Why did my roasted butternut squash taste like playdough?
I peeled it, cubed it, tossed it with olive oil & salt & pepper and roasted it at 400 degrees. I decided not to say anything in case it was just me, but the kids also thought it tasted "funny". When I mentioned playdough, it was unanimous. Was it old or something? What would make squash taste like that?
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How curious. I'll be interested to hear if anyone else has experienced this. Being too old shouldn't be a problem because squash have been bred for long storage, and usually just get sweeter and tastier over time (within reason, but we're smack in the middle of their prime season). Although, if the squash wasn't as sweet as you expected, it might have been not fully mature when harvested, which could lead to developing off flavors in storage. Was there anything different looking about the rind, the flesh, or the seeds?
Btw, squash is edible raw, and I often sample a bit of my squashes before cooking to get an idea of what a particular squash is going to be like. Or even toss a piece in the microwave to give me an idea of what it'll be like when cooked. I grow a wide variety of heirloom squashes, and there is quite a lot of variability in flavors. So another possibility is that your squash is the result of an accidental cross. Not all hybrids are tasty!
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