Pumpkins, squash, butternut and other cucurbits are not all edible.
Pumpkin, pumpkin, butternut, pumpkinpatisson… These cucurbits are good for your health and add color, particularly to our autumn dishes! But be careful: “Some “squash” are toxic and contain cucurbitacins, substances very itchy and bitter which can be responsible quickly after ingestion of digestive pain, nausea, vomiting, sometimes bloody diarrhea, or even severe dehydration requiring a hospitalization“ recalls Anses.
What are edible squashes?
We can eat the pumpkin, pumpkin, butternut, pumpkin, squash. To avoid any poisoning: if you taste a piece of raw squash and the taste is bitter, spit it out and throw away the squash: it is toxic and should not be eaten even when cooked. Conversely, edible squash has a neutral or slightly sweet taste.
Which inedible squashes are poisonous?
The “squashes” toxic contain cucurbitacinswhich are not destroyed during cookingand can make us sick. You should not eat them.
► Ornamental squashes (for decoration) such as colocynths which are sold commercially, sometimes in the fruit and vegetable section for purely decorative use.
A bitter taste should alert you
► Food squash grown in a vegetable garden. They may become unfit for consumption following wild hybridization. “CThis phenomenon occurs when bitter varieties and edible varieties coexist, in the same vegetable garden or in neighboring vegetable gardens, and the seeds are harvested and sown from year to year“, describes ANSES. These squash taste bitter unlike edible squash which have a neutral or slightly sweet taste.
Photos of inedible squash
What are the differences between squashes?
| Type of squash | Appearance | Taste and flesh | Edible or not? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pumpkin |
Round shape Orange color Rough, fibrous peduncle |
Mild, slightly sweet taste and stringy flesh | Edible |
| Pumpkin |
Round, oval or flattened shape depending on the variety Color ranging from orange to dark green Soft and spongy peduncle |
Mild, sweet taste and smoother flesh than pumpkin | Edible |
| Pumpkin |
Pear shape Dark orange, bronze or red color |
Chestnut taste and floury flesh | Edible |
| Pastry |
Serrated and slightly rounded shape Smooth, orange or white skin White or light green color |
Slightly sweet taste of artichoke base and dark yellow, floury flesh | Edible |
| Butternut |
Very elongated pear shape Matte (not shiny) and very fine skin Light orange color |
Sweet chestnut or hazelnut taste and creamy flesh | Edible |
| Non-food squash or gourds |
Spherical or ovoid, egg or pear shape Smooth or warty bark |
Very bitter taste And green, whitish or yellow flesh | Inedible |
What are the symptoms of squash poisoning?
Just a small amount of squash swallowed can cause symptoms that usually appear shortly after ingestion:
- vomiting,
- sometimes bloody diarrhea,
- intestinal cramps,
- dizziness,
- profuse salivation,
- palpitations,
- dehydration…
If one or more disorders appear following consumption of squash, Call your nearest poison control center or seek medical attention immediately. In the event of a medical emergency (heavy digestive bleeding, loss of consciousness, etc.), go directly to the emergency room or call 15 or 112. It is very important to mention to your interlocutor that you have eaten squash, specify the time of the last meal, the time of onset of the first signs as well as precisely describing the symptoms.
- When in doubt, taste a small piece raw : if the taste is bitter, spit it out and throw the squash in the trash because this means it is not edible, even cooked. If the taste is neutral or slightly sweet, the squash is edible.
- Photograph the squash before eating it to allow better identification of the species consumed.
- Store leftover meals (soup, puree, etc.) which could possibly be useful in researching toxic substances in consumed squash.
- Do not eat wild squash that grow “spontaneously” in a garden.
- Do not collect seeds from previous harvests to resow them. Buy new seeds with each new seed to plant them in your vegetable garden.
- Ornamental squash (colocynths) are all toxic and should not be eaten. When you buy it, check the label or ask for advice to sellers at points of sale.
