Winter Squash

I've been writing a lot recently about winter squash because that's what is coming in to the farmers' market. I always buy organic squash, even for decorative purposes. The picture at right is my Thanksgiving centerpiece. After the holiday we will eat the squash over the next few weeks.

I just learned a disturbing thing, however.

It turns out that American farmers are growing (non-organic) winter squash as a remedial crop in contaminated soils. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are effectively pulled out of the soil by winter squash plants. These are contaminating chemicals, and farmers are consciously planting the winter squash to pull them out of the soil so their soil becomes healthier. This is to be lauded. But I'm not sure I want to be eating squash with PAHs in it.

Do these chemicals get into the winter squash we eat? Into the butternut squash soup we buy at the store? That hasn't been studied. But I can't imagine the leaves and roots and stems of the plant absorb the PAHs and not the fruits.

The only way to know for sure you do not have PAHs in your squash is to buy organic squash, and products made with organic squash.

For me the only difficulty this presents is deciding which of the beautiful organic heirloom squash to buy.