About Marrows

• The vegetable marrow, Cucurbita pepo var. ovifera, is cultivated extensively in England, and can grow to be up to 1 metre (3 foot) in length.
• The name vegetable marrow is often shortened to just marrow.
• Marrow is always served cooked. 
• It is closely related to the courgette and can be cooked in any manner suitable for that vegetable. 
• A member of the squash family, the marrow is a distinctive looking, large vegetable.
• While related to many varieties of the squash family the marrow is grown to a much larger size than those would normally be grown, while still retaining an acceptable taste.

Know your Marrow - Common names

• Called marrow squash in the US.
• The vegetable marrow is closely related to courgette, zucchini, and squash, and overgrown specimens of these are often mistaken for it. 

Know your Marrow - Botany

• The vegetable marrow plant is a half hardy annual, vigorous trailing plant.
• The marrow is shaped like a slightly curved cylinder, a bit smaller at the top than the bottom. 
• Its edible shiny skin can be any shade of green, sometimes with yellow markings that give it a striped or mottled look, and its flesh is tender with a subtle flavour. 

Know your Marrow - Cuisine

• When buying marrow choose the smallest one that you can. 
• Over-sized marrows tend to have watery, bitter-tasting flesh. It should be firm and heavy for its size.
• Because of its bland flavour, vegetable marrow (sometimes called marrow squash ) is often stuffed with a meat mixture. 
• It is available in limited supplies in some speciality produce markets during the summer months.