Crookneck squash

Crookneck squash, also known as yellow squash, is a cultivar of Cucurbita pepo,[1] the species that also includes some pumpkins and most other summer squashes. The plants are bushy[1] and do not spread like the plants of winter squash and pumpkin.[2] Most often used as a summer squash, it is characterized by its yellow skin (which may be smooth or bumpy)[2] and sweet yellow flesh, as well as its distinctive curved stem-end or "crooked neck".[3] It should not be confused with crookneck cultivars of Cucurbita moschata, such as the winter squash 'Golden Cushaw',[4] or the vining summer squash 'Tromboncino'.[1] Its name distinguishes it from another similar-looking variety of C. pepo, the straightneck squash, which is also usually yellow.[5][6][7] There is one similar non-edible C. pepo variety: C. pepo var. ovifera.[8]

Cucurbita pepo
'Yellow crookneck'
Crookneck squash along with other types of squash
SpeciesCucurbita pepo
CultivarYellow crookneck
OriginEastern North America
Crookneck squash
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy19 kcal (79 kJ)
3.9 g
Dietary fiber1.0 g
0.3 g
1.0 g
VitaminsQuantity %DV†
Riboflavin (B2)
3%
0.04 mg
Vitamin C
23%
19 mg
MineralsQuantity %DV†
Potassium
5%
222 mg
Other constituentsQuantity
Water94 g
†Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults.
Source: USDA FoodData Central

Yellow crookneck squash are generally harvested immature, when they are less than two inches in diameter,[2][3] since the skin toughens and the quality degrades as the squash reaches full maturity.[9]

References
  1. "Zucchetta". Mount Vernon Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Center: Vegetable Research and Extension. Washington State University. Retrieved 10 May 2013.
  2. "Summer Squash". Watch Your Garden Grow. University of Illinois Extension. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
  3. "Summer Squash" (PDF). University of the District of Columbia Cooperative Extension Service. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
  4. Phillips, R.; Rix, M. (1993). Vegetables. New York: Random House.
  5. Saade, R. Lira; Hernández, S. Montes. "Cucurbits". Purdue Horticulture. Retrieved September 2, 2013.
  6. "Cucurbita pepo". Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved September 2, 2013.
  7. Heistinger, Andrea (2013). The Manual of Seed Saving: Harvesting, Storing, and Sowing Techniques for Vegetables, Herbs, and Fruits. Portland, OR: Timber Press. p. 278. ISBN 978-1-60469-382-9.
  8. Decker, Deena S.; Wilson, Hugh D. (1987). "Allozyme Variation in the Cucurbita pepo Complex: C. pepo var. ovifera vs. C. texana". Systematic Botany. American Society of Plant Taxonomists. 12 (2): 263–273. doi:10.2307/2419320. JSTOR 2419320.
  9. "Summer and Winter Squash". Utah State University Cooperative Extension. Archived from the original on 10 June 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
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