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| This is the first time I've planted butternut squash. How do I know when to harvest them? They were planted the beginning of May. Several of them have turned the nice tan color & seem to have stopped growing. I am afraid I will take them off the vine too soon but don't want them to get too old either. Can anyone help me? Thanks |
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| I seem to remember, that when the stem either comes away or begins to brown, it's time to pick them. They store well into fall and winter (if kept dry and cool). Just wonderful baked with brown sugar and butter (and a bit of salt). Hopefully someone else will weigh in...it's been a long time since I grew them. |
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| I usually wait until the green stripes have faded and the squash is a solid tan colour, or you can do the fingernail test - if you cannot puncture the squash with your fingernail then it is ready to be picked and will store well. |
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- Posted by daninthedirt 8b / HZ10 Cent. TX (My Page) on Fri, Aug 29, 14 at 12:53
| I grow them every year. Mo317 is right. The squash starts out with green longitudinal stripes. These fade as the squash matures. The squash may or may not get "tan". Some may just get beige. I try to wait until the stripes are gone. If you have to pick one when the stripes are still barely visible, the stripes may disappear on the shelf after a few weeks. Note that a great way to keep butternuts (and presumably other winter squash) for along time, is to wash them in a dilute bleach solution before storing. This kills off various bacteria on the surface that would interfere with storage. I've kept them a full year that way at room temp. Up till the next crop comes in. If you have a cool cellar, they might last even longer. |
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| Thanks to all of you for your answers. daninthedirt, thanks for the great storage tip - I will try that. |
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| I second the wiping them down with a light bleach solution. And handle them very gently--an invisible bruise will turn to rot later on. I too have kept them almost a year. Store them in a cool but dry place. Cellar is not a good choice if it's at all damp. A cool room, extra bedroom perhaps, is a good place to store them, not touching on top of newspaper. Oh, and when you pick them, leave at least an inch of stem. |
This post was edited by laceyvail on Sat, Aug 30, 14 at 6:25
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| Also, it is a good idea to place something under the squash. Sometimes worms or bugs make holes in the bottom lying on the ground. |
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