That's a great question. It came up here earlier for butternut, and the answer is as you gave (but I've eaten them a full year after harvest, and they're fine). You need several months at least.

I do not know this by experience, but at least Rodale says that thinner skin squashes such as acorn, delicata, and spaghetti should be used within a month of harvest. Also, they say acorn gets stringy if it isn't moved to a cool place right after harvest, so curing is not a good strategy for those. Hubbard will last a bit longer, they say -- maybe 4 months.

Agree. don't know about delicata, but acorn are definitely fall squash. You eat those first.

Yeah don't know if there is a "best eating month" but neither Acorn nor Delicata are long storage varieties. How long all depends on the nature of your storage environment.

You may have to harvest yours a little earlier than I do (late Oct. to early Nov.) but couldn't they have remained on the vine a bit longer? Since you have already harvested them you'll be eating (or canning or freezing them) within a couple more weeks.

Dave

Thanks you guys -- just the info I needed. No more curing for sure -- it's off to a cool bedroom for these squash, and soon to the oven.

I harvested this week because I came back from vacation and the vines were gone. Fell to the SVB's in the end, but not before making some nice squash that actually look pretty ripe. Hoping for the best taste-wise.

Acorn and Delicata are sometimes referred to as "Fall" squashes, which seems quite appropriate as they fill the gap between the summer squashes and the true winter squashes. I find as soon as the vines are dead and the squash stems are brown, they are quite good to eat. For me that's generally the first week of October.

And as far as Delicata goes I think its storage potential is underrated. I find storing them in my attached garage they will keep at least four months before they suddenly turn dry, corky and flavorless. I harvest then in early October and they go bad sometime in February.

I just posted this link in the pumpkin, squash and gourds forum earlier today but the best (highest sugar content) time is supposedly after 5 weeks of storage. Storage Effects on Winter Squashes, Associations between the Sugar and Starch Content of, and the Degree of Preference for Winter Squashes

Awesome - thanks, everyone, for the continued info. Now that I'm learning all about these "fall" squashes, hopefully I'll get more years where I can save them from the SVB.

I harvested one Delicata yesterday. This being a warmer than average year I thought maybe they might be ready. It was terrible. I didn't even bother cooking it. I could tell by the taste, color and texture it was no good. The outside color seemed mature enough but looking again I found there was no orange on the skin. There should be some background pumpkiny orange patches. Same with the Acorns I have grown, those should have an orange patch where they sit on the ground. Anyway, my Delicata vines still have abundant green leaves and live vines, although they are in severe decline. The stem on the squash that I harvested was hard but still green. Live and learn, wait til the vines and all leaves are dead and there is orange on the squashes and the stems are grey and dry. October.