Reading time: 6 min
Key takeaways
- Choosing the right squash depends on flavor, storage, and how much room your garden gives you.
- Butternut and pattypan behave completely differently — one stores for months, the other is best eaten young.
- Texture and shelf life separate a good squash from a great one more than size ever will.
Choosing between a butternut and a pattypan changes everything. I want to show you what actually works when you are standing in the seed catalogue, and which varieties will genuinely please at the table. In my experience, most people pick squash by shape or color alone. What most people get wrong is ignoring density, sweetness, and how long a fruit will hold in a cool cellar.
Why squash variety matters
The plant will tell you what it needs. A Cucurbita moschata like butternut asks for warmth and a long season. A Cucurbita pepo like pattypan gives you small fruits in weeks if you keep picking them. My grandmother taught me that a squash is not just a vegetable; it is a promise of winter meals. Don’t overthink it — start with two or three varieties that match your climate and kitchen.
Winter squash varieties that store well
- Butternut (Waltham) — dense orange flesh, nutty and sweet, stores for months.
- Hubbard — thick skin, rich flavor, a classic for long storage.
- Kabocha — dry, chestnut-like texture, wonderful roasted.
- Delicata — thin skin you can eat, sweet and quick to cook.
- Acorn — compact, slightly peppery, good for small gardens.
- Spaghetti — mild flesh that strands like pasta when baked.
- Red Kuri — intense color and flavor, a favorite in Dutch kitchens.
- Sweet Dumpling — small, sweet, perfect for stuffing.
In my experience, these eight will carry you from September well into spring if you cure them properly. Let me show you what actually works: harvest with a bit of stem, cure in a warm dry spot for ten days, then store cool and dark.
Summer squash and pattypan types
- Pattypan — scalloped edges, firm texture, best picked small.
- Zucchini — the workhorse of summer, mild and versatile.
- Yellow Crookneck — slightly sweet, very tender skin.
- Eight Ball — round zucchini, ideal for stuffing.
- Costata Romanesco — striped, nutty, the one chefs ask for.
- Tromboncino — long, curved, and remarkably firm.
- Sunburst — bright yellow pattypan, a cheerful addition to any bed.
The plant will tell you when these are ready — if the skin dents easily, you waited too long. Keep harvesting, and the vine keeps producing.
How to choose for your garden and table
Here’s what I’d do. Start with one storage type and one summer type. Grow them where they get at least six hours of sun, and give them space — squash hates crowding. Since we are in September, this is the perfect moment to taste what you grew and decide what to sow next year. Don’t overthink it. The best variety is the one that suits your soil, your season, and your dinner table.
I’ve spent over fifteen years in botanical gardens and nurseries across the Netherlands and Belgium. Now I garden in Haarlem and write what I wish someone had told me sooner. No fluff — just what actually works.