Common question here. See

http://www.gardenweb.com/gardenweb/query/harvest-winter-squash/topic=cornucop

For long term storage winter squash is intended to leave on the vines as long as possible. Best not to harvest until the vine is dead or well on to dying , the fruit stem is dry and brown, and the skin is hard. The "thumbnail test" is common practice. Young, immature, green stem squash do not store nearly as well or as long nor is the flavor as good.

Dave

Check your winter squash and rotate them a bit and prop them up off the wet soil...and leave on longer.

You don't say what kind of squash you're talking about, but Butternut is conspicuously "ripe" when It gets a uniform beige color. Pick anytime when it is that color. Not sure about others, but I've picked green Seminole and put them on a windowsill in the sun. They ripen well that way and become orange "keepers".

That being said, I've never heard of winter squash getting "tough and thick skinned".

Winter squash should be fully ripe when picking. Immature squash will not keep well or develop maximum flavor. If you don't know for sure that a winter squash is ripe, leave it on the vine as long as possible. C. maxima types are well known for hard shells. C. mixta and C. Moschata you can usually cut open with a sharp knife. If you are growing hubbards or their kinfolk be prepared to break out a hatchet or machete.

A good experiment to do for those who insist on early harvesting of any - yes, even butternut - of the winter squash varieties. Just leave 1 of them on the vine when they choose to harvest the rest. Then compare the storage quality and flavor of that one fully mature squash vs. those harvested earlier. There is a world of difference.

Dave

I don't think this is an issue of harvesting "fully mature squashes". The issue is when they are fully mature. I harvest Butternut when they are completely beige. Long before the vine dies. In fact, there are immature squash on the vine when I do that harvest. Those harvested Butternut last many many months, and the flavor seems good. No question that there is a world of difference compared to a green (immature) Butternut. My summer growing season is long, so the squash are fully beige long before it's time for the vine to die. That may not be the case for more northern gardeners.

That's interesting. I routinely harvest Butternut when they are beige, and they can last nearly a year. In slicing them, I never see green. I do let them age for a month or so before using them, however. To the extent that I get full-sized, beige Butternuts in July, I'm sure not going to let them sit on the vine until December when we get first frost.

Thanks guys! Butternut and acorn. When I was a newbie I let a summer squash sit a while. Yikes. Inedible, got it in my head it might also apply to winter. I do swear my acorn squash that look to have been mature for 4-6 weeks or more look really dark green and I imagine a thick shell and lost flavor. Glad to see I was wrong thanks!

While everyone is properly stating to leave the squash on the plantuntil fully mature there are other considerations. The stem and rind need to cure for best storage. The curining temp is ideal in the 70s*F in full sun so cutting the stem and leaving in the field a few extra days is recommended.

Also most squash continue to cure after harvest and develop their best flavor 50 to 60 days after harvest. Sure I'm eating all 30 varieties I'm growing now but I realize that there are better days ahead.

Acorn should not be left on the vine too long, unlike Butternut, and does not store well. It turns orange and becomes very stringy. It is ready when the rind is hard and dark and there is an orange spot where it is touching the ground.

I feel that acorn squash outlast butternut squash in storage. Many of my customers have been buying the Festival and Celebration striped varieties for decoration for a few months and plan to eat over later winter months. My butternut varieties don't have as tough a skin and start to develop spots by years end.

Well, they definitely store pretty well at the least. But I do speak from experience when I say IMHO overripe acorn is stringy and not very good, and it can become overripe during storage.