The Good Life Magazine – September-October 2023

The big, beautiful blooms start growing
fruit, and it’s hard not to get hunger pangs
as the harvest approaches.
In addition, the squash will rot in storage. Harvest too
late and the flesh will be mushy and unappetizing, best
used as food for a flock of chickens.
There are a few easy tips to ensure ripe, delicious
squash. Temperatures that dip close to or just below
freezing at night are ideal. The leaves and vines will
begin to die, and the rind will become hard. Poke the
rind with a fingernail, and if it goes in easily the squash
is not ready. A rind that requires pressure to dent is
properly ripe.
Color can also be an indicator of ripeness. Butternut
squash turns a deep orange color when ripe, Spaghetti
squash turns a deep yellow and Acorn squash will
develop an orange spot on their otherwise dark color.
I like to carry a pruning shears with me to cut the stem.
If the stem is broken and removed from the squash, the
storage time will be vastly reduced. Leaving a couple
inches of stem ensures protection from moisture,
bacteria and fungi.
As we store all our squash for meals over the winter,
we need to cure the fruit before they are cellared.
After picking, the squash is laid out on the deck with
adequate air flow. If it doesn’t freeze hard at night, they
remain for a week or two to develop a cured outer layer.
Once that occurs, they are stored in the cool basement
on wire racks. Any fruit with bruises or nicks in the
outer rind is eaten first, as it will get soft quickly.
Properly cured and stored, most squash can last for
months. Delicata and Acorn have a shorter shelf life,
only a month or two, while Spaghetti, Butternut and
Buttercup can last until spring.
It's also an option to cut the meat into chunks and
preserve it in quart jars. As a low-acid food, squash
must be canned using a pressure canner. Water bath
canners do not reach a high enough temperature to
adequately preserve the harvest.
Pumpkins add a dash of color to doorsteps and
decks during the month of October, and the kids love
carving scary faces in jack-o-lanterns. Just like squash,
8 | THE GOOD LIFE