Being in Houston, you probably planted them early in the year, Possibly mid March? I believe it is possible to be having ripe butternut already, they're roughly 110 days to maturity, but there are early varieties that can come in as early as 85 days. Butternut squash is edible when it's 'green' but tastes much sweeter when ripe, and frequently tastes even better if you can let it cure for a month or so after you pick it. (I know, patience is so hard!) But yeah, in reference to what the other people said, the extreme heat we're having right now tends to make the chances of pollination really low, it sterilizes the pollen and discourages the pollinators. Most gardeners will experience them resuming making fruit in the later days of summer but the cooler weather will make them take longer to ripen. They'll be sweeter too. If your plants are already huge and taking up too much room/starting to look a little diseased you also have just enough time to re-plant if you would prefer to do that, but if the plant is healthy I'd let it be.

Glad to see this discussion as I've been wondering as well. I did have a thread going about my 'volunteer' butternut squash plants. They have produced about 10 all together over the summer. I already picked 3 of the first fruits and I think they were not ready so I've left the rest. I read somewhere that the stem should have turned brown, which mine were still green, but ALL the squash still have green stems. They had already truned tan color, but I did a fingernail test on those I've picked and it did penetrate the skin and a little sap leaked out. So I've left them on the DR table for a couple of weeks. Maybe I should just cook them up. I'm afraid all the squash are not going to ripen because I heard we may get a frost next week. But I thought they could go through a frost and be sweeter? Is it just a freeze that you have to pick them before you get one? My property is situated in such a way that in the Fall the angle of the sun reduces the amount of sun over a day on my bed which normally is full sun. I don't know if that had anything to do with the fact they are not ripe yet.

Lots of us tried this a few years back - and it was really good. it was those darn cookies that created a stir - where to get them - lol. Butternut Squash Lasagna Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis Posted by LoriJean Recipe Summary Difficulty: Medium Prep Time: 30 minutes Inactive Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour 25 minutes Yield: 8 to 10 servings User Rating: Cook's Note: The no-boil lasagna noodles can be substituted with fresh spinach lasagna sheets. Look for fresh lasagna sheets in the refrigerated section of specialty markets. 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 (1 1/2 to 2-pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup water 3 amaretti cookies, crumbled 1/4 cup butter 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 3 1/2 cups whole milk Pinch nutmeg 3/4 cup (lightly packed) fresh basil leaves 12 no-boil lasagna noodles 2 1/2 cups shredded whole-milk mozzarella cheese 1/3 cup grated Parmesan Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the squash and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the water into the skillet and then cover and simmer over medium heat until the squash is tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly and then transfer the squash to a food processor. Add the amaretti cookies and blend until smooth. Season the squash puree, to taste, with more salt and pepper. Melt the butter in a heavy medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, whisking often, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the nutmeg. Cool slightly. Transfer half of the sauce to a blender*. Add the basil and blend until smooth. Return the basil sauce to the sauce in the pan and stir to blend. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, to taste. Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Lightly butter a 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Spread 3/4 cup of the sauce over the prepared baking dish. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles on the bottom of the pan. Spread 1/3 of the squash puree over the noodles. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese. Drizzle 1/2 cup of sauce over the noodles. Repeat layering 3 more times. Tightly cover the baking dish with foil and bake the lasagna for 40 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses over the lasagna. Continue baking uncovered until the sauce bubbles and the top is golden, 15 minutes longer. Let the lasagna stand for 15 minutes before serving. *When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.

Agree with the above that although one shouldn't just dive into pressure canning without some practice and experience, the most likely cause is that the squash wasn't fully ripe. And siphoning is a major problem that needs to be eliminated. The only time I have run into the off color change is when it is still too 'green' flavor wise, when it hasn't aged fully yet. When you peel it if there are any pale green stripes just under the skin then it definitely is not ripe. My butternuts have all been harvested now but they won't be ready for canning for another month or so. Just as with some other vegetables like potatoes and onions, winter squash requires some period of aging after harvest, even if harvested fully ripe, so that the sugars can convert to starches. 3-4 weeks is usually sufficient. Squash meat can also darken and discolor when exposed to air so cubes pre-soaked in lemoned water or Fruit Fresh ascorbic acid as made will hold their color better. As for the watery taste, only if you don't drain the jars first before cooking and adding seasonings. "some type of heirloom variety. They are very long with a curved thinner neck and a seed end like a regular butternut squash" Doesn't really sound like butternut from that description. "Very long with a curved thinner neck" isn't butternut no matter what the seller may have called it. So that alone could explain the taste and color differences. Dave