Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: Floody on October 12, 2014, 16:32

Title: Butternut Squash - dithering over whether to harvest
Post by: Floody on October 12, 2014, 16:32

Hi, first time growing butternut squash and from what I've read it's important I get them harvested before the first frost - but with that in mind I also read if I harvest them when they have a bit of green on the skins they won't taste very nice and they won't store well.  So the problem is this:

ALL of my b'nut squash have traces of green at the top (where the stalk meets the fruit) so on the one hand I'm thinking that I should leave them in the ground but on the other hand it's been a bit nippy around here the last couple of mornings to the point where it wouldn't surprise me if we had a bit of frost?

Am I reading too much into this 'green' lark - is the writer referring to squash that have loads of green bits on the skin rather than just a tiny bit?

Am I over thinking it?

So, what to do?  Harvest now or wait a bit?  What would you do???  :unsure: :unsure: :unsure:

Title: Re: Butternut Squash - dithering over whether to harvest
Post by: Elm street on October 12, 2014, 18:08

Ours are already harvested and in the conservatory. A few had the slight green at the stump end but they have now
Changed colour and are the same as the ones that were harvested with no green on them!

Title: Re: Butternut Squash - dithering over whether to harvest
Post by: ghost61 on October 12, 2014, 18:12

Same here.  I also have a green spaghetti squash in the greenhouse as it came off the plant accidently. I think the thing about any squash being green is that they don't taste as sweet as they would if fully ripe.  If yours have a touch of green, I wouldn't be concerned and would harvest them now.

Title: Re: Butternut Squash - dithering over whether to harvest
Post by: Baldy on October 12, 2014, 18:43

Yup - get 'em in

Cheers,
Balders

Title: Re: Butternut Squash - dithering over whether to harvest
Post by: Kristen on October 13, 2014, 02:38

I harvested mine last week, I normally reckon on middle of October - provided frost has not threatened - as by then the foliage is all going yellow and shutting-up-shop.

I cut a decent "T-bar" of stem to save with the fruit, which it can then suck up the goodness from (but don't carry them by that as it might not be strong enough!) and I lay them in the conservatory to "cure" for a week or two before storing them.

Title: Re: Butternut Squash - dithering over whether to harvest
Post by: strangerachael on October 13, 2014, 09:53

I actually prefer the taste and texture of them when they are slightly under-ripe. Give the greenish ones a try, it's all a matter of taste. But as the others have said, they will continue to ripen once cut anyway.