Beef-stuffed gem squash (Gevulde lemoenpampoentjies)

A quintessential South African fruit is definitely a gem squash. Eaten as a vegetable, this summer squash is served in a variety of ways.

What is gem squash and where does it originate from?

Gem squash is a round little squash with yellow flesh and a green shell. It is about the size of a large orange. The Afrikaans name for a gem squash is a ‘lemoenpampoentjie’ (pronounced luh-moon-pahm-poon-key) which literally translates to ‘little orange pumpkin’. Orange as in the fruit, not the colour.

Gem squash most likely originated in Mexico, however, it is a widely grown in South Africa with its warm climate. I remember when I was younger, whenever we were driving down the road, there will always be someone next to the road selling these in 10kg bags. My parents will stop and my dad will check how fresh it is by scratching the stem of one of the little squashes. If it gives way, it is fresh, but if the stem is woody and dry then the inside will be fibrous and not tender.

Now that I live in the UK, gem squash is much harder to come by. It is not found in supermarkets, but you can occasionally find it in a Lidl or mostly just from expats that grows it in their gardens/allotments and sells it online.

How to cook gem squash

The first thing to do is to cut the gem in half. If they are a little on the older side, this is easier to do if you rock the fruit backwards and forwards under the knife rather than to try and rock the knife through the fruit. Once the fruits have been cut in half, submerge them in salted water and gently boil until the fruit is soft. Don’t pierce the skin with a knife or skewer to check; rather push the skewer into the flesh on the side. The skin can be very tough and will not be an indication of doneness.

Can you freeze gem squash

I grew up eating these at least twice a week. Since my dad worked in agriculture, we always had an abundance of gem squash. This meant that when my dad went to visit farmers, he could buy the produce directly from them in bulk. We ended up with crates of fresh vegetables that my mum prepared for the freezer. She would blanch the fruit in salt water before packaging it in bags and freezing it. When we wanted to eat it, she would cook it completely from frozen. The squash held their shape and taste without it being compromised in any way.

How to make stuffed gem squash

Step 1:

Halve the gems and cook until soft in salty water.

Step 2:

Scoop out the pips. You can eat them if they are still very soft, but otherwise they need to be discarded.

Step 3:

Scoop out the flesh of the gems and place it in a sieve to let the water drain. Retain the skins.

Step 4:

Whilst the gem squash flesh is draining, slice some onions and potatoes and cook it down with beef mince. Season to your liking. Once the mince is cooked, scoop it into the squash skins until it is about half way full.

Step 5:

Mix the squash flesh with one tin of creamed sweetcorn. Season to taste. Scoop this filling on top of the meat.

Step 6:

Sprinkle over some cheese and bake in the oven until the cheese is melted and the dish is warmed through.

Different ways to eat gem squash

There are so many different ways to eat gem squash. We only filled it on a Sunday or when we had guests. On a normal night (usually on a Wednesday) we would simply have this with a spoon of sugar and a sprinkle of cinnamon. One of my favourite ways to eat it was to spoon in the meat juices before swirling it in the shell.

When the gems were very young the entire fruit cooks very soft, including the immature pips. I loved eating the whole half, pips and skins and all.

Let me know in the comments how you like to eat your gem squash.

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