Although fall is the prime time for acorn squash, this vegetable is so popular that it is carried year-round in many markets. Acorn squash is most commonly stuffed and baked, but you'll find much more to do with them in the featured recipes. Try Stuffed Squash Blossoms, Ham Squash Skillet, or one of the many other acorn squash recipes.
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Acorn Squash Photo © 2009 Peggy Trowbridge Filippone, licensed to About.com, Inc.
Comments
I just had a baked stuffed acrorn. I have to admit at first I was not too sure…boy oh boy was I wrong delicioius. I ate the entire acorn!
Acorn squash are simple and very tasty in microwave .Half the squash and place cut side down in a mic safe plate.Microwave about 5 minutes and cut side up add brown sugar and butter[marg.]Cook another 3 minutes and let marianate a couple minutes.One can also stuff with you’re favorite ingrediance.Experment
be careful microwaving. Acorn squash holds a load of nutrients and unfortunately the convenient microwave kills 99% of those… that goes for all microwaved items!
Microwaving doesn’t destroy any more nutrients than baking. Heat kills nutrients and enzymes regardless of the source.
Microwaves don’t produce heat, they produce microwaves at 2500mh. These waves are unique because they absorb directly into fat and water molecules and avoid ambient air and other surfaces. How does this affect the food? Well the waves penetrate relatively evenly throughout the food and affect it at a molecular level. It’s totally different from an oven that uses radiant heat, ie: a nice gentle heating.
Think about this: microwaves can sterilize a sponge… I don’t want to eat sterile food, doing so is not healthy in the slightest. These things can destroy microbial life in a matter of a minute so I’d hate to see what it’s doing to the food I consume.
The idea of microwaves destroying nutrients is quite humorous. Check out this article in the NY Times for the facts.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/17/health/17real.html
Barrett says: “Think about this: microwaves can sterilize a sponge… I don’t want to eat sterile food, doing so is not healthy in the slightest.”
Microwaves can’t sterilize a sponge, heat sterilizes the sponge. If you put a completely dry sponge in a microwave, it will come out with the same bacteria it went in with. When you put a wet sponge in a microwave, the water heats to 200°+ in under 30 seconds. Bacteria cannot survive at those temperatures, so they die. The hot water sterilized the sponge, not the microwaves.
Microwaves heat by friction. The water molecules in the food are excited by the microwaves, which makes them vibrate. The vibration causes friction between the water molecules, and that generates the heat that cooks the food.
In truth, microwaving food preserves more nutrients than other methods of cooking, because the food does not have to be cooked as long. The longer food is cooked, the more nutrients are lost.
I’m always surprised when I see this “microwaves kill nutrients” topic come up again, because just typing “do microwaves destroy nutrients” into Google will bring up thousands of articles that explain that it isn’t true. I guess some people just don’t want to educate themselves.
Some people are so dumb. They think they know everything because they watch some 2 minute blurb on TV and really, they end up becoming more stupid and ignorant. Use common sence. Microwave the damn squash if you want to! It’s just as nutritious as baking. And it’s fast and convinient.
I’m with Barrett, they is plenty of research showing the dangers of microwaves. I suppose you think cell phones are safe too? Chack this…
Atoms, molecules and cells hit by this hard electromagnetic radiation are forced to reverse polarity 1 to 100 billion times a second. There are no atoms, molecules or cells of any organic system able to withstand such a violent, destructive power for any extended period of time, not even in the low energy range of milliwatts.”Of all the natural substances-which are polar-the oxygen of water molecules reacts most sensitively. This is how microwave cooking heat is generated-friction from this violence in water molecules. Structures of molecules are torn apart, molecules are forcefully deformed (called structural isomerism) and thus become impaired in quality.
http://www.mercola.com/article/microwave/hazards2.htm
If cell phones were dangerous there would be millions of DEAD DISK JOCKEYS.
A cell phone has about 1/50 of a watt of energy.
If the Disk Jockey looks out the window he will see an antenna with about 50,000,000 watts of the same energy.
Wrong, wrong, wrong. A microwave oven is designed to oscillate water molecules in order to make them heat up. Anything with water in it, including bacteria, will heat up and eventually be destroyed. Also, some materials will have components that also oscillate at nearly the same frequency as water. Hence the melted styrofoam cup full of chili; if it only heated water, it would never get above 100C and the styrofoam would not melt. Also…metals and metal compounds will heat up to varying degrees, hence the hot ceramic plate that contains some lead.
I agree that microwaves may damage the quality of our food, and was advised by nurses not to heat my babies milk in the microwave as it may damage proteins. Also I have done my research and found many sources that I think are reliable, which explain the issues associated with heating food in a microwave. I own a microwave and use it to make popcorn, heat water or my coffee/tea once it is cold. But I rarely use it to heat my food which I take my nutrients from. The article at the link below has quoted many studies and explains many things. Just because they have not come out to say that it is not dangerous to use microwaves does not make it impossible that it is. They have used many products in our world that have caused damage and it was only realized later. I say that if there are precautions out there, I will be cautious and make an educated decision to protect myself. I would rather spare the convenience than find out later that microwaves have caused me/my family health problems., etc.
http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/microwave-ovens-the-proven-dangers.html
Wow… I was just looking or tips on cooking squash. I really could have cared less about sponges, microwaves and what not……
omg i just baked my first acorn squash! wow all u need is butter ond it tastes like honey! im in love! low oxalate too!
Right on Christy! I can’t believe I just got sucked in to spending the last five minutes of my life reading the above when all I wanted was a new squash recipe.
Wow. I really just wanted a bunch of acorn squash recipes. To my surprise, this recipe page has turned into yet another group of postings on the internet where people continue to argue. Puke.