Summer Squash:
Frequent harvesting of immature fruit will en-
courage more fruit to form. Immature fruit has more tender skins that are more edible and
great to chop up for stir fries. More mature fruit has tougher skin which lends well to baking.
More mature fruit has hard seeds that must be scooped out whereas immature fruit has few or
small seeds that can be eaten.
Winter Squash:
Winter squash are generally ripe when you can no longer pierce the skin with your fingernail.
The surest thing is to leave them on the vine until the vines start to die back, but you should
definitely get them in before frost. That being said, immature fruits don’t store well, so be sure
to keep them growing for as long as possible. You’ll likely get three to five squash per plant.
Summer Squash:
Cut fruit off carefully with scissors or a knife without damaging the vine or
knocking off flowers. Flowers can be harvested and eaten for example, in tempura. If you
harvest blossoms as an edible, select the extra male flowers as soon as they open, leaving the
female flowers to produce fruit. Be sure to leave a few male flowers to pollinate the female
blooms.
Winter Squash:
Clip them off the vines with clippers and leave as much stem as you can, at
least around an inch. Don’t lift them by the stem; if it comes off the squash will rot. Take care
not to damage the skins as that would create an entry point for rot.
Summer Squash:
Can keep in the fridge for about a week, but
best eaten fresh off the vine.
Winter Squash:
Cure the squash for storage. This means leaving
the better storing varieties in a warm place for 3-5 days so that the skins will harden up further,
protecting them from fungus and bacteria. Butternut, Hubbard and related types (C. maxima
and C. moschata) benefit from curing. Acorn and Delicata-type squash are not good storers,
and trying to cure them can actually make them last less time, so you’ll want to keep them
cool from harvest, and use them within 2-3 months.
A “warm” place should be 70 to 80°F (21 to 26°C). Before this stage, you may wish to clean
them off with a damp, clean cloth to get rid of any dirt that could fester on the plant. A
50/50 solution of water and oxygen bleach (3% food-grade hydrogen peroxide) can be mixed
in a spray bottle and used to prevent fungal rot and prepare the squash for curing and long
term storage.
The curing process seals the skins and dries the stem, leaving them ready for use.
Keep your squash in a cool place. It shouldn’t be too dry or too wet. A cool room of a house,
an unheated sun porch if it doesn’t freeze, a cool cellar if it’s not too damp or musty, are all
possibilities – even under your bed could work.
Keep your eyes open for signs of rot, or you might find a fermenting puddle where your squash
were. Checking every week or two should be sufficient.
Summer Squash:
Summer squash can be preserved long term, featured in a
relish or as a pickle.
Winter Squash:
Squash is best long term stored as a fresh, cured vegetable.
Although in the case of pumpkin type squashes pie filling can be made and preserved in jars
to make pies in winter.
Summer Squash:
Keep your squash isolated from other varieties of the same species. Pick a fully
mature fruit (hard rind, even for summer squash) with the traits that you deem desirable from a
range of plants. Try to save only from open-pollinated varieties. Note: It’s actually very easy to
hand-pollinate squash flowers because they have large, easily recognizable male and female
flowers. Otherwise you need to isolate by at least 1/2 mile.
Cut the squash and scoop the seed. Scrape all the seeds into a jar, don’t worry about
goop. top off with water and leave to ferment drain off the fermented water. Power rinse
the seeds to remove tenacious goop. Lay seeds out to dry.
Completely dry seeds can be stored dry, dark and cool place. Recommend a small mason jar
with a silica gel pack stored in a basement refrigerator.
Winter Squash:
Common hybrid varieties have been engineered to retain selected characteristics. This
hybridization, unfortunately, breeds out the plants’ innate ability to adapt to inhospitable or
challenging conditions. Saving heirloom squash seeds for future propagation can be a bit of
a challenge since some squash will cross pollinate, resulting in something less than appetizing.
There are four families of squash, and the families don’t cross pollinate, but members within
the family will.
Only plant members of differing families nearby. Otherwise, you will have to hand pollinate
squash to maintain a “true” squash for squash seed collection.
Winter Squash:
Squash Families:
Cucurbit Maxima – Buttercup, Banana ,Golden Delicious, Atlantic Giant, Kobacha, Hubbard,
Turban
Cucurbita Argyrosperma – Crooknecks, Cushaws
Cucurbita Moshata – Tennessee, Sweet Potato squash, Butternut and Butterbush
Cucurbita Pepo – Acorn, Delicata, Pumpkins, Scallops, Spaghetti squash
Regarding hybrid varieties, often the seed is sterile or doesn’t reproduce true to the parent
plant, so don’t try squash seed harvesting from these plants. Don’t attempt to save any seeds
from plants that are afflicted with disease, as this will likely pass to the next year’s generation.
Select the healthiest, most bountiful, flavorful fruit to harvest seeds from. Harvest seeds for
saving from mature fruit towards the end of the growing season.
When seeds are ripe, they generally change color from white to cream or light brown,
darkening to a dark brown. To remove squash seeds from the fruits, simply split the squash in
half by shallowly cutting through the rind from top to bottom on both sides and
separating the two halves. Cutting through the center of the fruit can damage seeds. Next,
scoop out the seeds, massaging them free from the pulp as much as possible. Transfer
them to a wide-mesh strainer—or any other container with openings large enough for
pulp and strings to pass through. Running the seeds under a strong stream of water will
help dislodge the seeds from the pulp.
Another method for separating seeds from the pulp: Scoop the seed mass out of the fruit and
place it in a bucket with a bit of water.
Allow this mix to ferment for two to four days, which will kill off any viruses and separate
the good seeds from the bad. Good seeds will sink to the bottom of the mix, while bad
seeds and pulp float. After the fermentation period has completed, simply pour off the
bad seeds and pulp. Spread the good seeds on a screen or paper towel to dry. Allow
them to dry completely or they will mildew. Once the seeds are absolutely dry, store them
in a glass jar or envelope. Clearly label the container with the variety of squash and the
date. Place the container in the freezer for two days to kill off any residual pests and then
store in a cool, dry area; the refrigerator is ideal. Be aware that seed viability decreases
as time passes, so use the seed within three years.
