Noted: Straight butternut is working for anyone who consumes it, too: The deep orange flesh is packed with beta carotene, vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, manganese, calcium and fiber. Dr. Molly Jahn, the dean of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the founder of the plant breeding department at Cornell University, helped to develop a better butternut that is resistant to pesky powdery mildew; the plant holds its foliage longer and generates sugar right up to the first killing frost. â??Most of us like our squash sweet, and disease resistance allows it to really sweeten up,â? said Dr. Jahn, who has taste-tested more than her share of squash. â??We also selected for maximum color intensity, for the genetic potential to produce more beta carotene.â? Which means the more orange, the better.
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