pear, being ...

Crookneck Squash

Crookneck Squash is a summer squash. It grows 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 cm) long. The optimum size for eating is about 6 inches (15 cm.) It will be curved, fat at the end where the blossom was, and much narrower at the stem end. Inside, it has off-white...

Magda Squash

Magda Squash is a summer squash with pale green skin. It is sort of eggplant shaped (as in shaped like regular eggplant, aka "Globe" eggplant.) It is not overly long, only about 4 inches (10 cm), and plump. It has a sweet, faintly nutty flavour. Hybrid...

Marrow

Marrow are very large members of the summer squash family. They are often served stuffed and baked, or peeled, seeded and cooked in a sauce. Some wags describe their culinary interest as otherwise "elusive."

Pattypan Squash

Pattypan Squash are small, flattened, circular summer squash with scalloped edges. They need to be harvested young. They can be stuffed and baked, or steamed on their own.

Scallopini Squash

Scallopini Squash is a summer squash. It looks very similar to a pattypan squash, but it is rounder. It has smooth, dark green skin with light green flecks. The squash are firm and small, with a good slightly nutty taste. Choose ones that...

Snake Gourd

Snake gourds grow coiled but can be trained to grow straight. The red pulp inside is edible, though it gets bitter as the gourd gets older. The leaves and young shoots of the vine are also edible.

Yellow Squash

Yellow squash is a term used for a grouping of summer squashes that have yellow skins and yellowish flesh. They are ready to harvest within 7 days of the blossoms, because younger, small ones are considered better than older ones, which can get bitte...

Yellow Sunburst Squash

Yellow Sunburst Squash is a variety of pattypan squash, with bright yellow skin, and green stem. Inside, it has very white flesh, and no seed cavity. The plant is a bush type, spreading out 2 1/2 feet (75 cm.) Cooking Tips Cook as for pattypan...

Yugoslavian Finger Fruit Squash

Yugoslavian Finger Fruit Squash is slightly oval like a very large egg, but jutting out from it at the top are 10 protuberances variously referred to as "fingers", "ribs" or "wings." The rind is white. Inside, it has finely-textured flesh. When...

Zapallito de Tronco Squash

Zapallito de Tronco Squash is an acorn-shaped squash with green rind. When harvested as a summer squash, it is small, about 3 inches (7 1/2 cm) wide and weighing about 1/2 pound (225g.) When left to mature for harvesting as a winter squash, it will...

Zephyr Squash

Zephyr Squash is slender, and looks a little bit like small bowling pins with rounded bottoms. The stem is green, as is the skin around the rounded bottom. The rest of the skin is a bright yellow. There is a clear, distinct line between the green and...

Zucchetta Rampicante Squash

Zucchetta Rampicante is a summer squash. It grows on vines that grow up to 20 to 25 feet (6 to 7 1/2 metres) long. The vines can be trained on a fence or a strong trellis. The squash is bulbous at one end, then slender past that, even coiling around...

Zucchini

Zucchini is a summer squash with a very mild taste. The plants are usually prolific bearers. It is more a category of summer squash, with many different sub-varieties.