bakie (also bake) noun A baking squash.
1976 Garber Mountain-ese 5 We raised ten bushels uv bakies in our garden this year. 1991 Thomas Sthn Appal 44 They got to raisin’ these old “bakes,” now, an’ you can keep those all year. Some calls ‘um bakies. 1997 Montgomery Coll = the acorn squash, which will preserve much longer than other squashes (Andrews).
—Dictionary of Southern Appalachian English
I’m not familiar with the bakie word usage, but it sure makes sense when talking about winter squash that are often baked.
We’ve not had any luck growing acorn squash, but we do pretty good at raising butternuts. And like the dictionary entry description, they are a great squash to grow for long term keeping. In fact I have a couple sitting in my kitchen from last summer.
The insides do get a little drier when stored for a long time, but they are still good to bake or eat otherwise. I love being able to sit them around my kitchen and use as needed. It’s sort of like putting up food without all the work.
Last night’s video: The Tradition of Growing Flowers in Appalachia.
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Many years ago, my mother-in-law introduced me to baked squash. She was so happy to finally have someone to share it with, since no one in the family liked it. I haven’t had it like she made it for a long time. Nowadays I saute or roast it or make soup.
I make Italian zucchini soup in summer & butternut squash soup with warm spices when it’s cold outside.
I love all varieties of squash but I guess my favorite is “butternut”. Never heard of them called bakies.
Good morning all. I never heard the term bakies either, or candy roasters. I am looking forward to spaghetti squash! God bless
Mom served a good variety of vegetables as we grew up but was surprised when she introduced me to Acorn Squash much later in life. So good baked (never heard term ‘bakies’) with sat & pepper or brown sugar …& butter, of course! Butternut squash as good or better.
I like the term, but have never heard it. I absolutely miss growing those winter squash, and I had to quit growing them because of the room it takes. My shrunken garden has furnished so many tomatoes and tom-e-toes for my family that I am just very grateful. However, I think it might be a waste to cook up my Logan Giants for maybe only one pot of green beans. Seeds are becoming so expensive, I will save seed from my heirloom tomatoes and from the climbing Logan Giant beans. Much of my planting and canning days are behind me, but I am uplifted by the canning you and your sweet daughters share on here and YouTube. It is a cycle, and I will continue to do all I can to live much as the Appalachians did over the years.
Squash is good! Any kind!! Growing up I didn’t like squash or sweet potatoes, or most any kind of vegetable except for corn. But now I enjoy eating almost all kinds. I have really been looking forward to autumn lately, and your mentioning winter squash puts me even more in the mood for fall to be here! (The smell of burning leaves would make a wonderful smell for a scented candle, in my opinion!!) Stews, soups, pies, casseroles, mashed, cubed, — oh, squash is so good! I have never heard them called “bakies”, either. I enjoyed this post!
Donna. : )
Earlier this summer I poster my story of the transplanted thoughts to the cantaloupe that turned out to move a butternut squash. Never grew them before. We have picked 5 and have 5 more waiting and there is at least one more bloom. We have eaten one and I think they will be an nice addition to the table about Thanksgiving and Christmas.
I do, however, need more garden space and a tiller. If I had those, I’d be ready for candy roasters.
down here in florida they collapse like old pumpkins, but it takes awhile.
I ADORE acorn or butternut squash roasted upside down then finished with butter and salt – it’s like dessert. I imagine that little pumpkins will taste the same but never tried. I have tried candy roasters but they never get a chance to grow – deer always find them and eat them. I was able to grow one huge cushaw for the first time which seems like a milder version of butternut. BUT way bigger – my one squash 11.6 pounds provided 8 frozen side dishes for winter. I personally prefer squash over other veg but hammerhead spinach in the winter is sure close. I grow that in a greenstalk outside my back door and pick leaves to munch while walking around my morning garden.
I’m not familiar with the word “bakies” but I certainly do know what Acorn Squash look like and that wonderful taste as my Mother kept them in what we called the storage room in the winter. The picture you show is the Acorn Squash and the Butternut Squash I don’t think Mother grew but the Acorn Squash baked filled with brown sugar and butter is a delicious treat in the winter months!!
In the tour of your flower beds I sure noticed a lot of flowers I grew for years until it just got to be more work than I could handle. Now I grow in patio pots and enjoy them too and we call the over night pop up flower a Surprise Flower too. The ones I have seen are a light pink.
Mmmmm acorn and butternut squash two of my favorites. So many ways to cook them too. I love yhem in stews
“Bakies” is a wonderful and fun term for little acorn squash! Native Americans have made breads for centuries using squash and pumpkin. Many say it’s delicious. I ate a sweet bread in jungles of South America using molasses and it was wonderful!!! I got some sorta “3 sister” seed packets with corn, beans and acorn squash to “accompany” each other. I must say I got some little squash and they’re cute! I also grew little cute pumpkins and they got “nibbles” on one or two but the rest are pretty and tiny. It gets me to thinking how GREAT GOD IS TO MAKE TINY AND BIG EQUALLY AS PERFECT AND SPECTACULAR!!! AWESOME GOD HE IS!!! I got mine setting around and I think it really adds to my decor!!! Lol
Have you ever grown Candyroasters? https://www.ncfolk.org/2016/candyroasters/
JC-we love candyroasters 🙂 Although mine didn’t do very well this year.
Is there a particular variety of candyroaster you plant? I’m going to try the Cherokee variety next year. Most folks around here plant North Georgia Candyroasters.
JC-my seeds came from a family over in Georgia so they may be the North Georgia ones 🙂 I hope you like them as much as we do!
Just wanted to drop by and tell you how much I enjoy Celebrating Appalachia and The Blind Pig and The Acorn. I also LOVE Appalachia and live in the Boone area. I was not born here but got here as quick as I could -(really only 5 years ago.. from Raleigh.) What a magical, incredible experience to grow up in Appalachia! Thank you for sharing.
Love the recipes, the history and just dropping in daily to see what you and the Deerhunter and Chitter and Chatter are up to.
I’ve never heard them called bakies but I do know they are good eating!
We just harvested the first of our sugar pie pumpkins and butternuts. Just waiting on cushaws. Hard to believe it’s already that time of year!
Just as one of my Spagetti squash last night for dinner…might have been small, but tasty. Sometime with Italian dressing and sometime with pasta sauce, either way, something about eating food that came from YOUR garden. I watched your touring your flowers and only a few did I not know…the Fairy plant and Joe Pye Weed being called by another name. I do admire that you know all the names. Looking forward to the Friday ‘reading’. God Bless
I found an easy delicious recipe last year for spaghetti squash. Bake it as usual, scrape it into “spaghetti” & serve it with sage fried in browned butter & sprinkled with parmesan cheese.