Squash and squash belong to the pumpkin family. But these vegetables are not at all the same thing as many people think. What are their main differences, we will tell in our material.

Features and Description

Each of these cultures has its own characteristics. If you compare them, it immediately becomes clear that the vegetables are very different.

Did you know? Zucchini is not only green, but also yellow, black, as well as striped and with specks.

Patissonov

Squash refers to herbaceous annual plants with a highly developed fibrous rhizome. The stems of the plant are in the form of lashes or erect. Their surface is covered with small spikes or hairs.

The leaves are large, five- or triangular, planted on long thick petioles. The surface of the sheet plates is covered with a hard pile, painted in green. At the edges of the leaves are slightly dissected. In size, they are smaller than that of pumpkins and zucchini.Flowering occurs in mid-July. Dioecious flowers - male and female, bell-shaped. Consist of 5-6 petals. Painted in bright yellow or orange.

Ripening lasts 10-20 days longer than that of zucchini. Squash reaches technical maturity on the 60-70th day from the moment of emergence of shoots. It takes 120 days to get physically mature specimens for seed propagation.

100 g of raw fruits contain 18.748 kcal.

Overripe fruits have a porous structure, the flesh becomes stiff and unsuitable for eating. Patisson is an allergenic product that is prohibited for use by pregnant and lactating women, as well as children under 10 years old. In addition, squash can not be used for diseases of the intestinal tract, diabetes.

Important! Squash, which has been on the bush for more than 2 weeks, accumulate toxins, so their use can cause serious poisoning.

Zucchini

Zucchini also refers to herbaceous annual plants with a fibrous rhizome. There are bush, semi-bush and long-braided forms.

The stalk is covered with stiff hairs. The leaf plates are large, five-lobed, with pointed edges, covered with a rough fluff, painted in dark green, sometimes with white blotches, planted on long large petioles.Dioecious flowers of bright yellow color consist of 5 petals. They are located separately, mainly on the main stem, sometimes on the lateral stems of the first order.

Fruits reach technical maturity on the 40-50th day after emergence, and physical on the 100th day.

100 g of raw zucchini contains 24 kcal.

The most useful fruits are those that have reached a length of 15–25 cm. They can be used to prepare caviar even in overripe form. The scope of use of zucchini is much larger than squash. In addition, overripe fruits can be stored for more than 3 months. Unlike squash, squash practically have no contraindications for use, with the exception of stages of exacerbation of gastrointestinal diseases.

What is the difference between zucchini and squash

In the comparison table, you can consider in more detail the main differences between squash and zucchini:

Growing conditions

Plant cultivation conditions are no different. The only caveat - they need to be placed away from each other so that there is no pollination.

Crops are demanding in sunlight, so it is best to place them in an open area. The soil should have a loose structure. Plants develop well on organic fertilized soils.Landing should be prepared in the fall:

1. Clean the area of ​​plant debris.
2. Treat with 1% solution of copper sulfate.
3. After a week, dig the soil 30 cm deep.
4. Add 10 kg of manure and sand for every 1 m².
5. Dig the soil to a depth of 20 cm.

In the spring, a month before sowing, similar manipulations are performed. Sowing is carried out in late May or early June. Seeds are buried in 2 pieces. to a depth of 3 cm. The distance between the pairs of seeds is 70 cm. After hatching the seeds after a week, one powerful sprout is left in each well.

Important! In the northern regions, when cultivating zucchini and squash, you need to pinch the plants, leaving only one lash.

Watering is carried out as the top layer of soil dries to a depth of 3-5 cm. For every 1 m², 20-30 liters of liquid are consumed. Watering is carried out in a ditch dug at a distance of 30 cm from the main stem. In parallel with watering, organic fertilizing is carried out (10 l of manure solution per 1 m²). After each watering, you need to carry out loosening of the soil.

Taste differences

Zucchini has a bright taste, high juice content. Its flesh has a delicate structure. Patisson is similar in taste to artichoke and asparagus, and in marinated form - with pickled mushrooms. The pulp is more dense structure.

Appearance

The squash fruit has the shape of a plate or star. Color varies from white to bright yellow, depending on variety. The surface of the fetus has a smooth or warty structure. The mass of the fetus is 100–800 g.The fruits of zucchini have an oblong shape. Color ranges from white to light green. The surface of the fetus is smooth. The weight of zucchini, having reached technical maturity, is 700–900 g, physical - 1.5–2 kg.

Did you know? In the Mediterranean, one of the most popular dishes is squash flowers, fried in batter.

Storage and Cooking Tips

Young zucchini can be added to salads, cook caviar from them or canned. Pickled zucchini to taste resemble cucumbers in a marinade and close according to the same principle. Overripe fruits from a length of 45 cm can be stored the whole winter, if you approach the preparation process correctly:

1. Take fruits with a thick skin.
2. When removing from the bushes, leave 5 cm of the stalk.
3. Gently peel the dirt off.
4. Leave the fruit in the sun for the whole day.

To preserve the valuable qualities of products in the room, a temperature of +4 ... + 10 ° С and humidity of at least 80% must be maintained. In such conditions, zucchini can be stored for up to 5 months. Throughout the winter, they can be used for making caviar, pies or stuffing. It is permissible to store young copies in the refrigerator for no more than 3 weeks. When frozen, the zucchini has a shelf life of 12 months.

The squash collected at the stage of technical maturity can be stored at home for about a week at a temperature of no higher than + 10 ° C. Fruits that have reached a diameter of 3-5 cm should be rolled up in jars, and 7-10 cm should be used fried in combination with potatoes.Save squash for the winter can be dried. To do this, the fruits need to be cut into thin slices, add salt and spices to taste, and then spread out in the sun. Drying can also be carried out in an oven at a temperature of + 50 ° C with an open door. As such, the shelf life of squash can be up to 5 months. Small fruits can be frozen. As such, the shelf life is extended to 12 months.

Zucchini and squash belong to the same family, but are completely different cultures. Each of them is unique and valuable in its own way, which allows you to use them as ingredients in homemade blanks.