Spiced Cushaw Squash Pie | Chickens in the Road

Oct
1

Cushaw, also known as kershaw, is an heirloom winter squash. It comes in a number of different varieties, but the green-striped is the most common. Now is the time to find it at your local farmers market. Next year, I want to grow my own! Though we did get these for free. They had a few flaws and were sent away to the island of misfit produce (aka my kitchen). Lucky me, I get pies! Each of these cushaws made enough puree for two pies.

Cushaws keep really well once harvested (store them in a cool, dark place and they’ll keep for a year) and they can be used in all the same ways you might use pumpkin in baking. They’re a bit sweeter, and once you make a cushaw pie, you might never want to use pumpkin again!

To prepare cushaw for baking in recipes, cut it apart. Remove seeds and strings.

Place pieces face-down on a greased baking sheet and bake at 350-degrees for an hour and a half (or until tender when pierced with a fork). Cool then scoop cushaw out of skin. Puree with a masher or food processor to the consistency of mashed potatoes. Use cup for cup in recipes as you would canned solid-pack pumpkin. Refrigerate up to a week before using or store in the freezer for several months.

Don’t toss those seeds out! Rinse and dry seeds then toss in a small amount of olive oil (amount depending on how much seeds you have) then place on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with salt and roast at 375-degrees until lightly golden. It makes a great snack and it comes as a free bonus with your squash!

In coming up with a pie recipe for my very special squash bounty, I looked at several pumpkin pie recipes as a starting point then made some changes including the addition of more spices to warm it up and take advantage of the extraordinary flavor you get with a cushaw.

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How to make Cushaw Squash Pie:

2 cups prepared cushaw squash puree
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
12 ounces evaporated milk
pastry for single-crust pie

Combine cushaw squash puree, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt, nutmeg, and cloves in a medium-size mixing bowl. Add eggs and vanilla then beat lightly with a whisk. Stir in evaporated milk. Mix well. Pour into a pastry-lined pie plate. Bake on the lowest oven rack at 375-degrees for 50-60 minutes (until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean). Chill before serving.

This is a rich, delicious pie, full of flavor. And while it’s baking? It’ll make your house smell like autumn. Enjoy!

*You can replace the cushaw squash in this recipe with pumpkin or any other winter squash.

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26 Responses
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10-1
2:01
am

The pie looks delicious!

What I can’t get over is that in the US you say “sqash” to some pumpkins and “pumpkins” to other pumpkins. Why’s that? In Europe they are just pumpkins – pumpkins of different breeds of course – but they are pumpkins.

Dett - Reply
10-1
5:41
am

Wow, I would have never known what to do with those squash. Now I want to find some and try your pie recipe. Like pumpkin pie but sweeter? I’m there! My husband loves pumpkin pie so I’ve already made two since it got cooler!

Tovah - Reply
10-1
6:05
am

Aww your squash look like they’re cuddling.

Lisa T. - Reply
10-1
6:14
am

I might just have to make this this weekend!! Yummy!!

mary - Reply
10-1
6:29
am

I hope you didn’t eat all those seeds! Cushaw are crazy-easy to grow.

Anita - Reply
10-1
8:12
am

I’m in total agreement with Anita….save some seed for planting.

jan 'n' tn - Reply
10-1
8:20
am

I havent had cushaw in years, but a neighbor gave us three hubbard squash this week and i am going to make pies with then..and your pie looks wonderful.

Jane Cline - Reply
10-1
8:37
am

oh that pie is beautiful. I never ever use canned pumpkin to make a pie but instead buy organically grown pie pumpkins this time of year; now I may even use cushaw if I find some at the market!

Miss Becky - Reply
10-1
12:33
pm

was wondering about storing some of the seeds for planting next year

Joanna Wilcox - Reply
- 10-1
  12:49
  pm
  
  To save seeds, air dry them and put them in an envelope then store them in a cool, dark place.
  
  Suzanne - Reply
10-1
1:50
pm

Well, I’ll be darned. Never even heard of them before. What do you want to bet I’ll see them everywhere now?

Christine - Reply
10-1
4:33
pm

Hey busy lady! Just wanted you to know how much I love your blog and newsletter. About the newsletter, for some reason, I received it FOUR times the other day. Don’t know what’s up with that, but thought I should let you know. (I hope it wasn’t my fault somehow.)

Yvonne - Reply
- 10-1
  5:14
  pm
  
  Ack, I’m sorry, I have no idea what happened! Didn’t you want to read it four times? (Just kidding!)
  
  Suzanne - Reply
  - 10-5
    6:41
    pm
    
    This is a late reply…..went on a mini vacation to Holly River State Park, but yes, I actually have read it at LEAST four times!
    
    Yvonne - Reply
10-1
5:11
pm

I love homemade pumpkin pie and someone gave me a kershaw squash today thanks to this site I know what to do with it. Got it in the oven now. Smells WONDERFUL!

Lilian Kress - Reply
10-1
7:07
pm

This weekend I made my own butter, and thought Suzanne would be so proud of me. It was so easy and yummy I am wondering why I have been buying butter. Granted I had and electric mixer still. This weekend will be home made butter on Grandmother bread.

Senta Sandberg - Reply
10-1
10:48
pm

When you toast the seeds, try sprinkling them with garlic salt instead of plain salt. Adds terrific flavor. All the best!

Lana - Reply
10-2
1:10
am

I was trying to explain Cushaws to my “yankee” husband LOL So I’m so glad to see this post! I’m going to have to get one at the farmer’s market and make this pie now. Well, I’ll get a couple to decorate out front too. I’m excited to make your pie crust. I got apples this week. I’m gonna try that deep dish apple pie too. Oh my house will smell so “autumny”!

Patty - Reply
10-2
6:05
am

I love cushaw pumpkins. I developed a fall spiced and fruited cake/bar that people everyone loves. It is a delicious pie, too! What a lovely fall treat to bake.

Angie - Reply
10-8
11:25
am

Just found your website. Was looking for a kershaw squash recipe. One question—-can you boil the squash and use it the same way?

zona brewczynski - Reply
- 10-8
  11:36
  am
  
  I wouldn’t boil it. You can boil other squash and pumpkin, but it doesn’t work as well with cushaw squash. I don’t recommend it.
  
  Suzanne - Reply
10-16
1:04
pm

I am new to your site. I was told that I could microwave the curshaw instead of bake in oven. Have you ever tried that? Would you recommend it? (It was a farmer that told me to do it that way… microwave it covered with syran wrap for 35 min.)

Shannon - Reply
- 10-16
  1:11
  pm
  
  I know that you can microwave pumpkin. I haven’t ever microwaved cushaw. If a farmer told you that and they’ve done it with good results, I’d believe it! But–I’m not so sure about the 35 minutes. The time depends on the size of your pieces, so I’d start a lot lower, maybe 15 minutes, then check it, and microwave it in maybe 5 minute increments after that.
  
  Suzanne - Reply
10-16
1:40
pm

Great… I’ll let you know how it works out. One more question. I bought my Cushaws initially for decoration (looked great on my front porch). I was told to wait till the first soft spot came up… then to make the pie. My problem is… when I went to check a couple days later (today) there were several soft spots. If I cut out those spots will it still be ok to use do you think?

Shannon - Reply
- 10-16
  2:06
  pm
  
  Absolutely! I cut bad parts out of mine. It’s a big squash. It’s still good!
  
  Suzanne - Reply
10-17
3:12
pm

When you clean out the squash save the strings and seeds for the chickens. They LOVE it!

Cindy - Reply