Facts about Squash

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Squash the game has nothing to do with squash the fruit. That’s right, squash is a fruit, not a vegetable, because it contains the seeds of the plant. With so many varieties of this vitamin rich food, deciding whether to boil, sauté, bake, roast or grill it the hardest part. Here are some interesting facts about this amazing fruit.

Fact 1: The world squash comes from the Narragansett Indian word ‘œaskutasquash’, which means, ‘œeaten raw or uncooked’.

Fact 2: Squash falls into two categories: summer and winter squash. Summer squash is tenderer and has a thinner, edible rind. Both are high in Vitamins A and C.

Fact 3: Squash originated in Mexico and Central America. The American Indians shared its seeds with Europeans and it is now grown all over the world.

Fact 4: Pumpkin is a squash.

Fact 5: Joel Jarvis in Ontario, Canada grew the world’s biggest squash. It gained 40 lbs a day to reach 1,500 lbs. The giant squash could make 5,360 bowls of soup.

Fact 6: Amelia Simmons wrote the first recipe book published in the United States in 1796. It contained the first pumpkin recipe ‘“ pumpkin pudding.

Fact 7: Presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew squash in their kitchen gardens.

Fact 8: You can also eat the plant’s seeds, leaves, tendrils, shoots, and flowers.

Fact 9: The squash variety, known as gourds, was grown for use as containers.

Fact 10: In Latin American, they use squash to make candy.

Fact 11: Just like potatoes, you can deep fry zucchini, making for a much healthier side dish than French fries.

Fact 12: In the United States, Florida produces the most squash, followed by New York, California, and North Carolina. In 2011, the United States grew 743.8 million pounds of squash.

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