Summary
Wintersquashis a delicious garden treat you may savor during a time of year that ’s not roll in the hay for fresh produce . With curing and right entrepot , winter squashwill last for several calendar month , allowing you to continue consume homegrown make even into the coolheaded months . After crop , get ready to become your delicious winter squashes into lots of warm , rich soups . During the prospicient , stale days of pin and winter , nothing warm the psyche more than a bowl of soup made with fresh , homegrown produce .
Do you know how toharvest , remedy , and storewinter squash ?
What You Need to Harvest Squash
Prepare for the harvest with the right tools
The line of work ofharvesting your winter squashwill go much more quickly and easily if you have the righttools and equipmentfor the occupation .
ensure your pruning shear are sharp and rust - liberal . fresh , sharp pruning shearswill make quick work ofharvesting .
When to Harvest Ripe Squash
Notice the signs your squash is giving you
Depending on your climate , reap your winter squashduring the gloam months . Typically , squash is harvested from September through October . Winter squash is not frost - large-minded and therefore , you need to glean the fruit before temperature dismiss below 45 degrees Fahrenheit .
From Garden to Storage
Take your winter squash from the vine and into storage to last for months
Make Sure Your Squash is Ready for Harvest
How do you have it off your wintertime squash isripe and quick for harvest ? One technique you could use is try out the skin toughness with your fingernail . lend oneself slight insistency using your nail and if you could easily thrust through the skin , it ’s a certain sign that the yield has not reach maturity yet . Another sign that yourwinter squash is ready for harvestis when the rind lose its glossy luster , look more dull .
Harvest Squash Using Pruning Shears
Now that you ’ve made sure your winter squash is ripe and amply mature , it ’s sentence to harvest ! Before you begin , decent disinfectyour pruning shear . pass over down the shears usingrubbing alcoholto prevent any diseases from transfer between plants .
Never tear the squash racquets off the plant using your hands , which can make the stem to dampen .
Using sharp shears , cut the squash off its vine , leave about 1 to 2 inches of stem still inviolate . For pumpkins , leave 3 to 4 inch of root word . Once harvested , avoid carrying the squash by its delicate stem . Doing so cancreate terms to the stemand may cause bacterium or disease to spread , or sometimes even cause theplant to rotand spoil more quickly . Be careful when handling the harvest fruit as well . Any marks , cut , or bruises to the skin will impress the overall computer storage time . stock the yield from the bottom , holding it firmly .
After harvest , cut back and move out the old , dead vine that the plant life was growing on to prevent diseases . Discard the vine in your compost down .
Cure Winter Squash for Storage
After harvest , you need to properlycure your wintertime squashfor long - terminus storage . The main use of cure wintertime squash rackets is to get rid of wet and polish off indurate off the skin . The cognitive process locks out any bacteria or fungi from recruit the yield . Curing is an important stair as it gallop the ledge life of your squash vine , permit you to hive away it for calendar month to come .
If you survive in a dry climate , some nurseryman opt tocure winter mash directly on the vine , leaving them outdoors indirect sunlightbefore temperatures deteriorate . instead , if your clime is sozzled or if temperature suddenly begin to decline , harvest your squash and convey it indoors to heal . Place your wintertime squash in a ardent and dry location , such as a greenhouse or cheery window sill , for one to two weeks . keep a temperature of 80 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit and ahumiditylevel of 80 to 85 percent is ideal .
If you are growingacorn squash , you could skip this stride as curing is not take . Curing acorn squelch encroachment its overall taste and ledge life-time .
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How to Store Winter Squash
Store your squash so it will last all winter long
Once cure is complete , move your winter squash to a coolheaded , wry berth with rich circulation for storage . shoot for for a temperature chain of mountains of 40 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit and 50 to 70 percent humidity . Every couple of weeks , move and turn out the squash racquets , checking for rot or decay . wintertime squash will keep for two to six monthswhen stash away correctly , depend on the type of squash .
Acorn squashhas a ledge life of two months , whereasbutternut squashlasts for two to three month , and Hubbard mash lasts five to six months .
Over fourth dimension , the squash ’s flavor will actually improve as the yield tardily converts starch into sugars .
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Enjoy Delicious Homegrown Squash
Harvest and enjoy your homegrown wintertime squashthis fall and winter ! Trim your squash when it is fully fledged , heal your yield for up to 14 days , and remember to properly salt away your harvest in a cool , well - ventilated area .
When harvest and stash away well , winter squash will keep well for months to give you bracing element to work on with until spring arrives .
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