8/13/2019 Harvesting & Storing Squash
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In Your Garden with Jenny Watts
Harvesting & Storing Squash
Winter squash and pumpkins are the gems of the garden. Inside
their hard and sometimes
unattractive shells is a bounty of delicious golden flesh. And
to add to that, you can store them
away without refrigeration and enjoy them all winter long.New
gardeners are sometimes confused by the name winter squash. In
fact, winter
squash grow during the summer months just as summer squash do.
The difference is that
winter squash develop a hard rind that allow them to stored for
much of the winter.
Pumpkins and winter squash take a long season to mature. Planted
in April or May, they
will reach maturity by October. Its best to time your squash
crop so that the fruits can be
harvested and put into storage before the first hard frost, at
27F. Pumpkins and winter squash
can tolerate light frosts that kill the vines only. If hard
frost threatens before pumpkins or
squashes are ripe, blanket the fruits and vines with a tarp or
loose straw.
To grow squash for storage, wait until the vines begin to dry
and the rinds have toughened
before harvesting. To test for maturity, press a thumbnail
against the skin; your nail shouldntleave a visible dent. Never
rush to harvest winter squash because immature fruits wont
store
well. Unless pests or freezing weather threaten them, allow
fruits to ripen until the vines begin to
die back. Pumpkins are harvested when they are uniformly orange
and the rind is hard.
Cut, dont pull, ripe squash from the vines, leaving 3 inches of
stem attached. A broken
stem exposes the fruit to rot, so dont use the stem as a handle
for carrying. Cure harvested
squash, unwashed, in a warm and sunny spot for a week or two.
You can also allow them to
cure in the garden in the warm fall weather. Take care to
protect the fruits from cuts, scrapes,
and dents, as all can lead to early spoilage.
Thinner-skinned types such as acorn, delicata, and spaghetti
squashes should be used
within two or three months of harvest. Skip the curing step and
move them to a cool place
immediately after harvest.
Hubbard, buttercup and kabocha squashes and pie pumpkins can be
stored for 4-6 months.
Butternuts keep best in storage, sometimes lasting until
spring.
Store cured squashes in a room that is dry and cool 50-60F is
best and make sure they
have good air circulation. Humidity should be relatively low.
Check your stored squash monthly
to identify and use up any fruit that shows sign of decay.
During the winter months, when the weather is wet and cold,
theres something particularly
satisfying about still being able to eat food from your garden.
Enjoy the fruits of your harvest all
winter long.
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