You have taken the time to set and care for your butternut squash cautiously . You have watch them grow from bantam seedlings to stunning squashes . Now that the toilsome part is done , you need to know when to actually take them from the vine !

Butternut crush is an amazingaddition to your mealsand   supply peck of health benefit , too ( it ’s been link up to weight exit and keeping blood insistence in check to name a few ! ) . But before you start prepping butternut recipes , you first require to determine if your squash is quick for harvest . Here is everything you take to know about how to harvest butternut squash !

Materials Required

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To start your butternut squash harvest time , gather your tools !

Step One - Knowing When to Harvest

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You will see butternut squash getting close to harvest time between September and October ( reckon on your position ) . Take your metre harvesting your squash , only pick them as they ripen . However , if winter is near and frost is nigh , you must harvest your squash before the cold arrives . Cold weather , especially frost , will damage your squashes .

Step Two - Checking if Your Butternut Squash is Ripe

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Before you glean your squash , look into a few things to see if they are unfeignedly ripe for the pick . first off , check the color of the vines ! When your squash has reached potential , the vine connect to the butternut squash will appear dry and brown . This state is call ‘ corking ’ and occurs because the squash no longer requires as many nutrients .

Next , check the color of your squash . Green ? Not ready yet . Slightly tan ? Nope , but you are take tight . Fully tan ? It ’s time to blame ! carry a look at the colour of your squash helps verify whether it is ready for harvesting or not . If your butternut squeeze is a tan coloring material all over , this is a good house it is ready for harvest .

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finally , give your squash racquets skin a pigeon berry ! If your fingernail can easily rub the squash rackets , it is not quick . You want to find resistance to your fingernail ; if you do , the squash is ripe and ready for cut !

call back , if you are unsure about the ripeness of your squash vine , it is undecomposed to leave it to mature longer . Harvesting it too early mean your squash vine wo n’t savor its sound !

Step Three - Cut Your Harvest from the Vine

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take hold of a sharp knife , shear , or scissors grip from your kitchen , and choose the butternut squelch that is quick for harvesting . Carefully slice the stem and remove the squash racquets from the vine . Make certain 1 to 2 inches of stem is attached to your squash vine . When cutting your squash vine from the vine , it is also all important to take care not to damage the flora . For your squash rackets plant to keep to flourish , avoid breaking or cutting any other vine .

Pro Tip : Keep the stem on your newly harvested butternut squash ! The stem is what prevents your squash from going bad too betimes . receive the root on ensures it stays unfermented as long as possible .

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Step Four - Look Out for Bruises

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If you discover some squash vine on the vine are bruised or have cuts , harvest these forthwith . The longer a squash racquets has wounds on it , the more prone it is to waste or disease . If the damage is minimum , make it a precedence to use up these squashes first . Damaged squash will not store as well as those with thick , unblemished skins .

Another method acting to try and bring around bruises and cuts is curing . To cure your white walnut squash rackets , allow it to rest in a teetotal , quick , and airy place for several days . If squash rackets is severely damage or bruised , it is suggested to compost it .

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Step Five - Use Mindful Harvesting

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Butternut squash plants can develop anywhere from five to 20 squashes per plant , depending on the size of it and form . However , this does not mean you should glean them all at once ! Just like other harvest , heedfulness is of the essence when pick your produce . When butternut squash is leave on the vine , it preserve the squash , ripen it further until it is quick for crop . With this in mind , only beak the butternut squashes that are fully ripened . Too early , and your butternut squash will not have that sweet and luscious flavor for which it is famous .

At the close of the season , glean the continue squashes when they are good or ifwinter frostsare come . Squashes do not go well in hoar and cold weather . Bring them in before this meter come and hive away them in your pantry . If salt away in just conditions in your larder , a butternut squash lasts for about two calendar month !

Butternut squash, ripe pumpkin harvesting

Time to Get Cookin’!

Harvesting butternut tree squash is easy once you know what to look for !   Ripe squashes have an entirely tan color , show sign of corking , and are hard to get your fingernail into . Always look out for bruised or cut squashes as these are more prone to developing disease or rot .

Now that you bed how to harvest butternut squash , it is sentence to get cookin ’ ! snaffle those squash , prep your recipe , and get unrestrained for an teemingness of fall - season delicacy !

harvesting butternut squash fruits with pruning shears

butternut squashes growing on vine

Butternut squash growing in garden that is still green

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pile of butternut squashes

Box of ripe butternut squashes