FWIW, and slightly OT: This is my first year using the Early Prolific Straight Necks. While I am already loving the "Early & Prolific" nature of these, as well as the "magazine photo quality" of them, I do notice that they don't have as much flavor as the crooknecks that I've grown in the past. The zucchini variety that I have is Black Beauty, I believe, and again, I sense that the flavor is lacking. I have another variety in there that's not ready yet...some Hybrid thing that had a mere 6 seeds in the packet, and it's orangey-yellow & white spotted. Am anxious to find out what that tastes like. So take all this with a few grains of salt...the flavor will be better for it ;)

The butternuts are in the Moschata species of squash and usually keep the longest and also sweeten up the latest. They have a very thin rind that cures to help them last so long. I let mine sit in the greenhouse for a month after harvesting, but thats in the fall. Direct summer sunshine may be a little too hot for them as it might cook the flesh. Find a not too sunny spot (dry if possible) and cure them for a month, but watch that they don't get frosted or eaten by mice.

Hi Pat Growing veggies in Florida hot and humid weather is hard to do but not impossible, a lot of winter squash varieties do very well for me and eventually when older get mildews and everything else but I always manage to get a good harvest before it happens. Every year I grow a good and different varieties including the buttercup, right now I have stored for the season a number of winter squash to be used in cooking. When fall comes I will grow the smaller varieties. In the begginning of the season I use Serenade, but that is not a cure all. Sometimes I use Green Cure or Actinovate depending on what I have. Other people use a combination of milk and baking soda but like I said eventually when older all the squash get some kind of mildews in my experience. I just think of the finnish harvest and is all worth it to me.:) Hi Mary! Thank you for your beautiful card! And since you asked me about the taste of the Italian squash, all I have to say is that is tops! I especially liked it agrodolce Italian style, I do this with all my winter squash, cut in pieces, put kosher salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and sometimes a little bit of maple syrup. Because is so big, it is sold by the piece at the Italian market and I did sampled when I was there in risoottos and pastas. I am in Jamaica this week and I already finnish reading by the beach a book 100 Vegetables and Where They Came From, very, very interesting! and I was happy to know that I have sampled most of them and the ones that I did not, are on the list to try. The good thing about the book is that it also gives you simple recipes and combinations of food to try... Silvia

Hubbard squash is a winter type too and good for pies, etc., and can be easily frozen. They are also great for using in squash/pumpkin recipes. Several years ago, I had quite a few - they are huge. I split them apart, then placed the pieces in a shallow pan of water flesh side down, and baked them in the oven. When soft, I scraped out the fleshy part and froze in pint and quart size containers. It freezes very well when prepared that way. If it is very watery, it can be cooked down somewhat, but I just adjusted the liquid in most recipes to account for it otherwise. I hope my present planting will give a good yield this year as my freezer cache is all gone. They are just beginning to grow and the vines will take a lot of space, but we will find a way. Bejay