Let them stay on the vine as long as possible, until the fruits turn a buff brown with no green stripes(one variety turns orange). If the plants develop powdery mildew really bad I harvest before nights turn cold, otherwise I leave them out there through September. Be sure to cut a stub of stem when harvesting, and butternuts will keep all winter.

In a word... no. They will not ripen further. Neither will they be bitter. But they likely won't have the rich, sweet flavor you'd expect from a Butternut. Butternuts, like other winter squashes, can be eaten immature much like summer squashes. I pick off any winter squashes that I know don't have time to ripen, and steam or saute them. However, you likely have some squashes that are neither ripe, nor young and tender. Experimentation is in order. Try slicing, cubing, steaming, sauteing, frying, baking or whatever. They are usable, but they don't have the storage endurance of a truly ripe Butternut.

Since we're on the topic of squash, I'm going to (pardon me please) do a mini hijack. I'm growing pie pumpkins and Table Queen acorn squash. I've NEVER had one grow! I get tons of gorgeous, dish sized blooms, then nothing. SO, I'm assuming it's a pollination issue?? I've decided to hand pollinate in case that's the problem but I see that squash have worms..ugh. Well, figs have wasps, lol. So, if I actually coax a squash out, should I put it in a nylon stocking? I buy them all the time for tying plants, so I have several. I'd planned on trellising anything that vines in my southern raised bed because it'll stop getting enough sun by Dec. I use the stockings as slings for any fruits that need them. I love squash, but I'm the only one that eats them, so I'm only planting a few but would hate to lose the one's I do get. I'm in Central Fl, just north of Orlando...any suggestions as I undertake my first winter squash venture?

O.K. We have are down to the last 600 pounds of the squash I mentioned in the OP of this thread... Now I am finding so many have a partially hollow necked! I can tell by feel if they are hollow and am culling them. Good thing it's almost gone. Is this genetic or are they drying out? I notice it in a much lower lower percentage of squash earlier on. If it was genetic it seems I would have notice more of it earlier. Again, last year same storage not one squash did this. All are still very delicious. So far rave reviews from FM and chef. What the hay?