Seasonal Produce Guide  > Winter Squash

Kabocha Squash

The kabocha is hard, and is shaped like a squatty pumpkin with a deep green striped knobby skin.  The flesh is a bright yellow-orange color on the inside.  The average kabocha weighs between 2-3 pounds but they can weigh as much as 8 pounds.

A cross between a pumpkin and a sweet potato, it has a naturally sweet flavor.  Unlike other vegetables and fruits, after harvest the kabocha should be allowed to fully mature to reach it's peak flavor - about 1 month after it is harvested.   Just keep it on your counter while it ripens, you can safely keep it for up to 3 months!  A fully ripened kabocha will have reddish-yellow flesh and a hard skin with a dry, corky stem.