Is it a yellow zucchini or is it summer squash?

Here in Maine, we refer to straight neck and crook neck summer squash as simply "summer squash" while we call the green fruits zucchini. But what happens when you grow yellow or golden zucchini?

I tried growing golden zucchini for the first time a couple of summers ago and was surprised by the number of visitors who didn't recognize it as zucchini because of its color. I does, after all, still look like zucchini.


If you are wondering how to tell the difference between a straight neck summer squash and zucchini, you might find the article What's the Difference Between Yellow Straight Neck Squash and Yellow Zucchini? interesting. The answer might surprise you.

I'll be honest with you, I wasn't impressed with the golden zucchini. I'm not sure if it was the fact that I couldn't get past the thought that zucchini should be green or if it was the flavor. My golden zucchini was sweeter and a bit softer than the traditional green zucchini I typically grow. Because my favorite way to eat zucchini is sauteed with yellow summer squash and smothered in pasta sauce, it just didn't look right either. 


Perhaps if I had grown both yellow and green zucchini I would have judged it differently. I bought the yellow zucchini seeds late in the year after my first seeds failed to germinate. (I'm still not sure if the squirrels and chipmunks had a tasty snack or if I planted them before the soil was warm enough for zucchini seeds to germinate.) At any rate, I choose the yellow zucchini simply because there were no green zucchini seeds available in my area and I didn't want to wait to order seeds.


If you grow yellow or golden zucchini, I'd love to hear how you think it compares to the green.


                                                        Until Next Time . . . HAPPY GARDENING!

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