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As the summer continues on, we will start to see an abundance of squash at the farmers market. But before you run out and buy all the zucchini, let me tell you about all the best summer squashes at the farmers market. You might be surprised by all the different varieties you’ll find.
What’s the difference between Summer Squash and Winter Squash?
Besides the obvious fact that summer squash are in season sooner than winter squash, these squashes are characterized by thinner skins and more tender, moist flesh. Summer squash can be eaten raw, whereas winter squashes are typically served cooked.
Winter squashes have a longer growing season and can be stored a lot longer than summer squash. For more info on winter squash, see my guide here.
Types of Summer Squash You’ll See At the Farmers Market
Chayote Squash
Chayote squash might not be super common at large grocery stores, they have long been cultivated in Mexico. They have a lumpy pear shape, and are on the crunchier side of summer squashes. Think of the flavor of a zucchini, but with a texture closer to a cucumber.
Chayote is often added to soups, pickled, or eaten raw.
Pattypan Squash
Pattypan squashes are perhaps the cutest of the squash varieties. Their small, funky shape distinguishes them from all the other varieties. Flavor-wise, they’re pretty indistinguishable from zucchini, but they are perhaps a bit more mild. The best way to use these squashes are to play up their small size; they don’t need much prep work.
Always check your pattypan squash to ensure they firm all the way around. I have found that pattypan squash can pretty effectively hide signs that they’re past their prime, so now I definitely check every single one.
Squash Blossoms
Okay, okay, I know. This isn’t the squash itself, but it’s from the same plant! Squash blossoms have a really delicate squash flavor and are a special part of the summer farmers market.
Did you know that not all squash blossoms will develop a fruit? There are male and female squash blossoms, and only the female blossoms will grow a fruit. It’s the male squash blossoms that are harvested and sold at farmers markets as they can be plucked without disrupting the overall squash production.
Squash blossoms can be stuffed, roasted, or added to salads raw.
Yellow Squash
Crookneck Squash
Yellow crookneck squashes get their name from their hooked necks. Outside of that shape, they have a buttery flavor that develops well when cooked slowly for a long time to concentrate their flavor.
Look for smaller, younger crookneck squashes as their skin will be more tender.
Straightneck Squash
Yellow straightneck squash are basically the same as their crookneck cousins, except their necks don’t have a hooked shape. They’re less delicate than crooknecks when being transported, so if your farmers are traveling long distances, you are more likely to see straightneck varieties than crookneck varieties at the farmers market. They can be used interchangeably with each other and have the same flavor.
The best way to distinguish yellow straightneck squash from yellow zucchini is the pear-like shape of the yellow squash. Yellow zucchini does not narrow at the neck, and has a smoother skin than yellow squash.
Zephyr Squash
These crazy colored squashes are a hybrid of several different summer squashes: yellow crookneck, Delicata, and acorn squash. They’re pretty easily identified by their two-toned appearance.
When picking out zephyr squash, pick out ones on the smaller side, no longer than 6 inches long. Two of zephyr squash’s three ancestors are winter squashes, which develop tough skins as they grow. Stick with smaller, younger squashes for the best eating experience. If you have to peel this squash, it loses its specialness.
Zucchini
Did you know the largest zucchini ever grown was over 8 feet long? While that’s cool, I doubt it would have made an excellent eating squash after reaching such gigantic proportions. In general, smaller summer squashes are better than the humongous ones; extremely large zucchini are spongy and generally not pleasant to eat.
Black Beauty Zucchini
This heirloom zucchini variety is characterized by its deep green skin and creamy flesh. This zucchini plant is known for being highly productive, so you are pretty likely to see this variety at the farmers market.
I recommend Black Beauty zucchinis as the best all-rounder summer squash. It works well raw and cooked, roasted, fried, or even spiralized into noodles. If you don’t know what zucchini to use, go with this one.
Italian Heirloom Zucchini
I’m using this as a catch-all for a few different squashes. Italian heirloom varieties are generally characterized by a striped, ribbed appearance and are denser than other zucchinis. I find them to have a more pronounced flavor than standard green zucchini, and it has a little nuttiness to it.
Because these heirloom zucchinis are denser and less watery than other zucchinis, they stand up well to roasting and frying without becoming mushy.
Round Zucchini
Just like their name indicates, round zucchinis are, well, round. Their distinguishing feature is their shape. Flavor-wise and texture-wise, I find them to be indistinguishable from green zucchini. The main reason to select this zucchini over all the others is the smaller size and spherical shape.
This is the best type to use in stuffed zucchini recipes. Once the seeded centers are scooped out, round zucchini have a perfect ratio between zucchini and the filling.
Yellow Zucchini
Zucchinis come in all sorts of different colors. Some people say that yellow zucchini is sweeter than green zucchini, but I’m not necessarily convinced of that being true. Yellow zucchini can be used interchangeably with green zucchini.
Don’t confuse these zucchinis for yellow squash. Despite their similar appearance, yellow zucchini and yellow squash are different squashes and should be used differently. Yellow zucchini have a thinner skin and and are less watery than yellow squash.
Best Recipes for Summer Squash from the Farmers Market
Italian Zucchini Salad This is the salad I make for big family gatherings. Its hearty, and the zucchini only develops more flavor as it sits. And it fits everyone’s dietary concerns, from Paleo and Whole30 to vegan.
Chayotes en Escabeche Escabeche is a traditional technique used with chayote squash in Mexico. Roughly, this translates to pickling, but it’s much more mild than what we Americans would typically think of as a pickle. This recipe is written in Spanish, but Google Translate does a decent job if you need the recipe in English.
Pattypan Squash Panzanella This recipe from Love and Lemons uses the small pattypan shape to great effect in this no-cook summer salad. Small pattypan squashes make the prep work extremely fast, so you won’t have to work hard for a tasty summer salad.
Beef Stuffed Zucchini Round zucchinis make a perfect vessel for stuffing and roasting. This recipe from Cindy’s Table is Paleo and Whole30 compliant.
Simple Roasted Zucchini Use an Italian heirloom zucchini in this recipe. The denser flesh does better with higher temperature cooking without going soggy.
Stuffed Squash Blossoms These flowers are delicate, but basically beg to be stuffed. This recipe from She Paused 4 Thought is home cook friendly, as it doesn’t involve deep frying.
Super Soft Zucchini with Harissa and Lemon This Ottolenghi recipe is perfect for yellow squashes, as it embraces the high water content of summer squash.
