What are the best "eating" months for acorn and delicata squash?
elisa_z5
8 years ago
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glib
8 years agoRelated Discussions
Will Delicata and Acorn squash ripen?
Comments (1)If the skin is hard enough that you can't easily puncture it with a fingernail, they should be mature enough to cure and store. If not, they'll start to shrivel from moisture loss. You'll know pretty soon, within about a week or so at most. When I have immature ones that aren't going to make it, I just roast them up with Mrs. Dash and oil and eat them that way. They're sort of halfway between a summer squash and a winter squash at that point, but taste great cooked like that. Actually, my dog LOVES roasted squash of any kind, so it's never a problem at my house, he will always eat the excess, and I've found it to be quite a healthy treat for him....See MoreBetter taste: Bush Delicata, or Honey Boat Delicata
Comments (5)Sorry, I know this is a very old post. But Carol Deppe, in her book Resilient Gardener, talks about squash storage (she's studied it extensively). Actually, not all squash get sweeter with storage. C. pepo (which includes acorn and delicata) are actually better early in the season. C. moschata are similar to C. pepo, but will store for much longer (ie butternut). C. maxima are actually WAY better after a month or more in storage (This includes the buttercup, sweet meat, Hubbard, and some of the large pumpkins). I have not compared the two types of delicata (that question is what brought me here today), but the big thing it to make sure they are fully ripe before you pick them. They are often picked early. Look at the curly vine closest to the fruit. When that starts to dry out, its likely time to pick. Never had luck with the "can't be pierced with a fingernail" trick. I have very hard nails, and not every squash has very hard skin, even when mature. More on squash in my blog post, here. https://milesawayfarm.wordpress.com/2012/09/27/duck-eggs-and-winter-squash/...See MoreAcorn squash: when are they ripe?
Comments (6)Hey Carol, My best advice would be to leave them on the vine for a few more weeks. Acorn squash are interesting in that they do eventually turn orange like a pumpkin but they are mature even before that when they are dark green. Basically, as you might or might not know, squashes are divided into two categories. There are "summer squashes" and "winter squashes." Summer squashes include zucchini and are harvested BEFORE they are mature. This allows the flesh to be very soft, squishy, and palatable with little cooking. Also, the seeds are edible at this stage and thus do not need to be removed but may be eaten. Winter squashes however are harvested AFTER they have matured. The flesh is usually harder, must be cooked longer, and the seeds are very hard, mature, and must be removed prior to cooking. This is why we remove pumpkin seeds and in your case, butternut squash seeds and acorn squash seeds. Since acorn squash and butternut squash are both winter squashes, they can be harvested any time after they have matured, giving you a much larger window during which you may pick them. Essentially, it is never too late to harvest a winter squash. By that same token, it IS too late to harvest summer squashes when they have matured unless you want to remove the mature seeds. What this boils down to is that you should wait a few more weeks for your acorn squashes to grow. I've grown acorn squashes for a few years now and they usually are ready by the second week in August but never before the third week of July and my zone is 6. Hopefully that helped! Good luck! Joer...See MoreDelicata squash
Comments (9)My neighbor just gave me a delicata she'd picked up at the Farmers Market and since I didn't know what to do with it, googled recipes. This is the first one that came up and I liked it a lot, halved the recipe for just the one squash (being more of a savory than sweet person :)) Baked Delicata Squash with Lime Butter 2 (3/4 pound each) delicata squash 3 tablespoons butter, softened 1 tablespoon lime juice 1 teaspoon chili powder Salt and coarsely ground pepper to taste Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut squash in half lengthwise and remove fibers and seeds. Place cut-side down in a glass baking dish and add water to the dish to a depth of 1/4 inch. Bake 30 minutes or until squash is soft but not mushy. Remove from oven. In a small bowl, combine butter, lime juice, and chili powder; stir until well blended. Season with salt and pepper. spoon the butter mixture into baked squash cavities and serve hot. Makes 4 Servings....See Moredigdirt2
8 years agoelisa_z5
8 years agotcstoehr
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoelisa_z5
8 years agotcstoehr
8 years ago
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Peter (6b SE NY)