Winter Squash, storage tips

Curing   When properly cured, most varieties of winter squash will last through the winter. Proper curing means the water content was just right at harvest and they were set in a sunny and dry place for 7 to 10 days just after harvest. If you are buying them locally you can find out if they were cured well for storage. Or you can chance it and check them often for bruising.

Storing  Squash store best at an even 50°F in a dark place. This could be a cool and dark shelf, cabinet, or drawer in the kitchen, pantry, or closet. They also store well in a warmer section of the root cellar such as on the top shelf. Squash are better off not touching each other or any hard surfaces. Wrapping them individually in cloth or paper is helpful but also makes checking on them more difficult. Turning them when you do your regular check on your storage crops can keep them from bruising. Cat has had the best long-term storage luck with the butternut and acorn varieties. These two have lasted through March for her more than once, and she does not have a root cellar, just a drafty little house and a few thermometers.

Squash that have thinner skin and so do not store as well include: delicata, a small and tall yellow squash with dark green stripes that is quite sweet (use by January); spaghetti squash, a large yellow variety with a stringy center and a summery flavor; and pie pumpkins, the small orange pumpkins that kids love, their sweet meat is excellent for pies.

Posted in Storage Tips