When is butternut squash ready to pick?

[casa_tyr]

I'm growing a winter squash in Spain - Barbara Butternut F1 hybrid.

I've read about when to pick butternut squash, but this squash is different - it doesn't turn brown, it's green with a stripe.

My largest squash is about 12 inches long, 5 inches in diameter, but I don't know if it's ready or not.

Any ideas?

[Mainer in Exile]

Usually, squashes are ready when the stem turns woody.

[1810ss]

Assuming it's a winter variety, the stem will go corky and the skin will harden so when you knock it with your knuckles it will sound kind of hollow (like a wooden bowl). Butternuts are winter ones, but as this is a hybrid, I'm not sure. There's no reason you can't eat one now anyway, they sound like they are a reasonable size. It is too early to harvest for winter storage- I leave mine 'till the leaves and stems get powdery mildew and then shove them on the shed roof to ripen and cure for a few weeks in the autumn sun- this process will make them last a few months longer (but make sure they aren't sitting in a wet patch - my shed roof slopes a lot, so this is not a problem). If we get a very wet Autumn, I'd pick the early.

[farmersteve]

I think this is some good advice; however, it has a better taste if the seeds have not fully developed.

[Millymollymandy]

Green stripey butternuts are just immature ones - they will turn the butternut colour in time. Leave them on the plant as long as you can until just before the frosts start (!!!as if you could tell!!) then bring them indoors and put on a sunny windowsill to continue to ripen inside.

I have successfully ripened many a stripey butternut indoors, and I leave them there on the windowsill all winter. They don't mind the warmth of indoors (it isn't that warm, about 18-20C where I store them). They should last 4-6 months.

[Odsox]

Sorry, not so MMM. Barbara butternuts stay stripey green even when they're mature.
I agree other varieties of butternut are like that when young.
I would also agree with 'baking' them in the heat of the sun, I have a small greenhouse (solar oven?) that I pile them in in the autumn and keep the door closed. I have no idea how long they keep for as we always eat them too quickly, but last year we ate our last one in April and it was still perfect.

[Millymollymandy]

Oh I didn't know that! It would be harder to know when they're ripe though!

[casa_tyr]

Thanks for the replies, and you are right, Odsox, that Barbara Butternut always stays stripey.

Still don't really know when it's ripe though! I picked one yesterday, and the inside is only light orange (tasted ok though), so I guess my only answer is "dunno, but not yet".

[Millymollymandy]

One of my Potimarron's broke off this morning when I was putting some straw under it (it's a French pumpkin that has a taste that is a cross between regular pumpkin and marron (chestnut)). I've just put it on a sunny windowsill indoors and expect it will ripen up so I can have roasted pumpkin before the rest are ready around autumn time. Mind you some of these Potimarrons are already football size although the butternuts are only just starting to spread out and put out female flowers!

[Odsox]

I'm growing Potimarrons for the first time this year as well as my 'normal' butternuts and the potimarrons are also a lot further forward. As yet there are no fruits as the male and female flowers have not managed to coincide yet, but I'm hoping to get at least one fruit to try. If we like them better that butternuts then I may well grow a lot more next year.

[Millymollymandy]

They are brilliant for roasting and taste really good - they also are good for cooking however you like cubed (i.e. curried) as they stay firm and keep their shape. I don't personally like them in soup (that's entirely personal of course, my husband loves the taste in soup!) and I used them for chutney but they stayed a bit hard.

So I use butternut for soup and for pumpkin pie because they are sweeter, and potimarron for roasting and currying.

[Peggy Sue]

I'm doing loads of different squash this year (I have got a bit confused where I planted what though )

One of the things I have is Vegetable Spaghetti. I THINK the plant I'm thinking about is Veg Spag, its pale and stripey. I have no idea when it will be/is ripe. Actually now I'm wondering if it's an unripe butternut!
I really must take more note next year

So a) does anyone know how to tell the difference and b) when is veg spag ripe to eat?

[Millymollymandy]

I've never even bought or tried a spaghetti one so don't even know what they look like! Butternuts yes they are pale green and stripey when young. I guess you will just have fun trying them later on and seeing which ones you've got where!