The butternut squash (Cucurbita moschata), with its characteristic shape and mild, buttery-tasting flesh, is one of the most popular squash. But how do you know when the pumpkin, which can weigh up to one kilogram, is ripe?
In a nutshell
- Harvest period between July and early October
- Harvest before the first frost if possible
- ripe pumpkins: yellow skin, lignified stem
- immature pumpkins: green-yellow veined skin
- Can be stored for up to 9 months
time
From pollination to maturity, a butternut squash takes an average of 90 days, which is about three months. Since new flowers are constantly forming and these fruits are set during the growing season, you can harvest continuously between July and well into October. However, as soon as it gets colder and the first frosts are imminent, you should bring in the pumpkins - regardless of whether they are ripe or not. The butternut squash needs a lot of heat to grow and develop its characteristic aroma, and it does not tolerate frost. If the fruits are exposed to sub-zero temperatures, they can no longer be stored and must be processed quickly.
Tip: If you don't want to or can't store the butternut, there are a number of ways to preserve it. You can boil down the fruit (e.g. sweet and sour or as a puree) or freeze it.
maturity characteristics
An unripe butternut squash can be identified by its greenish-yellow veins. As the ripeness increases, the green color components decrease and the outer skin of the fruit takes on a delicate yellow colour. You can also recognize a ready-to-harvest specimen by these characteristics:
- pale yellow to beige color of the outer skin
- Stem lignified, wrinkled and hard
- very strong, unyielding shell
- hollow tone when waiting
When you think the butternut squash is ready to harvest, you should tap the skin gently in several places. When the fruit is ripe, the resulting tone sounds hollow.
Butternut squash ripe (left) & unripe (right)
Tip: Incidentally, this trick also works very well with melons and other pumpkin plants, so you can test their degree of ripeness when you go shopping.
harvest
When the squash is nice and yellow and the stalk is hard and woody, you can harvest the fruit. The best way to do this is as follows:
- use sharp secateurs
- alternatively sharp knife
- cut off the stem
- but leave the stalk attached to the fruit
The base of the stem is important for storage, as pumpkins cannot be stored without it. You should also always cut off a butternut and never break it off, otherwise it will rot quickly. In addition, the outer skin should remain intact so that no bacteria or other putrefactive agents can penetrate.
Tip: So that the pumpkin skin is not damaged during growth, you can let the fruit grow on a thick layer of straw - similar to what professional strawberry growers do.
post-ripening
If you have to save unripe butternut squashes from impending frost, you can let them ripen. However, this only works for specimens whose shell has already solidified. Proceed as follows when ripening:
- Store in a well-ventilated, warm place
- constant temperatures between 15 and 20 °C
- lowest possible humidity
- high humidity promotes rot
- Storage in a bed of straw
- rotate regularly
Alternatively, you can also store the pumpkins hanging in nets, which has the advantage that all sides are ventilated and can ripen evenly. Now it takes around two to three weeks until the fruit has fully ripened and can be processed (or stored).
Tip: You don't need to throw away the seeds of the butternut squash. Roasted and sprinkled with sea salt, they are delicious and very healthy. You can also use the seeds of mature pumpkins for sowing the following year.
storage
Ripened and harvested properly (i.e., with stems attached and no damage to the skin), butternut squash is one of the longest-lasting squash varieties. You can store the fruit for an average of six to nine months, provided the conditions are right:
- optimal temperatures between 10 and 13 °C
- low humidity
- well ventilated storage room
- Storage on a bed of straw or hanging in nets
Hanging storage has the advantage that no pressure points can form. In addition, the pumpkin is evenly ventilated from all sides. When storing several fruits, make sure that they are at a certain distance from each other and do not injure each other. However, it is better to store the pumpkins for as short a time as possible - the longer the storage time, the more fibrous the flesh becomes and loses its aroma.
Tip: Before preparing the edible pumpkin, check a small piece of the pulp to see if it is edible. Bitter-tasting pumpkin flesh should be discarded immediately and never eaten! This is especially true for home-grown fruit that potentially deadly Toxic cucurbitacin may contain.
frequently asked Questions
Where does the butternut squash come from?The butternut or butternut squash is a subspecies of the musk squash (Cucurbita moschata), which has been cultivated in South America for thousands of years. The first archaeological finds from Mexico date to the period between 4900 and 3500 BC, and pumpkins were one of the main foods of the South American natives, along with beans and corn, these vegetables are traditionally grown together. This type of squash requires a hot and humid climate.
Why is the butternut squash called that?The butternut squash owes its name "butternut" to the mild, buttery-nutty taste of its light yellow flesh. The pumpkin tastes best when you simply drizzle it with olive oil and season it with salt and cook it in the oven at 175 °C. In German, this type of pumpkin is sometimes referred to as "pear pumpkin" because of its characteristic shape.
Can you eat the skin of a butternut squash?Since its skin is smooth and thin, you don't need to peel the butternut squash before cooking. This is especially true if you want to prepare the vegetables in the oven or as a soup. However, be sure to clean the skin thoroughly beforehand, especially if you bought the squash from the supermarket. On the other hand, if the butternut squash is to be fried in a pan or another, short-term method of preparation is chosen, it is better to peel it.