Butternut Squash, Long Island Cheese Pumpkin and More- Cucurbita Moschata is Delicious

They are more tolerant of hot and humid climates, making them great for growing in the Southern United States. They need about 100 days growing season on average.

Cucurbita Moschata is a group that, like the other groups, includes both squashes and pumpkins. Containing Vitamins E, C and A, antioxidants, beta carotene and protein they are also part of a healthy diet for diabetics.

Any Cucurbita is great for heart and diabetic health. They also contain fiber for colon health.

Use them pureed in breads, soups, milkshakes, and desserts or chunky on the plate in salads or stews. There are thousands of recipes for squashes and pumpkins. It's easy to get children to eat squash and pumpkin when they say they won't. Just add cooked puree to vegetable dishes, soups and stews. White squash, yellow squashes and zucchini are best for this as they have mild flavors. Add pumpkin chunks or puree to stews or cut vegetable medleys.

Let's take a look at some of the wonderful vegetables that make up Cucurbita Moschata.

Tonda Padana Pumpkin

This is a most beautiful pumpkin. Each weighs an average of 4-6 pounds and is multicolored with raised yellow ribs and either mottled green, orange or yellow-ish colors in between. They are in the class of winter pumpkins, having a very thick skin and properly cared for, will keep for months. Ready to harvest in 95 days, they are great for short growing seasons.

This is the pumpkin to grow for breads, soups, pies and even gnocchi. It can certainly just sit on the table or mantle as a marvelous centerpiece.

Butternut Squash

Anyone who has cut open a Butternut Squash knows it's a winter vegetable. I wouldn't be surprised if any researcher determined it to have the toughest skin of all the winter squashes and pumpkins. As hard as it is, though, there is no denying that Butternut Squash is one of the tastiest for soups and pies. Or just cut it in half, bake it with butter, cinnamon and bacon in the cavity and serve. If you don't want to save all the seeds, roast and eat them like pumpkin seeds for a special treat.

Some people have skin reactions when cutting Butternut Squash. If this happens, wash your hands and apply creams meant for temporary dermatitis. Wearing rubber or latex gloves next time will prevent the reaction.

This member of Cucurbita Moschata is also known as Butternut Pumpkin in Australia. It grows in a wide variety of zones- it just needs the right amount of sun. There are many varieties both heirloom and hybrid, taking an average of 100 days from seed to harvest. Most of the vegetables weigh from 10-20 pounds each.

Seminole Pumpkin

This ancient vegetable was noted in the journals of the Early Spanish Explorers in the Everglades of Florida. Sadly, it is almost extinct in the wild.

This variety is a winter pumpkin and weighs about 3 pounds. It can be grown on a trellis attached to a fence or allowed to grow on the ground. It has a tan skin with dark orange flesh.

Home growers are responsible for keeping many species of plants from becoming extinct and this is one vegetable that deserves to be saved.

The cook in me says "yummy" while the crafter in me sees a unique Jack-O'-Lantern, or a candle holder for a set table. Or use it with other squashes and pumpkins for the mantle or table.

Long Island Cheese Pumpkin

No, this doesn't taste like cheese. Instead, it's shaped like a wheel of cheddar. Flattened and deeply ribbed, it is one of the oldest known domesticated squashes according to Native Seed Search of Tuscon, AZ.

They are still grown in the Northeast United States for pie making. Most of the canned pumpkin on the shelves comes from another Cucurbita Moschata, however. The Dickenson Field Pumpkin is grown in the Midwest and is round so it's easier to roll on conveyor belts and easier to peel.

But you can't stack the round pumpkins like you can with the Cheese Pumpkin. Those who routinely cook and eat these wonderful heirlooms say they lack the stringiness found in other pumpkins and are better than Cucurbita Pepo. I don't know about that.

There are other Cucurbita Moschata varieties available, like the Calabazas, Neck Pumpkins and Long of Naples Squash still grown in home gardens.

If you live in the South, or in a hot and humid climate, give Cucurbita Moschatas a try. Your taste buds and guests will thank you.