Why You May Want To Avoid Eating Leftover Squash

Squash recipes can be a delicious way to get your vitamins A and C, your fiber, and a whole laundry list of nutrients according to WebMD. Fry it, roast it, bake it, add it to a pasta dish, or puree it into a soup, squash has many uses. There is a large variety to choose from, be it a winter squash like butternut, which Food and Health described as having an inedible skin, or a freshly picked summer zucchini, which can be eaten whole.

But if you make too much of the vegetable, according to Southern Living, you may want to forgo saving it for a future meal. That may be tough, given the soaring prices of food and inflation buttressing our grocery bills to the highest they've been in 40 years (via CNBC). However, it is the untasty reality of some of the dishes we might make with this ingredient. Southern Living spoke to Chef Robbie Nicolaisen of The Hound in Auburn, Alabama who recognized the virtues of the squash but also explained that some varieties of squash are not so delicious upon reheating.

While Still Tasty notes that cooked summer squash can keep for 3 to 5 days when stored properly, it may not be optimal when it comes to sinking your teeth into it. Per Fine Cooking, the squash is going to soften as it rests after cooking, meaning that the crunchy texture your mouth looks forward to experiencing isn't going to be quite the same the longer it sits. Ultimately, it is just the nature of this food. Chef Nicolaisen explained to Southern Living that zucchini and other members of the squash family can become a little less appetizing once they've been cooked and stored in the fridge. Nicolaisen said, "Due to their high water content, they typically become really watery and soggy when leftover."

But that doesn't mean you cannot reheat your squash dishes. It just means you may want to set your taste buds' expectations if you do decide to enjoy your squash as a leftover. Well Plated by Erin notes that if you are going to reheat a meal containing squash, you want to do so over low heat either in the oven or on the stovetop in a skillet to achieve the best possible result.