Delicious Pattypan Squash

In short: Pattypan squash (Cucurbita pepo) is a bushy, easy-to-grow vegetable with a short season of roughly 70 days. Sow it directly in the bed after the last frost, around mid-May, at 100-120 x 60 cm spacing with 2-3 seeds per hole. Harvest from July while fruits are immature, ideally 10 cm across and 15 cm at most.

Delicious Pattypan Squash

Pattypan squash belongs to the fruit vegetables from the Cucurbitaceae family. Squashes were cultivated as early as 5000 BC in ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. It is now among the oldest cultivated vegetables, from which the pattypan squash (Latin: Cucurbita pepo) was probably also bred.

Pattypan squash fruits are white or yellow in color, disc-shaped with a wavy edge. This is a very decorative and poetically shaped vegetable in appearance. It is an ornament to every garden bed and gardener.

Pattypan squash contains 90% water. It also contains important minerals such as sodium, potassium, calcium and iron, as well as vitamin C and beta-carotene (yellow fruits have a higher beta-carotene content). Thanks to its potassium content, it helps against swelling and has a diuretic effect. It thus helps in treating high blood pressure and restoring balance to the body.

The pattypan squash plant is annual, with a bushy growth habit. It is characterized by large yellow flowers. The stem forms a hollow, non-woody stalk with large leaves and vine-like shoots. It may be covered with rather coarse hairs. The plant, when thriving, grows very quickly, conversely, if it lacks watering or cooler weather arrives, it wilts and dies very quickly.

Pattypan squash is tasty, light and easily digestible. It contains a high fiber content and helps the body with proper metabolism. It is suitable for weight reduction diets.

Pattypan squash seeds can of course be pre-grown at home in a pot on the windowsill as early as late February/March. However, the plant is so resilient that we can plant it directly in the garden bed in mid-May.

Growing Pattypan Squash

For growing pattypan squash, heavier, loamy soils with high nutrient content are suitable. We recommend digging the soil in autumn and incorporating compost or farmyard manure.

With sowing pattypan squash seeds directly in the garden bed, we recommend waiting until after the last frost. We sow seeds at a spacing of 100-120cm x 60cm, always about 2-3 seeds together. However, we don't place the seeds on top of each other, we always leave them some space. So we don't just throw them into the prepared hole.

Water the planted seeds carefully. Pattypan squash, like zucchini, requires moist soil and a sunny location. Water regularly at the roots, not on the leaves and fruits, preferably in the evening.

We can also fertilize the plant continuously, as it creates a bushy shrub and really needs a lot of nutrients. We can fertilize with industrial fertilizers or compost.

Harvesting Pattypan Squash

Pattypan squash has a short growing season (approximately 70 days) and ideally we can harvest the fruits as early as July. It is harvested similarly to cucumbers. Regular harvesting increases its productivity.

Pattypan squash fruits should be harvested while still immature. If we follow the sowing procedure correctly, the fruits should ideally be 10 cm in diameter, maximum 15 cm. Older fruits have a very tough skin. Don't cut the fruits with a knife, but twist off the stem at the stalk. Cutting the fruits risks spreading diseases.

If we harvest more fruits than we can consume, we can store pattypan squash. When harvesting, make sure the fruits remain undamaged, without scratches or abrasions. Store in a cool and dry room.

Try pattypan squash soup, breaded and fried pattypan squash, or pattypan squash gratin.

Recipes

We can eat pattypan squash raw, as an addition to salads. However, they are not as tasty this way, so we prefer to prepare them warm. We don't need to look far for pattypan squash recipes - if you're used to cooking with pumpkin or zucchini, it will be easy to replace them with pattypan squash. Others will certainly create an original recipe (hollow out a pattypan squash and fill it with a mixture of ground meat, onion and spices to taste, sprinkle with grated cheese and bake - you'll be surprised by the excellent taste. Most importantly, a health-beneficial taste).

During summer months we can use grilling - slice the pattypan squash, brush with olive oil and garlic, and grill in this marinade on an outdoor grill. It's an excellent accompaniment to meat.

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Author: Hana Michalíková