Curing winter squash

[chocolate m'scovy]

Will its edibility be altered if we eat them before they turn a rich healthy amber? Or will they simply have diminished storage qualities? Also, what happens if they get touched ( or blasted ) with frost?

 

[patandchickens]

Significant (hard) frost will give them rotty places and make them store poorly if at all so it is to be avoided if at ALL possible. If they do get frosted hard then IMO it would be best to freeze them (I'd do it cooked, although there is probably no reason you couldn't peel them and freeze raw cubes) as soon as possible.

In my experience with winter squashes grown by other people and given to me, they really do not ripen much if at all once off the vine, so But as long as they are essentially *ripe* when you pick them, IME with other peoples' squashes given to me they are still reasonably edible if eaten right away, although less sweet and flavorful. It's really better to wait til after they've aired for a week or so in your garage or wherever and are ready for storage.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[Wifezilla]

Thanks Pat. I was lurking to see what the answer was

I do have an acorn squash that has been getting oranger over the last couple of weeks. Abi and I have been cooking up and freezing pumpkin so I may just go ahead and process that squash before anything goes wrong.

 

[chocolate m'scovy]

Well, I don't think they got hit that hard, so I rescued them and they are happily hibernating in the basement. Butternuts and acorns. (and the somewhat less romantic turnips, but here I digress...)

 

[patandchickens]

(and the somewhat less romantic turnips, but here I digress...)

I mentioned last week to my son that the original Halloween jack-o-lanterns were sometimes hollowed-out *turnips* (or so I've read), and now he has been seized by this mad desire to grow turnips next year, in fact actually I think he means swedes (rutabagas) as hollowing out a little summer turnip does not sound practical.

I told him I would look for them in the store and he could taste them before we go ordering any seeds. If he turns out to like them, I'd be thrilled, but do not want to put a bunch of limited garden space into planting something nobody will remember WHY we planted when harvest rolls around

I really like the phrase "the somewhat less romantic turnips"

Pat

 

[me&thegals]

That IS a wonderful turn of phrase The poor lowly turnip... My turnips are as big as my head this year, yet solid and not woody. Turnip-o-lanterns--what a neat idea!

 

[chocolate m'scovy]

Yes, I agree with patandchickens- turnips grow quite readily- more so than anything else it seems.

I guess with root vegetables, I far prefer beets. They are still underground though.