Spiced Candy Roaster

Remember the North Georgia Candy Roaster winter squash I purchased several weeks ago? I finally got around to cutting it up and cooking it.

I used cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, honey, brown sugar, and a drizzle of olive oil. I baked it at 400 F for about half an hour or until a fork could be easily inserted. It was delicious. I see why folks use this squash instead of pumpkin for making pies.

First I peeled the squash, all two and a half feet of it. Then I sliced it in one inch slices and cut those in half. I removed the seeds and pith and saved the seeds. I chopped the slices of squash in bite sized pieces. This squash is easier to clean than a pumpkin since the pith isn't as stringy and the seeds easily separate from the pith. I'm drying the seeds and saving them to plant next summer. But wait a minute I might have to eat a few of the, read on.

I'm assuming the health benefits of candy roaster squash are similar to eating pumpkin. Check out this article in the Huffington Post about health benefits of eating the squash and seeds. It boosts your immune system, has more potassium than a banana, the seeds are good for the heart because they lower bad cholesterol, it helps you loose weight, has mega amounts of vitamin A good for eyesight, reduces cancer risk, protects your skin from wrinkles, eating the seeds boosts production of seratonin which helps your mood. With all those benefits I should eat it every day.

After cooking a large baking dish full of squash I still have a huge bowl of cut up squash. I plan to parboil the remaining squash. Then I'll freeze some and make a soup with some of the squash. I highly recommend growing and eating this squash. It stores well. I wish I had bought more of these North Georgia Candy Roasters. I could be eating fresh squash all winter long. Now I know how valuable a root cellar was to folks before refrigeration. Thanks for reading and for all  your comments.