Have you ever picked your winter squash in hope of maintain it all wintertime only to discover it rotting a few week later ? unluckily if all the correct step are n’t taken this can happen . So today I want to show you exactly how to stack away wintertime squash for long term storage .
Audrey ’s Little Farm may earn a mission after clicking links on this page at no extra toll to you . Learn more .
I think of years ago before I really got into horticulture , thinking that winter squash meant that you grew it in the winter .
Which did n’t really make sense because I knew that people did n’t grow squash rackets in wintertime .
But the Good Book “ winter ” really throw me off .
I soon learned that what “ wintertime ” really meant was that wintertime squash diversity could be stored through the winter to employ months later on as long as all the right harvest home and curing measure were taken .
So whereas summer crush only hold out a couple weeks and needs to be used up apace , winter squash can be stored for month .
reasonably awesome right hand !
So for years I ’ve been growing all types of wintertime squash rackets varieties , the only problem was that I never grew enough at once to store any for later enjoyment . Until this past year .
My favorite wintertime squash of all is spaghetti squash and I plant so much that I had about 30 spaghetti squash to store at the end of the season .
I was so excited , I quickly picked them all and put them in boxes inside the house . Then a couple weeks later on went to take hold of one for dinner only to see that they were ALL musty !
It was devastating …
So I cursorily did my inquiry and found out that I did it all wrong .
So now I am excited to teach you all the right ways to glean , cure , and store your squash so that you do n’t cease up with rotten squash like I did .
Get your gratuitous Vegetable Planting Schedule !
signal up and get this planting agenda with all planting dates send straight to your inbox ! !
How to Store Winter Squash the Right Way
As you know from reading above , if you do n’t harvest wintertime squash the right way and take all the necessary footmark to curing and put in , it ’s possible to end up with a gang of stinky squash .
Well I in person know how upsetting it was , so I hope you never have to go through the same experience .
So to pop off with , here are some dissimilar wintertime squash variety to embed .
1 . ) Acorn Squash
2 . ) Blue Hubbard Squash
3 . ) Buttercup Squash
4 . ) Butternut Squash
5 . ) Carnival Squash
6 . ) Delicata Squash
7 . ) Kabocha Squash
8 . ) Red Kabocha Squash
9 . ) Red Kuri Squash
10 . ) Spaghetti Squash
11 . ) Sweet Dumpling Squash
If you ’d like to learn how to cook all of the dissimilar squash varieties , this articlehas recipe for each one .
When to Plant Winter Squash
Winter squash is planted at the same sentence as all your summer squash varieties . It just lease longer to senesce and gets one harvesting at the end of the time of year .
The recommended first outdoor transplantation escort for winter squash is 2 weeks after you last rime .
The recommended first verbatim seeding is once all danger of hoar has past and the territory has reach 70 degrees F.
The last recommend planting date will vary depending on the miscellanea .
How to Harvest
The first thing you should do is look on the cum package of each diverseness and check days to maturity date . This will give you an estimation of when each variety will be ready to beak .
Although , keep in mind that it is better to harvest wintertime squash belatedly versus too early . But be sure that you reap before a rime hits . The squash vine can commonly handle a scant Robert Lee Frost , but a surd frost will ruin it .
Next , when it is approaching the time to harvest , check the skin on each squash vine . It should have to the full color and when you horn in it with your nail it should not leave a puncture score .
The next affair you could do is intercept on the exterior of the squash racquets to see if it fathom hallow . If it does , that ’s a signaling that it ’s quick .
Once you know that your squash racquets is ripe , use a pair of gardening shears and cut each squash from the vine , leaving about an inch of the stem .
Once you get all your squash picked the next footstep is curing .
How to Cure
There are only sealed wintertime squashes that need to be cured which include :
Then there are wintertime squashes that should not be cured such as acorn squash rackets because it ’ll end up shorten its shelf life .
But for those that need to be cured here is the process .
First , dip your squash into a water bathroom of 135 - 140 degree F piss . Or wash the open with a solution of 1 part blanching agent to 10 parts water system .
This will down any bacteria on the outside of the squash . Then immediately dry the squash off with a sportsmanlike dry cloth .
Second , put your squash in a temperature controlled area to cure . Depending on the size of your harvest , you could use a temperature controlled greenhouse , shed , or cabinet .
Third , set up a humidity meter and if the humidness is below 80 % get a humidifier . If it is above 85 % get a dehumidifier .
The humidity point is authoritative because when it ’s too high it encourages rot and when it ’s too low-spirited it causes the squash vine to dry out .
Fourth , place your squash vine 3 - 5 inch apart on some type of gentle material such as carpet , kitchen towels , loggerheaded pot of paper , etc .
Fifth , keep the temperature maintained at 80 - 85 degrees F for a majority of the time each sidereal day . But most importantly , check that the temperature never knock off below 50 degree F.
6th , find out on your squash daily to look for problems such as bruises , dark spots , or other external blemishes .
If you point out small spots that are only tegument - deep you are safe to eat the squash and should utilize it up quickly . But if the tegument is indulgent and moist get disembarrass of the squash .
Last , heal your squash for about 10 - 21 day . The clip involve will alter , but the curing mental process increase the moolah cognitive content in the squash , hardens the outer skin , heals minor cut , and continue the storage life .
So once you find that the skin has harden it can be transferred to the area you have for storage .
How to Store
You should store your cured squash in a nerveless dry area with good circulation and a temperature of 50 - 55 degrees F and a humidity level of 50 - 75 % .
It is good to stack away them on a soft material on shelves that are up off of the floor .
While storing your squash , be sure to keep them away from any ripening fruits that raise ethylene gas such as banana and apples because they will cease up shorten the ledge liveliness of the squash .
How Long Will Winter Squash Store
The storage spirit for each squash will depend on the sort , but for example :
Acorn squash vine has the shortest ledge life around 5 - 8 week ( call up to not cure acorn squash )
Butternut squash lasts for 2 - 3 months
Spaghetti squash around 3 months
Hubbard squash up to 6 calendar month
Here are other articles you may enjoy !
Different Types of Pumpkins and Their utilization
Saving Pumpkin Seeds for Growing
How to uprise Pumpkins Successfully
Pin it for afterwards :
