| Cucurbita pepo 'Yellow crookneck' | |
|---|---|
 Crookneck squash along with other types of squash | |
| Species | Cucurbita pepo |
| Cultivar | Yellow crookneck |
| Origin | Eastern North America |
| Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |
|---|---|
| Energy | 19 kcal (79 kJ) |
3.9 g | |
| Dietary fiber | 1.0 g |
0.3 g | |
1.0 g | |
| Vitamins | Quantity %DV† |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 3% 0.04 mg |
| Vitamin C | 21% 19 mg |
| Minerals | Quantity %DV† |
| Potassium | 7% 222 mg |
| Other constituents | Quantity |
| Water | 94 g |
| †Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults,[1] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies.[2] | |
Crookneck squash, also known as yellow squash, is a cultivar of Cucurbita pepo,[3] the species that also includes some pumpkins and most other summer squashes. The plants are bushy[3] and do not spread like the plants of winter squash and pumpkin.[4] Most often used as a summer squash, it is characterized by its yellow skin (which may be smooth or bumpy)[4] and sweet yellow flesh, as well as its distinctive curved stem-end or "crooked neck".[5] It should not be confused with crookneck cultivars of Cucurbita moschata, such as the winter squash 'Golden Cushaw',[6] or the vining summer squash 'Tromboncino'.[3] Its name distinguishes it from another similar-looking variety of C. pepo, the straightneck squash, which is also usually yellow.[7][8][9] There is one similar non-edible C. pepo variety: C. pepo var. ovifera.[10]
Yellow crookneck squash are generally harvested immature, when they are less than two inches in diameter,[4][5] since the skin toughens and the quality degrades as the squash reaches full maturity.[11]
