Also, depending on HOW early you picked, you might need to do this for a longer period of time. I only had to do mine for about a week.

Let the beans get slightly plump, string them, and cook them immediately. Put in a pan with enough water to just cover the beans. Boil long enough to cook the water completely off the beans and then let them 'sizzle' in the bottom of the pan for about 2 minutes while you slowly stir them. This lightly caramelizes some of the beans. I grew Tobacco Worm last year and was thoroughly pleased. This is an outstandingly good mountain bean. DarJones

Tina, I have stored squash in several different locations and maybe one of them would work for you. The best location for us has been the underground tornado shelter. Winter squash, potatoes and onions store well in it for a long time. The second best location for us has been a shelf in the corner of the well-insulated garage. I have had winter squash last 8 months to a year when stored there, but only mid- to late-fall-harvested winter squash. Anything that is harvested in summer or early fall goes into the tornado shelter because it is cooler there during the hot weather. I've also stored it indoors in an unheated pantry that's located underneath the staircase to the second floor of the house, and have stored it in an upstairs closet. I always set several sheets of newspaper on the floor, shelf, table, etc. where I am going to store squash and then set the squash on the paper. That way, if a squash suddenly collapses, the mess is easily to clean up. Squash stores best if properly cleaned and then cured for 2 or 3 weeks before being moved to its long-term storage location. To clean your winter squash, rinse or wipe the rind clean with water, or soapy water if they have mud splatters caked on them. Give a final rinse or wipe with a solution that's 10% bleach/90% water. Let it dry. Set your winter squashes on a solid surface above the ground. They should be in an area where there is no sunlight and good air circulation. If you are curing them inside a garage or shed, it helps to open doors or windows to improve air flow, or to place a small fan there and keep it running. I use white folding plastic tables set up on our covered patio. If you don't have tables, you can use a sheet of plywood set on sawhorses or something similar. Let them air cure for 2 or 3 weeks, and then move them to their storage spot. You'll have the highest quality squash if you are able to store them in a cool location where the temperature stays between 50-60 degrees. Humidity isn't a huge concern as long as it stays below 70 per cent. They do dry out very fast, though, if you live in an area that routinely has very, very low humidity. People who have cellars or basements often store their winter squash there, as long as the cellar or basement doesn't have dampness issues. Depending on the type of squash you have, how well it cured, etc., it should store well for a minimum of 3 months and often significantly longer. You should know, though, that the longer your winter squash sit in storage, the more they deteriorate. A squash that has been in storage 3 or 6 months won't be the same quality as on that's been in storage a week or two. I'm sure George will come back to this thread and tell you what he meant but I assume he meant that prematurely picked winter squash cannot be "forced" into further ripening or maturing. If you don't have a lot of storage options for your squash, you also can preserve them by canning,...

Hi, you can tie a piece of yarn or string loosely around the stem below the squash. Remy