Sweet Meat Oregon Homestead Squash
Estimated Inventory, lb : 0
Description/Taste
Sweet Meat Oregon Homestead squash is large, averaging 4.5 to 11 kilograms in weight, and has an oblate, flattened shape with a broad center and curved edges. The variety showcases a muted, matte, dusty, blue-green, and gray coloring, and the rind is hard, firm, and semi-smooth. The surface is covered in faint ridges extending the length of the squash and is topped with a dried, fibrous stem. It is important to note that Sweet Meat Oregon Homestead squash is often cured for several days to months to allow the rind to harden for extended storage capabilities. This is why the stems will be dried and brittle. Underneath the surface, the flesh is thick, dense, and dark orange. The variety is known for having a small cavity in the center of the flesh, encasing flat, ivory to cream-colored, teardrop-shaped seeds. The flesh is drier than other types and has a fine texture once cooked, developing a tender, smooth consistency. Sweet Meat Oregon Homestead squash is edible when cooked and has a sweet and nutty flavor. The variety’s flavor improves in storage and becomes sweeter over time.
Seasons/Availability
Sweet Meat Oregon Homestead squash is harvested in the early fall through winter. Once picked, the variety can be stored for several months, typically through May.
Current Facts
Sweet Meat Oregon Homestead squash, botanically classified as Cucurbita maxima, is an improved strain of an heirloom variety belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family. The large winter squashes grow on spreading, vining plants extending 1.8 to 3.6 meters in length, and each plant can produce several squashes, typically around 3 to 4 each season. Sweet Meat Oregon Homestead squash is a strain of the open-pollinated heirloom Sweet Meat squash. The reselected variety was created by well-known breeder Dr. Carol Deppe in Oregon and was improved to have a larger size, better flavor, extended storage capabilities, and the ability to be grown in cooler weather. Sweet Meat Oregon Homestead squash is also called Oregon Homestead and Oregon Homestead Sweet Meat squash. The variety matures for harvest approximately 95 to 115 days after sowing and is left to cure indoors for at least one month before culinary use. Sweet Meat Oregon Homestead squash and the original Sweet Meat squash are revered throughout the Pacific Northwest of the United States as a regional delicacy. The squashes are known for their long storage capabilities and have a versatile flavor for a wide array of sweet and savory culinary preparations.
Nutritional Value
Sweet Meat Oregon Homestead squash has not been studied for its nutritional properties. Winter squashes, in general, are a source of fiber to regulate the digestive tract and vitamins A, B, C, E, and K. These vitamins maintain healthy organ functions, contribute to energy production, strengthen the immune system, guard the cells against free radical damage, and aid in faster wound healing. Winter squashes also provide minerals in varying amounts, including manganese, copper, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, and phosphorus. These minerals help the body build red blood cells, balance fluid levels, control nerve functions, support bone and teeth health, and produce proteins for oxygen transport through the bloodstream.
Applications
Sweet Meat Oregon Homestead squash has a nutty, sweet taste suited for cooked preparations. The variety can be used in recipes calling for winter squashes with dense, dry flesh. Sweet Meat Oregon Homestead squash can be steamed, roasted, and baked. The flesh is popularly used in soups, stews, and curries, and is also cooked as a simple side to fall and winter-inspired main dishes. Sweet Meat Oregon Homestead has a rich flavor that enhances quiche and can be mixed into salads, grains, stuffing, and various bowls. It is traditional for the variety to be used as an ingredient in Thanksgiving meals in Oregon. Beyond savory preparations, Sweet Meat Oregon Homestead is famous for its use in pumpkin pie. The variety’s dried flesh creates a creamier, less watery puree with a nutty, sweet taste. The flesh is also incorporated into other baked goods and desserts, like cheesecake, muffins, bread, and tarts. While less common, a few sources note that it can be made into a fruit leather. Sweet Meat Oregon Homestead squash pairs well with flavorings like maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, and honey, spices including cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves, and nuts such as hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts, and pecans. Whole, unopened Sweet Meat Oregon Homestead squash can be stored for several months in a cool, dry, and dark location. In ideal conditions, it can last for 6 to 7 months. The variety can also be frozen in smaller cubes for extended use.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Sweet Meat Oregon Homestead squash was one of several winter squashes selectively bred and improved by breeder Dr. Carol Deppe. The Oregon-based breeder offers these seeds through her company, Fertile Valley Seeds, and is passionate about producing open-source organic crops. Dr. Deppe has a PhD in Biology and Genetics from Harvard University and has spent her career teaching at institutes and conducting plant breeding research to create more resilient crops. Over twenty varieties of squash, beans, flour corn, and flint corn, including Sweet Meat Oregon Homestead, have been made by Dr. Deppe and pledged to the Open Source Seed Initiative, a non-profit organization that promotes the sharing of seeds to increase diversity and the cultivation of unique varieties. Beyond her breeding work, Dr. Deppe has published several books about plant breeding, including The Resilient Gardener: Food Production and Self-Reliance in Uncertain Times in 2010. This book mentions Sweet Meat Oregon Homestead squash and was influential in encouraging home gardeners and farms to grow the variety.
Geography/History
The original Sweet Meat squash was bred and commercially released by the Gill Brothers Seed Company in Portland, Oregon. The company was once the primary source of seeds for Pacific Northwest gardeners and carried regionally specific types throughout the 20th century. Sweet Meat squash was released in 1947 and was a favorite seasonal winter squash for ornamental and culinary purposes. The history and parentage of the variety are unknown, but some sources speculate it may be a Hubbard-type. Later in the 1960s, the Gill Brothers Seed Company was bought by the Joseph Harris Company based in New York, which later merged with Moran Seed of Salinas Valley, California, in the early 1980s. The Gill Brothers Seed Company Portland offices were closed shortly after this merger, and many regional varieties were discontinued. Around the same time, Sandy Frazier, a seedsman for Harris Moran, offered the original Gill Brothers Sweet Meat seed stock to Tom and Julie Johns of Territorial Seed in Oregon. Territorial Seed spent several years cultivating the heirloom variety and continues to offer the original strain through seed catalogs in the present day. Sweet Meat was also reselected by breeder Dr. Carol Deppe in Corvallis, Oregon. Dr. Deppe bred the new strain for several years, selecting specific traits and growth characteristics. Her reselected strain is called Sweet Meat Oregon Homestead squash, and was pledged to the Open Source Seed Initiative in January 2015. Today, the original Sweet Meat squash and the Sweet Meat Oregon Homestead strain are primarily sold through online seed catalogs in the United States. It is said the variety was introduced to Russia in the 1960s and is occasionally grown as a specialty cultivar worldwide. When in season, Sweet Meat Oregon Homestead squashes are found directly through growers, farmers’ markets, and select wholesalers.
