By Bethany Hayes
wintertime squashes are one of the few foods that will last for calendar month just the way that they are without any extra preservation method acting needed . To store squash for the month to come in , you first have to try curing squash , which is a lot easy than you might conceive .
Growing up , I spend a pot of metre readingLittle House in the Big Woods , and one of the scenes that I recollect well is Laura and Mary play in the attic , surrounded by large pumpkins , mash , and other food that their parents maintain . I was becharm by that , and it regulate me as I rise .
Could you keep autumn pumpkin , squash , and all kinds of other intellectual nourishment in an noodle all winter long ?
Yes , you certainly can ! It all lead off with reap your squelch correctly , and then you’re able to bring around it and store it for the month to occur . allow ’s take a facial expression at how you may do this at your home !
What Does Winter Squash Include?
Some mass get confused about what we intend when we say winter squash . These do n’t admit thing such as zucchini , luffas , or gourd . summertime squash , no matter the variety , can not be stored for the foresightful - terminus . When we say long - terminus , we mean an norm of 4 - 6 month or potentially longer .
wintertime squashes let in :
When we witness winter squash rackets , it ’s the squashes that you plant after the peril of frost passes , and you do n’t harvest until the fall for wintertime storage . They typically want a lot more days to reach maturity than summer squash rackets .
For object lesson , an average courgette that I grow get hold of between 55 - 60 day to reach out adulthood , but winter squash racquets can take 90 - 120 day .
Some people are surprised that pumpkins are view a wintertime squash , but they really are . There is a reason why the settler and our ancestors devote enceinte component part of their garden to pumpkin vine – they stash away incredibly well and are full of rich nutrients .
Average Squash Storage Life By Type
How long your squash will last in storage calculate on the eccentric that you ’re grow . Here are the modal shelf life after proper curing .
How to Properly Harvest Winter Squashes
harvest appears when the fruit are mature , but how do you fuck it ’s time to glean them ? Here are some signs they ’re quick to be pick .
Once you know it ’s clip to harvest , you require to do so in the right way . You ’ll involve pruners or a garden knife to cut through the vine flawlessly . Do n’t yank the vines ! verify to cut 2 - 4 column inch above the yield , leaving some of the squash stems to cure as well . Also , humiliated or sluttish stems make the squash wo n’t store well , so take care !
Of naturally , there is always an exception to recollect . Hubbard squash storage well with the stem completely removed .
Curing Squash: What You Need to Do
Once you harvest the squash , you have to get it ready for curing and storage . The first pace is to clean the fruits with a wry towel , take away poop and dust . You should n’t use water system to clean the skins ; the squash needs to stay ironical .
Inspect each one thoroughly . You want blemish - gratuitous squashes for storage ; any bruises , punctures , or deep cutting will reduce how long they can store . pocket-size cuts or scratches will be healed with curing , but if it seems like it ’s too deep , stay on the side of caution and be after to use up it preferably .
What Is Curing?
You might be inquire – what is curing , and why do I postulate to take the time to do so ?
The preparation process for storage is called curing , and it truly does n’t take much effort on your end at all . If you want the fruit for foresighted storage , then cure is an essential footstep .
Curing is similar to a dry out process . During this time , excess wet melt , and the fruit ’s respiration rate slows . These are two footstep that must happen for storehouse . As evaporation takes place , it helps concentrate the natural sugars inside the yield , leading to a delicious , sweet - tasting squash .
at the same time , the peel ( or rind ) will go on to get hard as breathing slows down . The respiration simplification thin out how vulnerable your squashes are to waste and burst so that they can store for even longer .
Pretty nerveless , right ?
How to Cure Squash for Storage
I promise ; the stair are so well-situated . You do n’t need any previous experience to cure squelch correctly . Here are the step you need to acknowledge .
Sometimes , you have to be originative if you need to keep them outdoors , and call back , it ’s only 10 - 14 days ! you could move them if it ’s going to rain and put them in a sheltered location . I put some of my squash rackets inside my shed , and I also have a slat tabular array near a fence where I invest a few . It ’s right near my porch , so I can seize them if it starts to rain .
Once the fruit are cure , you could do one of two thing before putting them into their last speckle in warehousing . you could either polish the fruits with Olea europaea oil using a cheesecloth , creating a moisture - prevention culture . Another choice is to apply a water supply and bleach answer that guard off bacteria .
It ’s of import to observe that you should n’t cure acorn squash . It in reality reduces their warehousing biography .
Storing Squash for the Months to Come
Once cured , you could move the wintertime squash into a cool , dry blank space for winter storage . They should be keep in a location that is around 50 - 55 ℉ , with a relative humidity between 50 - 70 percentage . You do n’t desire the humidity grade much high , or it ’ll lead to the fruits moulder .
Keep your cured squash on a shelf or a single-foot rather than the flooring , which might have bacteria or the dampness could cause rotting . The skins must always remain wry to reduce the risk of bacteria or fungi take over .
Each week , take a quick look at your squashes . If you remark any spots developing , move them out from the other I , and employ them quickly . That could be a augury that it might start to molder .
The Best Time to Eat Each Type of Squash
Many are ready to run through when they ’re mature at harvest home time , but some do comfortably with time in memory for the best flavor . Remember that the physical process increases the rude bouquet , so it ’s typically recommended that you hold back between 50 to 55 solar day before eating .
Here are some suggestions found on when their savor is the best !
These fruits can be eaten at harvesting , and the skillful quality for eating is within 2.5 month after harvest .
you may use up spaghetti squelch as soon as you harvest them , and they put in well for about 2.5 months . That tend to be the peak of their flavor .
This type of squash is often best consumed when you reap them , and they assert this timber for up to 3 months after harvesting .
You could cook these justly when you harvest them if you pick when they were ripe and ready . However , you ’ll chance that the flavor stay uniform for up to 4 months .
You ’ll incur they have the best flavor after about 1.5 - 2 month in storage , but they store well for up to 6 months .
The best clock time to eat these squash vine is two calendar month into storage , but they ’ll keep well for up to 6 month . You have plenitude of time to savour these . Most save them for last !
Final Thoughts
heal squash is n’t a complicated process , but it does take several days or hebdomad to discharge . When done correctly , your winter squash rackets can last for months without spoiling or rotting in storage , fertilize your family luscious , nutritious meals all wintertime long .
