Even though the acorn squash belongs to the “keeper” family of squashes, we ate them from the time they first matured in late summer until our supply was exhausted in late winter (usually by February they had all been eaten or else gone bad). The family’s favorite way to eat them was baked. Momma would cut the acorn squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and pulp. She then placed a big pat of butter, along with some brown sugar or molasses, in the hollow space left from the seeds and pulp being scooped out of each half. The halves were placed in a baking dish or atop a cookie sheet, open end up, and baked at 350 until the flesh was tender. When served, you could use a fork to mix the melted butter and sweetening with the flesh and then dig right in. The baked squash were sweet enough to have served as dessert, but they always figured as a vegetable in our family menus.
—Jim Casada – Fishing for Chickens
Today’s Thankful November giveaway is a copy of Fishing for Chickens written by Jim Casada. Leave a comment on this post to be entered. *Giveaway ends November 18, 2023.
Last night’s video: A Fall Walk to the Creek & Putting Down Deep Roots.
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squash is my favorite vegetable!
Jim is an excellent writer. Would love to read this.
As much as I love the summer squash I have never tried the acorn squash. I am going to have to give them a try.
I would love to win a copy of Fishing for chickens. I have grown to love Jim Cassida’s writing.
I usually bake acorn squash with a little butter, maple syrup and nutmeg in each half. It’s very tasty.
The way the squash was prepared sounds delicious. One type of squash I encountered in Michigan was blue hubbard. I bought a couple to bring home. I was told people would refer to them as moon rocks because of big and odd shaped they were.
I’d love to win a copy of this book. I remember my dad fixing acorn squash for us way back in the day. Thank you for all of these thankful posts & the give always.
I have baked acorn squash one time, in a similar way others have said by making small cuts in it, baking it, then getting the skin off and the insides out easily. I remember thinking it was really good. These too are on my wish list to grow in my own garden. Thank you for the opportunity to win Mr. Casada’s book.
Never tried acorn squash
I love Acorn squash.
I planted 6 plants this year and the squash bug destroyed them.
Acorn squash is definitely good to eat but my favorite in the squash family is the yellow crook neck squash. I ate a lot of it this past Summer and I was blessed to have enough to put in my freezer too. I like squash any way you cook it!
My favorite squash is yellow and zucchini but I would like to try that molasses squash recipe.
Jim’s writing / book has definitely piqued my interest & the recipe for acorn squash is a welcome addition to my to do list !!! Thank you for sharing!!!
I love acorn squash done that way. Y’all just bless my heart, thanks for sharing your world with me!
Baked acorn squash is one of my favorites. I cut mine in half, like Jim does, but I bake mine with butter and maple syrup. I also cut up my favorite apple, honey crisp, and bake a few apples with butter and maple syrup. When both have been baked I combine them and mash them together. It is so good! Great served with fried or baked pork chops. I would be thrilled to have a copy of Jim’s book. Both you and Jim are wonderful story tellers. Thanks for the joy you bring to your readers!
Jim, your description and the memories we share have my mouth watering. Guess what will be in my next grocery bag?
Have never eaten acorn squash cooked this way. I think it would taste wonderful….plan on cooking some this way.
That molasses recipe for acorn squash sounds like one I’ve got to try.
Would love to win Jim’s book!!!
I’m going to try a different way of baking large squash and pumpkin. I always have a hard time slicing through so instead of halving, I will use a good sized knife to make slits near the stem, stand upright on a baking pan and bake 325* for 90 minutes (for a medium size pumpkin). When cooled, the skin should slide off and seeds and pulp scooped out, leaving only the flesh.
Acorn squash is one of my favorites too. Grew some last year . Those and other winter type squash are always good! Hugs to Granny .
we used butter, salt & pepper, and maple syrup in our squash. unless it was a big Hubbard squash and then my Mom used stuffing inside it.
I stopped planting acorn squash abou 15 years ago….why?? thanks for the memory as they will be in the garden next year…
Easy, peasy to fix nearly all squash. I really like summer squashes but acorn squash is probably one of my very favorite. I prepare it similar to the way the Casada family did. I rarely had molasses growing up. It was something momma didn’t use too often. So I guess that’s why I don’t purchase it too often. Have a blessed day, enjoyed the deep root walk and talk yesterday. Take care and have a good week.
I often eat acorn and butternut as a side dish and sometime main dish for me. I usually stir fry squash, yellow and zuccini with bacon grease and onion. The only difference in my and Jim’s dish is that I put it on a microwave safe plate, 1 TB water and cook for 8 minutes…revert them when they are done and use sometime cinnamon and/or powdered butter as flavoring. God Bless everyone and give Granny my thoughts.
My wife and I eat acorn squash and butternut squash the same was Jim described as a meal – not just as a vegetable with the meal.
That is the best way to cook squash.
Although I have never had acorn squash, the way this was prepared sounds delicious! I definitely will have to try it. Thank you, Jim for sharing and the sweet memory of your mama preparing it. Have a blessed day everyone. Praying for Granny and all of the family and safe travels this week.
I have always had a hard time eating squash. I think it’s a texture thing. I am able to eat butternut squash in a soup or eat pumpkin pie though. I love Tipper’s storybook readings! Thank you sharing the great books with us!
I have always enjoyed Jim’s writing and visualization of the reminiscences about the squash has my appetite aroused. It’s lunch time or dinner time depending on who you are. God bless all you good folk.
My parents didn’t grow winter squash when I was growing up so I didn’t “discover” acorn squash until I was grown. I really like it fixed the way Jim described. I’ve also mashed up the roasted squash and made bread, similar to pumpkin or sweet potato bread. That was good also. I have an acorn squash sitting on my counter. I think I will cook it for supper.
I didn’t have baked squash until I was grown either. My favourite has always been regular straight neck squash. I like them fried or boiled up with some onions and a little bit of cheese on top. I sure do like reading everyone’s memories of growing up.
I would love to read this book. Prayers for all. Take care and God bless ❣️
I have never tried an acorn squash but this sounds yummy. Going too have tongive it a try.
Yum!! I eat a LOT of squash and remember doing so growing up as well since it was a part of our garden growing staple. It is such a versatile vegetable being used as both vegetable and dessert fixings.
What lovely memories the words of Mr. Casada brought back to me. Somehow I could even smell the glorious scent of baking squash, its hollowed center bubbling with butter and molasses, on long ago mornings so cold that we children played in the kitchen instead of outside. Thank you, Tipper.
P.S. How is Granny today?
My sister says of her other half says, “He never met a bean he didn’t like.” I can say that of squash, especially of winter squash. (And potatoes and yeah, beans.)
Like others on here, I like all kinds of squash. My favorite, however, would probably be baked acorn squash with butter and brown sugar.
I don’t remember eating a winter squash of any kind until after I was grown. For some reason, I don’t think my mother liked them. Now, I love them, and my favorite is butternut, though they are all good.
I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Jim a couple times. He is a great storyteller in addition to being a good writer and generally enjoyable human being.
I can still smell grandma making winter squash. When it was done we would grab our plates and head to the front porch
I used to prepare squash like you, but I have branched out more. We enjoy most varieties of squash, but like small ones the most (acorn, delicota, sweet dumpling, etc.). My latest way to prepare is to slice the raw squash on the indentations. Then I arrange the wedges ( usually in a circle) in a round oven-safe pan. Then I drizzle some melted butter and top with maple syrup or agave syrup or maple syrup. Bake at 350 degrees until tender, about 45 minutes. Yum!
Would love the book! I enjoy Jim’ s posts stories!
We had a lot of squash in the garden this year, had regular zucchini and Italian zucchini, climbing zucchini and yellow summer squash, Italian Trombetta squash, we picked squash for 9 weeks plus the Trombetta produced up until the frost killed the vines.
Interesting title, Fishing for Chickens . I would love this book. I’d read it to my Chickens. That is exactly how we fix our squash. I pictured in my mine step by step. O it soooo good. Bless granny and prayers for her.
I’ve never had acorn squash prepared this way, but it sounds delicious! I’ve always just baked it plain or with a little salt&/or butter. Never thought of putting brown sugar on it! I will have to try it sometime.
We didn’t have acorn squash growing up. But we did have homemade sauerkraut that was sprinkled heavily with brown sugar. The sweet and sour taste was one of our favorite dishes. Aint Jean would put the kraut in a baking dish with pork chops or most times, link sausages. She would then put a handful of brown sugar on top and then bake it low and slow in the old wood cook stove oven until the skins on the sausages made a snapping sound when we bit into them.
That is exactly how we ate them and still do, with butter and brown sugar, and sometimes a bit of diced apple mixed in. I love all varieties of squash, but acorn’s my favorite and such a pretty plant!
Oh my gosh! Jim’s writing on acorn squash makes me happy for sure! His description of how his mom made baked acorn squash hit home perfectly because that’s just how I do mine! He’s right, the brown sugar and butter is just like eating sweet candy. It’s an all time favorite!! God’s blessings on you and your family, Tipper!
I like all the winter squash.
I would love a copy of Fishing for Chickens. I enjoy Jim’s stories and recipes.
I love acorn squash!
I enjoy any kind of squash fixed just about any way, but have never baked an acorn squash. Sounds delicious!
As usual Jim’s post makes you interested in trying this. I am a fan of your blog and the videos from each of you. I became a fan of Jim’s when I found a copy of his excellent book on fly fishing in the Smokies. Have the majority of his books. I went to high school with Jim and was on the basketball team with him. So when he describes some of the locals, I can get a mental picture. I actually found your blog thru his. I am handicapped anymore and live in piedmont NC. Jim was kind enough to inscribe a copy of your joint cookbook and take it to one of the book signings and get your signature, for me to give my wife. “Fishing for Chickens” is on my to get list as soon as I get spare cash. I would like to be considered.
I love any squash, fixed any way. I especially love squash soup. I bake the squash and then remove the flesh and add to chicken broth, or vegetable broth and then puree to make the soup. If I want cream of squash soup, I just add a little half and half. Cake of Tipper’s cornbread and I am one happy girl. Thank you Tipper for sharing your cornbread recipe with all of us. Saturday was collard day at my house and we had collards, ribs, cornbread, pickles beets and sweet potatoes. Might fine eating. We set aside one Saturday every fall as collard day. We cook a pickup body load of collards with ham hocks and ribs and eat some fresh for supper and freeze the rest for our whole family. My Grandma always did this until she wasn’t able, then my Momma did it for a few years, but she is not able to now, so I have taken on the collard, turnip and rutabaga cooking for the family. Momma just turned ninety years old and when she heard Saturday was collard day, she wouldn’t eat anything all day waiting for me to bring her hot collards and ribs and cornbread and beets. We ended up with fifteen gallon bags of cooked collards for the family and freezer. Love and prayers to all of you, and Granny, too!
Your collard day sounds yummy! I have never cooked collards before but my sister makes them every year for Thanksgiving!!
If and when you do cook collards be prepared for stinking up your house. Got to have collards, black eye peas and cornbread on New Years Day otherwise you will not have any money throughout the rest of the year. Collards represent folding money and the black eyes are for change. I like sallet/turnip greens a whole lot better than collards but will eat them. There is a professional blues musician that lives close to me. His band is called Mac Arnold and A Plateful of the Blues. He once had a restaurant at Greenville, SC with the main menu item being collards and cornbread. He farms and raises a huge field of collards.
Randy, I kept collecting pans and burners and gas tanks and choppers and an outdoor sink for collard day so most of the “stink” is outside or in the shop where we set up tables and the cooker for all of that. But we bring them inside steaming hot and chop and bag them, so a little “aroma” does come in the house…haha. I put on a stove full of sweet potatoes to sweeten up the aroma and Tipper’s cornbread definitely makes the house smell like a home. I laughed out loud when I read your comment on the “stink”. I loved it!
What a great idea & a wonderful memory!
I never had acorn squash, growing up. After reading this simple recipe I’ll have to give it a try!
Mom didn’t plant any kind of squash in her garden except cushaw. I have asked all the older cousins if they remember how she dried chunks of cushaw, maybe after cooking it, and sweetened it with white sugar. The chunks turned out like the dried fruit we buy in the grocery store, only much better. I planted acorn squash a few years but I usually just buy a few at the farmers market.
I’ve never met a squash that I didn’t like. The simple method that Jim described that his mother used is wonderful eating.
I ate my first acorn squash last winter. We ate yellow squash, zucchini, and calabacita growing up but never acorn.
My Mom baked acorn squash the same way and I had forgotten all about her making them. I’ve never baked them myself but I’m going to give it a try. I think Jim’s Fishing for Chickens would be entertaining and useful recipes. I’ve enjoyed your combined cook book so much. Prayers for your Mom and family and for you for your faith and strength
My mom often baked the squash exactly like this. It was a wonderful treat and it was also considered a vegetable. Loved the brown sugar and butter with it. Brings back great memories at the kitchen table.
I’ve only had acorn squash a few times. I wasn’t sure how it was prepared. Now that I know I will be having it more often. It sounds so good. Praying for all of you.
Interesting title!
Elizabeth
I’ve never had acorn squash but I’m sure it’s similar to spaghetti squash and butternut squash soup which are my favorites.
Not to get away from Jim’s post today, but similar post today is Thanksgiving in 1928 which I thoroughly enjoyed. Why, because it’s about Dorie.
Continued prayers for your mother, Israel and our country.
That sounds delicious. What does “keeper” squash mean? I have not heard that term.
Ashley–“Keeper” squash was the term we used for winter squash (i. e., ones that would keep for a long time such as pumpkins, cushaws, butternuts squash, and acorn squash). That was in contrast to summer squash (crookneck, zucchini, pattypan, etc.) that wouldn’t keep.
Jim
Richard
I love all the winter squash. Cubed and roasted brings out the natural sweetness and is one of our favorite ways to prepare them.
I like butternut squarsh about the same as punkin I reckon and you already know how I like punkin!
Happy memories of having dinne with the family and waiting for the squash to come out of the oven. We loved it made with the butter and lots of brown sugar. Now I’m craving it and will need to make it this week. Yummy.
I did not grow up with acorn squash. I am not sure why exactly. my children grew up with them, but not often as I would only buy when I could get to the farm store. I actually like them a lot and have then often. I may put some in my garden this next season.
I enjoy eating squash all types all different ways such a versatile veggie
I will continue to pray for granny’s recovery and her continued goo spirits
The way Mr. Casada describes anything, it’s like you’re there yourself. I can see the acorn squash, baked halves piping hot and orange with butter melted in sending messages to the eyes and nose that this was to be sweet and tasty fare! As we say in the hills “ y’all come and bring your appetites for country fresh fare and kinship. We’d love to see ya!” I see plenty of people heading back to the basics of life! It’s a welcome return I’ll say!!! God bless Granny and anybody who needs encouraged or uplifted in sickness or troubles encompassed about. In Jesus Holy Name I ask. Amen
I grew up eating squash of many varieties, summer and winter squash. This summer we grew the Candy Roasters you introduced us to. This year we’re having a non-traditional Thanksgiving dinner of chicken and noodles. I am going to work one of those into the menu.
I would love to have a copy of Jim’s “Fishing for Chickens”.
I bake my acorn squash just that way except I put a dash of cinnamon and white sugar instead of the molasses and brown sugar. Jim’s way sounds yummy and I may be trying that soon. I am making pumpkin custard today from a recipe I found online. We grew the pumpkins so I’m sure the custard will taste even better to us 🙂 God bless all here and have a great week!
I never like the acorn squash with the brown sugar, it was way to sweet for me even as a child. I rediscovered it the past couple of years and like it baked on its own- no sugar. I have not been successful growing my own.
Acorn squash is my favorite to bake and eat! My husband eats it because, as he says, it’s good for him, but not his favorite.
We always ate our acorn squash the same way! So delicious!
Growing up, we didn’t eat a lot of winter squash. I am going to try to fix it more for my family this winter. Will look forward to using Jim’s recipe for acorn squash!
Even at 60+, I still miss my mother’s cooking. I didn’t inherit the cooking gene, and she passed away before I (14) had the chance to learn much from her. My sisters and I try to put it together from memories of watching her making supper and baking, but we’re definitely missing something. If she had only had a YouTube channel we could refer to. Haha
“Fishing for Chickens” is an interesting title. I haven’t read any of Jim’s work except for excerpts on this blog and in the cookbook. I love all squash. I had never heard of Cushaw squash until I started following Celebrating Appalachia. My folks didn’t raise the fall squash–only zucchini and yellow crookneck.
Sounds like a wonderful dish.
I have fixed acorn squash and butter squash with a bit of butter and brown sugar just like Jim’s Momma did always this time of year as they are easy to find locally although I have never grown them. It would be wonderful to have a copy of Fishing for Chickens as I love the cookbook he wrote with you.
I’m not an Appalachian mountain native but I have loved mountain living all my life beginning in the Pocono Mts of PA. Now I am pleased and privileged to live in the NC mountains. The mountains sooth my soul. I start my day with a deep breath of mountain air and reading your blog. I love the mountain traditions, wisdom and music that you share.
I also grew up eating acorn squash, and still enjoy eating it today. Instead of the sweet version, my mother prepared it the same except put breakfast sausage in it. Thanks for sharing.
CT yankee with family roots in western CT hill farms and upstate NY/ Canada pig and horse farms. Despite living in Hartford area morphing from rural to suburban in 1950s we ate close to the land with our own gardens and meat from my uncle’s dairy and beef cattle herd. Baked halved acorn squash with maple syrup in the hollow. Yummy! We just had some for supper last night.
I love baked squash and soups. So good!
Hope y’all are doing well! God bless and have a wonderful week!
Sounds yummy!
I have several of Mr Casada’s books, I’ve always enjoyed his articles in outdoor magazines. I don’t have this book “Fishing for Chickens” but would like to add it to my collection of books.
I’ve been wanting to read Fishing for Chickens for some time now and would love to have a copy of Jim’s book! I have the cookbook you both compiled, and I’ve enjoyed it so much!
My paternal grandmother used acorn squash and more often cushaw squash to make cobblers and pies. She used both squash as if they were pumpkins.
That sounds delicious! I love all types of squash.
I love squash but I really like to make a pie out of butternut squash, so yummy.
Blessings to all
Acorn squash is my favorite and thats how I bake it.
I actually had my first acorn squash last week. They were delicious, gonna make them an addition to my menu for certain. Thank you for the post. Have a great day today.
I have never baked an acorn squash but it sounds absolutely delicious! I loved your fall walk last evening. The creek looks so beautiful with all the fallen leaves. Have a safe week traveling and many prayers for your Mama.
I have never ate an acorn squash. When growing up we only planted the “yellow” squash except for a few years when we also planted butternut squash. Mother would make pies out of butternut squash similar to sweet potato pies. Back then I couldn’t tell the difference, it might be different now. I now plant the yellow and zucchini squash.
I have read Jim’ book, we didn’t fish for chickens running loose when I grew up, the chickens we were going to eat were kept in a coop large enough for them to stand up and freely walk around in that was off the ground and had a wire bottom and were fed corn along with fresh water each day. Remember my comment the other day about chickens being “barnyard buzzards”. Tonight has been a night of not much sleeping and much thinking about memories of the past. I hope everyone has a good day.
I had a roommate once who made a pie with butternut and sweet potato. Unfortunately, I didn’t see his process so don’t know the proportions of each, but I honestly could not tell the difference between it and a pumpkin pie that I’d bought a couple days before
Truth is Daddy usually made the sweet potato pies. He was a good cook in his own right. I think he just peeled and boiled the potatoes until soft, added some butter, sugar and vanilla flavoring. At time times he would add a little spice, I think it was nutmeg. I would say he “barefooted” everything-didn’t measure anything. I don’ remember who made the butternut squash pies, probably mother. The one thing I do know for sure is Daddy’s potato pies were shore nuff GOOD!