Carve the Pumpkin, Eat the Squash

For Americans the word pumpkin describes the familiar lightly ridged orange squashes that are turned into jack-o’-lanterns and sometimes pie. In other cultures the terms pumpkin and squash, referring to hard-skinned winter squashes, are interchangeable.

Among horticulturists, botanical classifications are preferred and… squashes are divided among Cucurbita maxima, Cucurbita moschata, Cucurbita pepo and Cucurbita argyrosperma…

Winter squash should be stored as you would good red wine, between 50 and 60°F; if you leave it outdoors, do not let it freeze. As winter squashes age — and some can last months — they lose water and the flavor becomes more concentrated.