December’s Harvest of the Month is Butternut Squash

We all crave the delicious goodies the holiday season brings like Christmas cookies and candy canes, but did you know there’s another sweet dish that can also be good for you? Butternut squash just might be the sweetest superfood in season.

It tastes like sweet potato and pumpkin and contains super-awesome vitamins and nutrients. When you cut into it, its bright orange color will be ready to cheer up your plate.

Here are a few recipes to try out:

• Roasted Sweet Squash
• Butternut Squash Soup
• Creamy Spaghetti Squash with Ricotta and Spinach 

Never picked out a butternut squash at the grocery store? Look for squash that’s uniformly tan, feels heavy for its size and can’t be poked through with a fingernail.

Butternut squash can stay fresh for up to six months if stored in a dark, dry place around 50-55ºF. It should last for two or three months if kept on the counter. Once you cut into the squash, you can store it in a sealed container for up to seven days in the refrigerator or up to a year in the freezer.

However, be careful when cutting into the squash and wear gloves to protect your skin from the sap, which can cause irritation. The squash will be easier to cut if you first make a few large cuts through the skin and then microwave it for four minutes. Some grocery stores sell pre-cut fresh or frozen butternut squash.

If you purchase a whole squash, you’ll want to save the seeds; they can be roasted like pumpkin seeds for a healthy, crunchy snack!