Has anyone seen any spaghetti squash?

I haven't seen them for years. It's just butternut, butternut, or butternut.

I thought it was the same thing ?

Hi, don't know if you can grow them, but in South Africa, we have a few companies selling Heritage seeds, and I've seen seed advertised there.
Maybe look on the Internet, im certain you will find them in the UK, but couldn't plant them now, to cold in the UK

seen butternut squash . how is the spaghetti one different ?

Sharon wrote:seen butternut squash . how is the spaghetti one different ?

Butternut is more like a pumpkin, Spaghetti squash is more like a Gem Squash, and the flesh is stringy very much like spaghetti, see below.
The ones I have grown are more yellow and the longer you leave them on the plant the "Drier" they become


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaghetti_squash

Yup. You can eat it like spaghetti. Lovely with a knob of butter and some bolognaise.

I saw a recipe where someone had cooked it in two rösti patties and sandwiched a burger in the middle. :0)

Hi all

I also saw a great spaghetti squash recipe on Lisa's Diabetic Alien Blog.

http://diabeticalien.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/spaghetti-squash-in-queensland.html

Doing a bit of research spaghetti squash sounds brilliant for low carbers but is not easy to get hold of ....which probably means when it is available it will be expensive. There is a good article in the guardian about it - link here:

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/nov/06/spaghetti-squash-substitute-pasta-ingredient

If anyone can source a supply please let us know ....perhaps for those with a garden it may be worth getting some Heritage Seeds and growing them - at the right time of year of course.

All the best Jan

Used to grow them a few years ago in Scotland. May try to get seeds next year! Recall they were easy to grow, like marrows.
http://www.mr-fothergills.co.uk/Vegetable-Seeds/Squash-Summer-Vegetable-Spaghetti.html

thank you for all information. wish they were easy to get hold of . sound good food.

Hi Sharon,
Don't know if you get Gem Squash in the UK, but sometimes if you buy the Older ones that have turned slightly yellow, they can be a little stringy, give you some idea of what they taste like.
Like most Squashes they don't really have a strong taste quite bland actually

If anyone is interested I have just seen this article on Dr Steve Parker's Diabetic Mediterranean Diet Blog. It's all about Spaghetti Squash

http://diabeticmediterraneandiet.com/2014/10/23/spaghetti-squash-recipes/


I really must look hard to see if I can buy some locally, and give it a try.

All the best Jan

I suppose pasta is pretty bland on its own too, which is why it is usually accompanied by a sauce. Bland is good. Gives you options of things to add to it. :0)

I emailed Morrisons and asked if they could stock spaghetti squash. I had a call from head office no less, today. The very nice man said it was a good idea (he's not a lover of butternut either), and promised to have a chat with the buying section.

I was going to email Asda too, but couldn't figure out how....they are not easy or straightforward to get to. I rang but they were having a 'high volume of calls' so I gave up.

I reckon we all ought to start a spaghetti squash campaign..... :0D

AliB wrote:I suppose pasta is pretty bland on its own too, which is why it is usually accompanied by a sauce.  Bland is good.  Gives you options of things to add to it. :0)

I emailed Morrisons and asked if they could stock spaghetti squash.  I had a call from head office no less, today.  The very nice man said it was a good idea (he's not a lover of butternut either), and promised to have a chat with the buying section.

I was going to email Asda too, but couldn't figure out how....they are not easy or straightforward to get to.  I rang but they were having a 'high volume of calls' so I gave up.

Morrison's are usually excellent at stocking the 'slightly different' vegetable. We don't have one too near to us but it could be worth a drive out or at least a phone call to see if they do stock it.

Great stuff Ali

All the best Jan

Whilst our local Morrisons is fairly basic, there is a huge one at Baglan which has the most amazing array of vegetables I've ever seen in a supermarket. They even sell samphire! But even that one doesn't stock spaghetti squash.

Has anyone tried Waitrose for spaghetti squash? They usually have unusual veg.

Avocado Sevenfold wrote:Has anyone tried Waitrose for spaghetti squash? They usually have unusual veg.

Yes, agree Waitrose are also good for 'unusual' vegetables. I think I have seen Gem Squash which Randburg mentioned earlier, has anyone tried that?

It's a bit like a Sherlock Holmes Story "The Search For the Elusive Spaghetti Squash"  

All the best Jan

Hi,
really thought that they were quite well known, but I see we are listed as one of the places they are often used.(South Africa).
I guess we have some unique things, He He
Often served just with butter, or filled with Sweetcorn, and topped with Cheese
Hope you know what sweetcorn is ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gem_squash

thank you again for all the information. do wish they were easy to get hold of . have decided to use aubergine and courgette. different to squash but good .

AliB wrote:I haven't seen them for years.  It's just butternut, butternut, or butternut.

I had to laugh, my sister phoned me earlier today, "I've been given a butternut squash" she said - have you any recipe ideas?

Had to double check was it a butternut one or a spaghetti one ....because if it had been a spaghetti one, I would have had to ask to try it out

Turned out it was a butternut squash .....I'm sure she and family will enjoy it.  

Honestly ...life can be funny or coincidental at times ... from not hearing about squashes to so much talk about them.

All the best Jan

Can't stand butternut. They taste nice, but the skin is like concrete. Trying to saw through it is hard work, and peeling it is a nightmare if you want it in with roast veg. Give me a Yam any day over butternut.

Lidl has had a selection of squashes recently, but there is nothing to say what they are. Custard? Gem? Haven't a clue. If you don't know what they are, how do you know what to do with them? They could at least give some info.

AliB wrote:Can't stand butternut.  They taste nice, but the skin is like concrete.  Trying to saw through it is hard work, and peeling it is a nightmare if you want it in with roast veg.  Give me a Yam any day over butternut.

Lidl has had a selection of squashes recently, but there is nothing to say what they are.  Custard? Gem?  Haven't a clue.  If you don't know what they are, how do you know what to do with them?  They could at least give some info.

I never peel butternut squash. The skin goes soft and edible when you roast it, plus I'm lazy Sadly, I found it a bit too spikey for my bg when I tried it a while back.

It is. It's like pumpkin, so very 'spikey'. That's why I prefer Yam, and spaghetti squash..... :0)

AliB wrote:Can't stand butternut.  They taste nice, but the skin is like concrete.  Trying to saw through it is hard work, and peeling it is a nightmare if you want it in with roast veg.  Give me a Yam any day over butternut.

Lidl has had a selection of squashes recently, but there is nothing to say what they are.  Custard? Gem?  Haven't a clue.  If you don't know what they are, how do you know what to do with them?  They could at least give some info.

It is annoying when foods do not have a full description. Being a 'squash' novice...... I have tried to do a bit of squash spotting. I have seen a yellow squash quite large, (guess that is butternut?) one that is more green with beige patches, (is that a gem?) and one that looks more like a tiny orangey pumpkin. They were all just labelled squash.

Of course the other thing is keeping an eye on blood sugar numbers.

I've still to hear from my sister how she cooked her butternut one.

Oh well I think the hunt continues ... perhaps 'Two Collies' (I'm sure I've read he grew some) or other kind forum member can undertake to grow some for us ?

All the best Jan

While walking through a local plant nursery, I came across a packet of Spaghetti Squash, Love to put in a copy of the Packet photo, but I cant seem to load a scanned picture, im not that computer literate.
Anyhow they got planted on Wed this week in pots ( I'm in South Africa so right time), and expect them up in the next few days.
So ill keep a running report of the progress, with photos, ( My son will help I hope ), and let you know how things turn out