Butternut squash is a popular winter squash grown by home gardeners for its sweet nutty flavor. Knowing when to harvest butternut squash is key to getting the best quality and storage life from your crop.
There are a few signs to look for to determine when your butternut squash are ripe and ready to pick
Color Change
As butternut squash ripens, the skin changes from green to tan or beige. Look for a solid tan color on the entire surface, with no remaining green streaks or spots. Some varieties may develop orange or bronze highlights when ripe. The skin color is one of the earliest signs the squash is maturing.
Stem Condition
Check the stem where it attaches to the fruit. As the squash ripens, the stem becomes increasingly tough, woody and corky in texture. The stem also starts to turn from green to brown. A dried out, brown stem is a good indicator the fruit is mature.
Rind Hardness
Test the hardness of the rind by pressing on it gently with your fingernail. A ripe butternut squash will have a very hard rind that is difficult to pierce or dent. An immature squash will have softer skin that your nail can mark or puncture.
Vines Dying Back
The leaves and vines start dying back and turning yellow or brown when the squash is nearing full maturity. Green, healthy looking vines mean the fruit needs more time to ripen.
Ideally, you want to harvest butternut squash once all these signs are present – solid tan color, dried stem, hard rind and dying vines. This ensures the seeds and flesh have fully developed.
When to Pick Early
There are a few scenarios where you may need to harvest your butternut squash before it is 100% ripe:
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Risk of frost – Butternut squash vines and fruit are damaged by frost. Pick all mature squash before temperatures drop below freezing.
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Heavy rain forecast – Hard rains can cause cracking or splitting. Harvest squash if heavy rains are expected, especially in clay soil.
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Pest problems – Pick slightly early if pests are likely to damage your ripe squash. Discard damaged squash immediately.
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Green squash remaining – Harvest ripe squash so remaining green ones can mature before frost.
While not ideal, slightly early butternut squash will still taste good and can be cured and stored. They just won’t keep as long as fully ripe ones. Under-ripe squash also has less sweetness and flavor.
How to Harvest Butternut Squash
Use a sharp knife or pruners to cut the squash from the vine, leaving a 2-3 inch stem attached. Never pull or twist the squash off the vine, as this could break the stem and lead to rotting. Carefully carry each squash from the vines, avoiding damage to the skin.
Cure squash for 1-2 weeks in a warm, well-ventilated area to further harden the rind before storage. Store cured squash in a cool, dark place between 50-60°F for optimal storage life.
Expected Storage Time
A fully mature, properly cured butternut squash will keep for 3-6 months in proper storage conditions. Acorn and other winter squash don’t last quite as long, typically 1-3 months under optimal storage.
The flavor of butternut squash intensifies and becomes sweeter during storage as starches convert to sugars. Eat stored squash within 2-3 months for peak quality.
What Happens If You Harvest Too Early?
Picking butternut squash before it has fully ripened can lead to:
- Less sweet flavor and starchier texture
- Seeds continuing to pull nutrients from flesh
- Reduced storage life – 2 months or less
- Higher chance of rot and mold
While edible, under-ripe butternut squash won’t have the same great flavor. Cure them as best you can and try to eat sooner rather than later. Always label squash picked early so you remember to use it first.
How to Tell When Stored Squash Go Bad
Signs that your stored butternut squash have gone bad include:
- Visible mold, soft spots or bruising
- Spongy, dried out flesh inside
- Off odors
- Liquid leaking from squash
Discard any rotten squash immediately to prevent spread of mold spores. Wash storage area to prevent future contamination.
Let Squash Mature as Long as Possible
To get the highest quality butternut squash with the longest storage life, let them ripen as fully as your growing season allows. Harvest just before your first fall frost for best results. The wait is worth it for tender, sweet squash that will keep for months in storage.
With the right timing and care in harvest and storage, you can enjoy homegrown butternut squash from your garden through the winter. Just look for tan color, dry stems, hard rinds and dying vines to know when your winter squash are ready for picking.
When to Harvest Winter Squash Tip #3: Color
The skin on your squash will appear somewhat dull in comparison to younger, immature squash, and the color should have deepened throughout the season. The vines and leaves will be yellowed and fairly dead-looking. This is normal!
When to Harvest Winter Squash Tip #1: Watch the Clock
The tricky thing about knowing when to harvest winter squash is that many are fully sized-up LONG before they are ready to harvest. So don’t rush it! Most take at least 100 days (check your seed packets), and when in doubt, leave them out on the vine longer. Plan out your anticipated harvest date long in advance, and slowly taper off watering the plants a few weeks before that date. Then, they should sit there on the vine with no water for one or two weeks.
How to Tell if Butternut Squash is Ready to Harvest! Simple Tips to Help You
FAQ
Can you leave butternut squash on the vine too long?
Fruit left on the vine after the stem begins to cork will have no better quality or storage life than fruit that is harvested at this stage, and it may be …Sep 7, 2023
What happens if you pick butternut squash too early?
If the seeds aren’t fully mature when harvested, they steal nutrients from the flesh. This is why making sure butternut squash are fully ripened before they are picked.
Does butternut squash need to cure after picking?
Important note: Mini varieties of butternut squash like Honeynut and Honeypatch only need one month of curing time and should be eaten in months 2-3 post …Sep 1, 2024
When to harvest butternut squash?
Generally, harvesting occurs in late summer to early fall, ideally before the first frost. To determine the right moment to pick your butternut squash, look for a deep, evenly tan color and a hard skin. The best time to harvest is when the stem begins to dry out and the squash has reached its full size, usually around 80 to 110 days after planting.
When should butternut squash be planted?
They are planted in spring, following the last frost of the season. Their vines grow quickly, but the fruits may not be ready to harvest for three to four months from planting time. For smaller space gardens, bush varieties of butternut squash are also available. The plant requires full sun and slightly acidic to neutral soil.
When should I Harvest my squash?
This can start in late summer and run through fall, the typical months for harvesting tend to be September and October, but you want to have your fruits lifted by the time heavy frosts hit that can cause your squash to go soft.