Fruit or Vegetable?

#Didyouknow

1 healthy zucchini plant can produce up to 50 "fruits" over the season??

There's a reason neighbors have been known to leave boxfuls on doorsteps during the cover of darkness! They just don't know what else to do with the abundance!

We are going to talk all things summer squash this week. Because your bounty is probably taking over your counter about now too. And we don't want you to get into trouble with the neighbors.

We typically think of a squash as a vegetable but really it is a fruit. The seeds are on the inside.

All in all, summer squash are a great source of vitamins, minerals and protein while low in calories. The table shows the percentages for 1 cup of raw summer squash slices. Click on the photo for a more detailed description of the nutritional value of a summer squash.

With your bounty taking up prime real estate on the counter and in the fridge, you might be wondering how to best keep your lovely crook-necks at their peak.

Summer squash should be stored in the front part of a crisper drawer. Do not wash with water to clean squash before short-term storing. If you've just picked your squash, pat off any dew or moisture with a towel before placing in the fridge. The moisture will increase the chances of mold and rot. Just brush off any dirt.

Summer squash can also be dehydrated, frozen or canned. We will dive into these a bit more in upcoming posts.