[Snoop]

I've read that Hubbard squash are really good for storing. One site I saw mentioned they stayed good for up to 27 weeks!

So I thought I might try giving them a go. We love butternut squash and I'm game for something new, especially if they will last till after we've finished the butternuts.

Does anyone here grow hubbard squash? Any recommendations or comments?

There are just the two of us and we have a fridge but no freezer, so it whoppers will present a bit of a problem...

[Trillium]

If prepped properly, eg allowed to fully ripen, washed off, dried, and then stored in a cool but never freezing place, they should keep well with their tough skins. I grow Red Kuri squash which resemble pumpkins with pointed rather than dipped tops, and last week I found the last one (hidden behind a box) in perfect shape.

But some of my squash did rot on me so not 100% successful. To hedge your bets, you might want to prep some into freezer items. You could clean, cook, puree then freeze a few for bases for other dishes, or simply peel and chunk slice them into freezer bags. Labeled, of course. This eliminates the worry of them keeping.

[Snoop]

Hi Trillium,

Thanks for the reply. I notice that quite a few people have read this thread, so there must be lots of us interested in Hubbard squash.

Thanks for the recommendation. We live off-grid and a freezer would place too heavy a demand on our supply of electricity. So freezing isn't an option. If they last through till spring, that would be fantastic.

I've checked out Red Kuri. They look just like the Potimarron squash (seeds from T&M in the UK) that I've grown this year. The plants were very vigorous but nearly all the flowers were male, so we don't have many fruit, which is a shame. Maybe it was just the vagaries of the weather this year.

[Stevens706]

I am going to grow Baby Blue Hubbard for the 1st time next  year, should be interesting.

[Trillium]

It's very possible that Red Kuri and Potimarron are identical, just with different names for different countries. Both varieties are open pollinated so if you don't have them close to your hubbards, you can save your own seeds. I do. In fact, I tossed a rotted one into the compost last year and somehow this year I had 2 huge plants growing out of the compost bin. I would have snipped them but they set quite a bit of fruit so I didn't have the heart. Now I'm not sure I'll have the storage space 
And yes, it's quite possible to have all male plants one year. In fact, 2 yrs running I had all male cucumber plants - loads of flowers but not a single cuke. For a few years after that I bought started plants but now I plant more than I need and if I find I have too many male plants, then SNIP! I do that with all my squashes as well, just to make sure I get crop and not flowers only.

[mumofstig]

Thelma Sanders squash lasts well into the New Year, much longer than my butternuts.
The squash serves 2 cut in half and roasted, and I find they do set a lot of fruits, even in this years dry weather

[Snoop]

Thanks Mum. That sounds like a good recommendation.

Trillium, I had no idea you could get all male plants. I thought it was something to do with the conditions. I've got twelve plants of two types (butternut and potimarron) and only ten squash between them. I thought the ridiculous number of male flowers was to do with the conditions, not the plants. I've just been out watering this morning. There are another ten or so flowers even at this time of year, and they're all male. It's been like that all summer.

I think you're right about the Red Kuri and Potimarron being the same thing. Which is great news for me as the Potimarron seeds were quite expensive, judging by the price of Red Kuri seeds I've seen being offered by other suppliers.

For anyone in the UK reading this thread, there are lots of good squash suppliers. I've seen Mum's recommended Thelma Sanders on realseeds. Premier Seeds Direct on e-bay has a good selection and at good prices too. I've not bought through them, but they were recommended by someone on another thread.