This wiseGEEK writer finds it difficult not to wax poetic over the delicious winter squash known as the hubbard squash. Beneath the hard green, or dark or light blue tough shell, the bursting orange flesh of this squash offers a sweet treat. Whether called a hubbard squash, a green pumpkin, a buttercup or a variety of other names, this winter squash stores well, for up to six months, and can be used in a variety of recipes.

The hubbard squash is said to have a mysterious origin, possibly named after a Mrs. Elizabeth Hubbard in the 1840s, who gave seeds of it to friends, thus increasing its popularity. It is not known exactly where the hubbard was first grown, but most winter squash varieties are known to be New World foods. This particular variety is often tear-shaped, and like the pumpkin can grow quite large. Some reach 50 pounds (22.68 kg) in weight. You won’t find many of this size in grocery stores, and actually many are eschewing the hubbard squash and choosing some of the more recent “designer” squashes like the delicata, which offer one to two servings at most.

On the other hand, if you’ve got a big winter squash dish planned, look no further than the hubbard. It is consistently sweet, and can be substituted for virtually any other winter squash. Just in case you think you’ve never had it, you might want to think again if you’ve ever eaten pumpkin pie made of canned pumpkin. Very frequently hubbard squashes are used in place of pumpkin because of their relative cheapness and similar flavor. They’re a great choice if you want to make your own pie because the flesh tends to be consistently denser than the flesh of almost all but the sugar pumpkins.

A relatively recent addition to hubbard squash varieties is the golden hubbard. Unfortunately, manipulating nature here has not produced the best results. While the golden hubbard squash is pretty, some note it has a bitter aftertaste. Many suggest sticking with the old classic dark green or blue hubbard for best cooking results.

In addition to “pumpkin” pie, winter squash can be pureed to make a creamy soup or an ideal baby food. The cooked hubbard is very sweet and scarcely needs embellishment. On the other hand, some like to produce a mashed squash or winter squash casserole topped with candied nuts. You can top slices of hubbard with a bit of brown sugar and a sprinkling of nutmeg or pumpkin pie spices. If you’re striving for creative, consider making hubbard squash raviolis, served with a cream sauce.

Cooking the hubbard squash is simple, and there’s basically two ways to accomplish this. You can simply halve the squash, scoop out the seeds (great for baked seeds) and cook it flesh side down in an oven. Alternately, you can peel the squash, cube and steam it. Peeling winter squash can take some work; so baking is usually the easier method.

However you prepare them, hubbards are very nutritious. The squash has virtually no fat and is extremely low in sodium. A cup of this sweet treat cubed (without extra sugar) holds about 120 calories and gives you plenty of Vitamin A and Vitamin C. If you’re looking for a great diet food, the hubbard may just be ideal since it needs very little embellishment, and with a nice amount of dietary fiber, proves very filling.