Acorn Squash

part of: Squash

Acorn squash is a compact winter squash shaped like a large acorn, typically dark green with a distinctive ridged exterior. Its flesh is golden-orange, mildly sweet, and has a smooth, slightly fibrous texture when cooked. The flavour is gentler than butternut squash — less sugary, with subtle nutty undertones.

It’s a versatile vegetable in the kitchen. The most popular preparation is simply halving it, scooping out the seeds, and roasting until tender. The natural bowl shape makes it perfect for stuffing with grains, mince, or cheese. It also works well in soups, curries, and gratins.

Acorn squash is available in Australia through autumn and winter, often found at farmers’ markets and greengrocers alongside other winter squash varieties like butternut and Kent pumpkin.

Farmed
photograph to come — from twenty years of markets, farms and kitchens

How it's made

Acorn squash is grown as a warm-season crop, planted in spring and harvested in late summer to autumn. The fruits are left on the vine until the skin hardens and the stem begins to dry. After harvesting, they’re cured in a warm, dry spot for a week or two to toughen the skin further, which extends their storage life to several months.

Nutrition (per 100g)

Energy 44kcal
Protein 1.2g
Carbs 7.9g
Fat 0.2g
Fibre 2.6g Sugar 0g
Mass Distribution

1 RACC is about 85 g — roughly 40 kcal of this.

What it costs the planet (per kilo)

Carbon ≈1.4kg
Freshwater ≈230L
Land ≈3.8m²

≈ Estimated from its category — typical for cereals & grains, not measured for this item yet. Where this comes from →

Where it comes from

In the kitchen

Used as

roasted stuffed vegetable

Classic dishes
  • Stuffed acorn squash
  • Roasted acorn squash
  • Squash soup

Keeping one at home? Track yours in your cubud →

Where this data comes from

Nutrition data from

USDA

How it was calculated

Analytical (Atwater Imputation)

Full credits, licences, and methods: the sources page →

Where to next

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