Catfish Out of Water

Fall is in the air. It's back-to-school time for little children. And my YouTube feed has started recommending Hocus Pocus-themed videos. Ahhh but it is only mid-August, 90 degrees out, and my local Costco has begun with their Christmas displays. Which makes me culinarily confused. My peppers have only begun to ripen and I will have months still of fresh produce from the garden. But apparently we've skipped fall entirely and are awaiting the upcoming winter holiday? Which has seen less spending as of late, so they have decided merely to extend the season... to be almost half a year long! Alas, I am meeting in the middle and have decided on roasted ambercup squash.

Ambercup is a medium-sized squash variety. Mine came in at a whopping two and a half pounds. Which is honestly about the size of a large buttercup squash. Although it is much denser, with larger seeds, and requires vastly longer cook time! My ambercup squash took about 2 hours to roast. Although this will vary drastically depending on the size of your particular squash.

Ambercup aren't the most common type of squash typically available in the United States. They're an incredibly dense squash and amongst the sweeter varieties. It is often referred to as amber cup or kabocha squash. I'm calling it an ambercup here because there are several types of kabocha squash and the ones that are more prevalent in this area are typically green. I have actually planted some of them in my garden.

What Does Ambercup Squash Taste Like?

Ambercup originated in the Americas and are often likened to acorn squash. However, I find them more similar to buttercup squash. Buttercup are my go-to squash variety. They're available and most grocery stores year-round, have a relatively quick roasting time, and a sweet, almost buttery flavor. Any recipe that requires acorn or butternut squash can easily be substituted here. I find butternut and acorn squash to be quite generic, though. There comes a time when you want a more robust flavor profile. I would maybe liken them more to calabaza squash in that regard.

Calabaza Squash are a Central and South American squash variety with deep orange flesh and large seeds. The one that I got last year weighed 10 pounds. And, while the ambercup squash might pale in comparison size-wise! It has a very similar taste and texture. Although slightly sweeter in flavor with perhaps better roasted seeds.

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The bright, bright orange is relatively accurate. Much like Roasted Calabaza Squash, this is a very brightly colored squash. The white balance is overcompensating and making the rest of my apartment seem a little bit blue. But the squash itself is true to color! It's a very warm orange with a similar color to turmeric. I would wager that it would stain your carpets, clothes, and other fabrics! So, be warned. Wear black when cooking.

Variations of Roasted Ambercup Squash

There are several different types of squash that roast incredibly well. Really, you can swap out any edible winter squash or pumpkin of choice. Just adjust the cooking time based on size and density of the gourd. And don't forget to roast the seeds! They're my favorite part. I almost roast too many squash in the fall and winter season just to have a constant supply of seeds.

Although the purée does hold up fairly well in the freezer if you do end up with too much! There's a lot of liquid in gourds, so it does crystalize slightly. But I tend to thaw it out and put it through the mixer again to kind of reconstitute the texture. Also, I'm often adding squash to other dishes and, in that case, it works incredibly well! You'd never notice that it was frozen in a batch of rice or slow cooker black beans.