Eight Ball Squash Delivery or Pickup

Cute, round, and full of flavor, eight ball squash is a hybrid zucchini with a round body and sweet, tender flesh. These round zucchini have smooth, glossy skin in a deep green color with occasional speckles or striations. When you cut open an eight ball squash, you'll notice firm white flesh with negligible seeds. The flavor is similar to long green Italian zucchini with a sweet, nutty profile. These little summer squash orbs range in size from 1 to 4 inches in diameter.

Eight ball squash are in the Cucurbitaceae family and are part of the Cucurbita Pepo species. Other summer squashes in this category include soft squashes such as crookneck, sunburst, pattypan, cousa, and zephyr squash. You can use eight ball squash as you would any other zucchini or summer squash. However, because the eight ball squash has a round shape, they're ideal for stuffing. Simply take the top off the squash, scoop out the flesh and tiny seeds, add your favorite stuffing, and bake.

Because the eight ball squash is a hybrid zucchini, its ancestors originated in southern Mexico and Central America. European explorers discovered the sweet-tasting squash and brought the seeds back home. The Italians, who eat this vegetable on a regular basis, further cultivated the squash to develop modern zucchini.

In the late 20th century, cultivator Larry Holler cross-bred cylindrical-shaped zucchini with various round squash varieties and finally settled on the eight ball squash. Eight ball squash was officially introduced to the commercial market in 1999 and today, you can find eight ball squash at farmers markets and specialty grocery stores.

The younger the eight ball squash, the more tender they'll be. Look for squash no bigger than four inches around with dark green shiny skin. The larger the eight ball squash, the tougher the flesh becomes.

When you squeeze the eight ball squash, it should give just a bit under pressure. If it doesn't give and feels hard, the squash is overripe and won't have the tender flesh you're looking for. There should be a bit of soft stem still attached to the squash, and if you can, pick an eight ball squash that still has a flower on it that shows how fresh the squash is. Avoid eight ball squash that have wrinkled skin, dents, soft spots, or mold.

When you bring your eight ball squash home, don't wash them until you're ready to use them. Store them in plastic bags or airtight containers in the crisper drawer in the refrigerator. They'll keep up to seven days before you need to eat them. Once you cut an eight ball squash open, store the unused portions in a plastic bag and use them within three days.

While it's nice to keep eight ball squash whole for stuffing, if you need to keep the squash for future use, you can cut them into cubes, blanch them for a few minutes, and place them in freezer bags. The squash will keep up to six months in the freezer.

When you want fresh eight ball squash to stuff, saute, or add to soups, enjoy the convenience of having them delivered to you when you order the squash through Instacart. Simply place your order for eight ball squash using the Instacart app, and a shopper will pick out a perfectly sized, fresh eight ball squash and bring it to you!