We grew tatume squash for the first time this year. It is described as EITHER a summer squash (when eaten while green on the outside) OR a winter squash (when allowed to ripen to the yellow/orange/golden color). We didn't care for it cooked with our summer squash recipes, but the ones we let ripen like butternut or pumpkins we loved. My favorite cooking method was to cut in half, scoop seeds and stringy stuff out, bake in the oven till soft, then scoop from shell and mash with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and bake.

I know summer squash is not canned and the reasons why. I know that winter squash can be canned following the pumpkin instructions. I wasn't sure if the Tatume squash would hold the cubed shape in canning, so I tried one batch to see. I followed the instructions for pumpkin EXACTLY as listed in So Easy To Preserve. After pressure canning, the 1" cubes in the jars retained their shape just fine, although I could tell they were soft.

I opened the first jar last night as a test. If we didn't like it, wouldn't be any point in doing any more. I drained the jar, then prepared it as usual, mashing the cubes and adding my butter, brown sugar & spices then baking. The only difference between cooking it fresh and canned was the canned version was a bit more watery, but I think that could be corrected by baking the dish a little longer.

So now that I know I like the results, I want feedback on the canning. First of all, I know the squash will keep quite well without canning or freezing, but storage space for that type of thing is limited. I know I can prepare them for the freezer, but that space is even more limited. I have a LOT of pantry space (100 year old farmhouses were designed with big pantries!) that is available. The canning process for this squash was uncomplicated and fairly easy (peeling was the only difficult part).

So...now that you know that Tatume is considered BOTH a summer and winter squash, is it considered a squash safe to can since it DOES hold the cubed shape in the jars? I also did NOT pack tightly.

Thanks for the feedback.

Jill