The Good Life Magazine – September-October 2023

The Perfect Squash
and Pumpkin
How to Maximize the Harvest
WRITTEN BY: JEFFREY MILLER
Harvest season is a grand time of year. All the hard work
of planting and tending crops, from a tiny container
garden to a large-scale agricultural operation, has come
to fruition. Nothing says autumn, however, like pumpkins
and squash.
There are a wide variety of squash that are commonly
grown. Summer squash like zucchini, crookneck and
patty pan are harvested throughout the late summer and
have a short shelf life. They are best enjoyed fresh from
the garden.
During the months of September and October winter
squash become ripe and ready to harvest. Common types
of winter squash include Butternut, Acorn, Buttercup
and Spaghetti. On our small homestead, Cottonwood
Bend Farm, we grow Butternut and Spaghetti. Mashed
Butternut, with a dash of brown sugar, goes well with
venison while Spaghetti squash is a great alternative to
pasta noodles. Melanie’s homemade spaghetti sauce,
with Italian venison sausage added, is tough to beat
when mixed with al dente spaghetti squash.
During the heat of the summer, it’s exciting to watch the
squash vines crawl over the garden, seemingly adding
feet of growth each day. The big, beautiful blooms soon
start growing fruit, and it’s hard not to get hunger pangs
as the harvest approaches.
The most difficult thing about growing winter squash is
knowing when to pick them. Harvest them too early and
the flavor is poor, as the sugars won’t be fully developed.
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