Succulent in the Summer, but Fun and Tasty for Winter, too!

Late Summer 2018

Avocado Squash is a summer squash from Korea that looks just like an avocado! But interestingly enough, it also has a creamy texture reminiscent of avocados, too. I first heard mention of Avocado Squash in Elizabeth Schneider's book, Vegetables from Amaranth to Zucchini. She had found the squash in an Asian market, but didn't know much about it. Online searches turned up chefs raving about how luscious, dense, and buttery it is. But there is relatively little information about folks growing it. Avocado squash has yet to make it into mainstream seed companies and farmer's markets. But I predict that it will become more popular, as it is a fantastic summer squash that is ridiculously easy to grow.

Early Bulam is the traditional Korean name for this squash. The seed is easily obtained from several Asian companies, such as Kitazawa and Evergreen. However, be forewarned that the seed I received from Kitazawa was treated, and arrived with a shocking pink coating. There is also a similar looking variety of avocado squash called Teot Bat Put that I haven't tried yet.

The Early Bulam avocado squash is a bit slower to begin fruiting than other summer squash varieties. But once the plant gets going, it produces abundantly all summer long until killed by a frost. This squash grows like the fabled beanstalk. The direct planted seedlings survive any early onslaught of cucumber beetles better than other varieties. Then they are indefatigable! We grow the avocado squash on a 10 foot high a-frame trellis. The plants grow vigorously up and over the top, fully down the other side, and then spread out over the ground, too! Any plants attempting to grow on the other side of the trellis, are overtaken and obliterated.

The Avocado Squash is an F1 hybrid in the Cucurbita moschata family. (Butternut is the most well known squash in the C. moschata family.) Squash in the moschata family are resistant to squash vine borers, and also hold up better to other pest and disease infestations. There are very few summer squashes in the moschata family. Plants in the C. mochata family are typically grown for their winter squash. (Most summer squash varieties are from the Cucurbita pepo family, which also includes pumpkins, and Acorn and Delicata squashes.) Tromboncino is another vigorous variety of squash in the C. moschata family that we grew one year. I thought that the Tromboncino tasted delicious as a summer squash, but was disappointed with its flavor as a winter squash. But what it lacked in flavor, it more than made up for in wild ornamentation. Imagine large gourds growing into twisting trombone shapes, and you'll have a sense of why it's so fun to grow. I wasn't enamored enough with it, to plant it each year, but perhaps I'll revisit it again. The idea of crossing an Avocado Squash with a Tromboncino sets my imagination spinning.

Last year we allowed a few of the avocado squashes to grow to maturity, so that we could save their seeds. One squash matured into a large misshapen pumpkin that did not resemble an avocado. While another squash produced a smaller orange "pumpkin". I ate both of them in late winter. They were unexpectedly delicious! The amount of edible flesh is relatively thin when compared to other pumpkins. And the squash is not especially sweet, which I prefer.

What we call summer squash is typically an immature squash that happens to be tasty at an earlier stage of development. If left on the vine long enough, summer squash will enlarge and then harden into its mature "winter" squash form. Most squash have been bred to taste good at one stage of growth or the other. However, I am always on the lookout for squash that taste delicious at both stages, or even in between. I recommend tasting squash at different stages of development in order to make these discoveries. Some common varieties of winter squash actually taste delightful when immature. I especially relish these immature fruits at the end of the growing season. I rescue them from plants destined for the compost heap.

This year I planted some of the seed saved from our misshapen avocado "pumpkin". The plants produced squash with reasonable variation to the original. For example, one plant produced round squash, instead of the avocado shape. Others produced squash that were a paler green in color. This summer the three avocado squash that we left to mature on the ground, also grew enormous, but they retained more of their avocado shape. Eventually, I hope to stabilize an open pollinated variety of the Avocado Squash.

I'd love to compare notes with anyone who saves seed from their Avocado Squash. I also would love to hear about other types of Korean summer squashes, and how they compare with the upwardly-mobile avocado.

This winter, for a small donation, I plan to give away some unstabilized avocado squash seed. Check back later for details on this offer.