Winter Squash, Texas Style

I grew a few bush, and vine habit, winter squash this year. I only grow squash that are squash vine borer, resistant. There are two squash borer invasions per season here in my part of Texas.

I’ve been really happy with these. They are both the green and yellow, cushaw squash, varieties. They are about ready to bring in.

The borer resistant varieties of winter squash I recommend are: acorn squash, Dickinson pumpkin, green-striped cushaw, butternut squash and zucchetta (which can be used as both summer and winter squash). I had to start over several times, because I had a bunny in the backyard. It kept mowing the seedlings down. The bunny seems to have vanished, so my squash are currently safe.

Watch for powdery mildew, aphids and spidermites. Those can all be addressed naturally with a mix of dish soap, low fat milk, neem, cooking oil and several drops of oil of oregano. Although eventually, as the vine dies back naturally, those will show up and will be uncontrollable. If you want to try the above spray, put a golf ball in the bottom of the spray mixture to shake it and keep it mixed. You also need to get out in front of any disease and insects and begin spraying before the problem gets too bad.

To harvest: Watch for the tendrils near the fruit to start dying back, the vine dying back (which means no more nutrition or water is reaching the fruit) and try pushing your nail into the skin. You shouldn’t be able to pierce the skin when you do this. If you can, it’s not ready. Cut the fruit off and leave some tendril. This will help it dry outside of the actual meat of the fruit. Your squash should be a vibrant color and heavy.

How long can you store winter squash? Until spring, if they are harvested and stored right. Watch the blossom end and where you separated the fruit from the vine. If these start to look as if they didn’t dry and seal correctly, use those fruit first.

What can you use squash for? There are as many ways to use squash as your mind can imagine. You can go with a sweetened version with a similar taste to pumpkin pie. (I like soups like this), you can roast them in the oven with savory spices like cumin or rosemary (when I do this I tend to cube the squash and add cubes of root vegetables to roast with it.) or you can do a mix with sweet things (like raisins or dried cranberries) and savory spices like you find in Moroccan dishes.

Having a hard time getting your squash cut up? Pierce it all over with a fork and microwave it until tender. You will still need to remove the seeds and skin, but when tender it will be very easy to slice.

If you think you don’t like squash, you probably just need a different recipe. This is a chameleon fruit. It can taste fantastic in whatever category you are interested in trying it in. If you don’t like it, try it a different way.

Squash is similar to sweet potatoes. There is a sweetness to the flesh, but that doesn’t mean it has to be made into a sweet recipe.

I hope you try growing winter squash, and becoming an adventurous eater, by trying the many ways to serve it!

Meet you out in the garden to gather our fall harvest!

Crazy Green Thumbs