Seasonality
Summer/Early Fall
Quick Tips
How to cook summer squash
Zucchini is a summer treat that can be grilled, roasted, sauteed, steamed, braised, or served raw. The only thing to be careful about is summer squash’s high water content, which can throw off a dish. Salting summer squash before using can help coax the water out and concentrate the flavor.
How to buy summer squash
Size is important when looking for summer squash. Look for medium-sized summer squash that have a solid color, minimat cuts, and be firm when pressed. The skin of the summer squash should have a shine to it an be easily perforated. Overly large squash can have tough skin and a muted flavor.
How to store summer squash
Keep unwashed summer squash on the counter for a couple of days, or wrap in a tea towel and place in the crisper. Use it as close to purchasing as possible, and wait to wash until right before using.
Varieties
Patty Pan
Crookneck
Jaune et Verte
Zephyr
About
Summer squash is a main squash category that encompasses all that have edible skin. This category includes zucchini, acorn squash, delicata squash, and spaghetti squash (which all have their own pages because I love them so much). But this page is dedicated to the quintessential summer squash: Crookneck, Patty pan, and Multipik. The squash range in size/shape, but are mostly yellow with hints of green.
I use summer squash the same way I use zucchini. Summer squash is a fairly easy item to use: no peeling or de-seeding is needed. If you plan on using summer squash in a dish where extra liquid would be a problem, salt the summer squash first to draw out the moisture. I love using an abundance of summer squash in curries, grilled as a sized, tossed onto pizza, and soup.
Much like zucchini, summer squash is best frozen in either cubes or shredded. Blanch for two minutes, ice bath, pat dry, and place in a freezer safe container. Occasionally after blanching, I’ll give the squash a quick puree and freeze it that way. This becomes my creamy addition to soups in the fall.
