What you describe sounds normal. I see no reason for concern unless, after a few days, you have no fruit.

You can learn to differentiate male from female blossoms by looking at the base of several blossoms until you see that some flowers (male) have only a thin stem while others (female) have a swollen part where the flower is attached to the stem. I don't know what the shape will be because I haven't grown that kind of squash, but there will be an obvious difference. As they say in France, "Viva La Difference!".

You may not find any female blossoms at first. Squash tends to have only male blossoms at the beginning of bloom.

Jim

Squash flowers only last a day and are only open for a few hours in the morning. This is normal. Also male and female flower do look different you will be able to tell the difference easily. If you are unsure if a flower is a female then it DEFINITELY isn't a female. As you mentioned underneath the flower will be a small squash and yes it will be the exact same shape as the scalloped squash only tiny.

Oh thank you so much. You have both helped a lot=)

I would like to add that male squash blossoms taste excellent pan fried in olive oil with a cream cheese and herb mix inside and an egg, flour, milk and sugar batter on the outside. For a pre-diner snack today my hubby and cut squash blossoms (already wilting) and filled them with a cream cheese and herb mix. We used oregano, basil and parsley all from our herb garden to flavor the cream cheese. Below is a link to the recipe we used.

Here is a link that might be useful: What to do with squash blossoms.

I want to cook up some squash blossoms, but have never done this before. At what stage should they be picked for eating? Do they need to be open (which seems to be a several hour window) to be picked for cooking? Or can the closed and/or shriveled up blossoms be used also?

You can use them at any stage, as long as they're still fresh. Some people like them when they're open or partially open because they're easier to stuff without having to peel open the petals, thereby possibly ruining them, but you have to be willing to get up early to harvest them. ;) Some people prefer them partially closed for their own reasons (I think I've read that it's easier for some people to stuff them partially closed because they'll stay twisted shut easily after something is piped into the middle).

I like them any 'ol way since I don't stuff them, but have found that cutting them with the stem attached, putting them into a ziplock bag with a moist paper towel slipped inside, and putting them into the fridge will close up the blossoms a bit while keeping them fresh for several days.

-spaghetina

If you want to eat squash blossoms and daylilly blossoms it seems better to pick them just before opening.

Daylily blossoms are good to eat but tigerlily and other type lily blossoms can be poisonous. Daylily blossoms are sold in china and japan. they usually sell them dried in big bunches tied up. They are good fresh in salads. I like to munch them outdoors in the yard.

I picked my squash blossoms in the evening. They were wilty and closed at the tips, but still fresh at the base. The blossoms were closed, which made them easier to fill. It was one of the best snacks I've had in a long time. I especially liked that so many of the ingredients came from my garden. It was so nice just walking out to my back yard and picking what I needed.

We've been having some blossoms daily. I stuff them with cream cheese with basil and just dip them in egg with salt, pepper and garlic powder in it and fry in olive oil. Yummy.

Ania

Thanks for the recipe and ideas, I have wanted to try squash blossoms but do not have enough blossoms to sacrifice yet. The one squash that is blossoming is the only one I bough at the nursery, the others are still smallish, I started them from seed. Im starting to see teeny tiny buds on them though, Im keeping my fingers crossed.

FYI...you don't have to sacrifice them. I leave them alone in the morning to do their thing and pick the males in the evening once they close back up. They will not open again and will just die if left on the plant. They have already done all they are going to do for pollenation.

Ania

And you can always pick the stamens off the flowers and pollinate your female flowers by hand if you want. Nothing ensures pollination better than that!

Oh I love squash blossoms. I love to stuff with cheese mixture with sundried tomatoes or herbs then tempura batter them and fry. So amazingly delish.

Next year I am growing another squash just to get more blossoms. My dad just told me stir fried squash blossoms are his fav food. I never knew or I would have grown more.

I have recipes on my blog

Here is a link that might be useful: stuffed squash blossom recipe