Cucurbita moschata.

The most emblematic winter squash of North America, and one of the great successes of the variety selection program at the University of Massachusetts in the mid-20th century. The "butternut" shape as we know it today — elongated neck, bulbous base, uniform beige skin — was developed in 1944 by Charles Leggett, an amateur grower from Massachusetts who crossed a Canada Crookneck with a Hubbard in his garden. His variety caught the attention of Robert E. Young, a researcher at the Waltham Experimental Station (Massachusetts), who spent more than a decade stabilizing and improving it. The result: the Waltham Butternut won the All-America Selections award in 1970 and has since become the world standard for butternut squash. Botanically, it belongs to Cucurbita moschata, a species domesticated in southern Mexico 5,000 to 6,000 years ago (distinct from the Cucurbita maxima of Buttercup Burgess and the Cucurbita pepo of the Jack O' Lantern pumpkin).

Classic elongated pear-shaped fruits, 25 to 30 cm long, 1 to 2 kg, with smooth pale beige skin and a particularly dense, dry, sweet deep-orange flesh. Round, mild, lightly nutty flavour — the most versatile winter squash in the kitchen, and probably the one that suits the greatest number of preparations. Roasted in cubes in the oven with olive oil, garlic and sage, blended into a velouté with ginger and coconut milk, puréed for Italian gnocchi or ravioli (Mantuan tortelli di zucca, paired with crumbled amaretto and parmesan), in a fall risotto, in an American-style sweet pie filling (butternut squash pie, a superior equivalent of classic pumpkin pie), or simply grilled in caramelized half-rounds. Its elongated solid-necked, seed-free shape makes preparation easy — the majority of the flesh is concentrated in the neck, and the seeds are confined to the small bulbous cavity at the base.

Excellent keeper: stored in a cool dry place (10-15 °C), it keeps 4 to 6 months without any trouble, often into March or April in the root cellar.

Grower's tip: Huge Québec advantage of the Cucurbita moschata species: it resists the squash vine borer (Melittia cucurbitae) — that devastating pest that regularly decimates other squashes in our gardens. Indoor start 3 to 4 weeks before transplanting (no more — squash seedlings hate being confined too long in pots), or direct-sow in early June once the soil is well warmed to 18 °C. Vigorously running plant that demands space — 1.5 to 2 m between plants, and plan for at least 3 to 4 metres of run per plant. Harvest when the stem is dry and the skin resists fingernail pressure (generally late September in Québec, before the first hard frost). Above all, cure the harvested fruits one to two weeks at room temperature before storage — this post-harvest curing develops sugars and flavour, and hardens the skin for better keeping.

• Open-pollinated. Monoecious (separate male and female flowers on the same plant), bee-pollinated; crosses with other Cucurbita moschata, but NOT with Cucurbita maxima or Cucurbita pepo.
• Vine length: 3 to 4 m.
• Maturity: 100 to 110 days after transplant.
• Exposure: full sun, warmth.
• Very rich, well-drained, warm soil. Generous compost or composted manure application at planting. Space plants 1.5 to 2 m apart.
• Indoor start 3 to 4 weeks before transplanting, or direct-sow in early June once the soil is at 18 °C. Harvest before the first hard frost, then cure 1 to 2 weeks before storage.