Squash and pumpkins: buy by the kilo, cook simply

Jack-o’-lantern pumpkins are often fibrous and pricey for flesh. For soups and mash, butternut or winter squash win on taste and yield.

If you carve, keep the flesh for stock or freeze it—or you’re paying for edible décor you’ll trash.

A “$3” giant squash can cost more per usable flesh than a small one at $4/kg. Weigh it or read the label.

On SimpleICI, compare seasonal specials across banners; the same squash type varies a lot.

Peeling and seeding takes 15–20 minutes. If you don’t have the slot, frozen cubes or plain canned can win—cost per cup of mash.

Batch-cut on Sunday: one hour for three soup or gratin meals.

Whole, cool and dry: often weeks. Once cut: fridge 3–4 days or freeze.

Flat freezer portions of mash = winter soups without panic.

Soup (onion + stock + squash), roast with oil/salt, mash as a side. No rare spices needed.

Roasted seeds: free snack if you hollow a squash—rinse, salt, 15 minutes in the oven.