You might have better luck posting your picture in the Vegetable Gardening forum... http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/cornucop/

Lack of flavor is almost certainly because it wasn't quite ripe. I have not tried this with butternut, but some squash from the c. moschata family will mature if left intact, from about that stage. For instance, melon squash is a very long season c. moschata. I grew it, in the 80s, in Northern Indiana. Most of the fruit were hard skinned at harvest but required about a month of additional "curing" before they were at their best. Fortunately, with that variety, this meant that their skins went from dark green to a burnished buff/orange. Butternut and their kin are likely to have a darker tone to them when they are really ready. I bet your squash was very close to being ready, but not quite. It's interesting, but in my experience, some of squash from this group will hit a "sweet spot" shortly after they are truly ripe. The flesh is at it's tastiest and the texture can rival that of a c. maxima such as Hubbard or delicious. After this "sweet spot" they go to the condition which one normally finds with store bought butternut, which is more moist; still good, just not as dry and maybe not quite as sweet. Really varieties differ in how texture and flavor are affected by the passing of time after they are ripe. Peter, you are doing the right thing. If you watch your butternut fruit, you will see a change in their skin tone, and the skin itself will be too hard to puncture with a fingernail. Then, once that happens, you should be able to eat one with the confidence of encountering good flavor. It will have GOOD flavor when it's ready. George

Since insect cross pollination is so easy and so common with squash if I had to bet on it I'd go with crossing. But honestly I think it is too soon to tell as they are still so young. Granted different shapes but that can be a result of so many other variables - things as simple as inconsistent soil moisture - that I wouldn't lay my money down yet. Dave

Same here - no strings. But then I don't bake mine cut-side down either so all the juice remains in the squash. Nor do I fully cook it. I only want it cooked enough to scrape out of the shell to bag for the freezer. I tried the only stab a few holes approach once. It exploded and made one hell of a mess. Dave