How to Tell if Butternut Squash is Ready to Harvest! Simple Tips to Help You 

Its called curing and its best to do so 1 month in a cool dry place with air flow. Cutting the stem long also helps keep all things you don't want to enter the, out.

Awesome info! Thank you!😊Regina

Same information I was looking for too. I had a feeling she would have the right answers. 😎👍🏼

First time growing butternut squash. Last year they kept yellowing and dying (very small). Figured out my mistake and now I needed to know when to harvest. Perfect video. Thank you!

Thanks. Great info.

I throw my seeds out to get more squash lol. 1 in the store makes 20 in the garden.

@@erinbuyense5821 I sure agree - I get several free ones each year from the compost bile. LOLThis year my compost gave me three acorn, two butternut, and one pumpkin. What a bargain! I do save seeds from my butternut and acorn for planting in the garden but love eating them so much, also.

Are they ok to eat before they are ripe?

@@tanyapineda7212 I never thought about it before and don't know. I have one sitting on my counter that was not quite ready but the squirrels were getting to it. I will cook it then try it - if it's 'off' then I'll put it back in the compost to try again. I have a feeling it will just be bitter but will find out tomorrow night. (Update) I read in a comment below that they will continue to ripen and also that they are fine to eat - more like a summer squash and they won't store well. See the comments below for more info.

I am going to try that!

+_ThatChick Chris Ours too, for sure!

We will definitely try to do one on the gourds...this is our first year raising them as well so we are just learning. They are pretty amazing!

Is it the heat, rather than sunlight that cures them?

I'm so glad it was helpful.

I didn't know they would ripen after being picked but my 'compost gift' was nibbled on by a squirrel and I got it before they broke into the insides. But have noticed that it deepened in color since I picked it and am thrilled since I didn't expect it making it even sweeter. I'll keep letting it darken now, thanks!

@@iartistdotme if the skin isn't intact it won't keep well unfortunately. should use it before it starts to rot.

So glad you are having success this year! It is so rewarding...

Hello to Sweden from Kansas, U.S.A. Many people plant winter squash in July because they have a 90-day maturation period. However, I plant mine as early as possible because you can use the young, green, immature fruits as summer squash. Green butternut is THE TASTIEST summer squash--much better than yellow crook neck or zucchini. Try grating and sauteing in butter. If you plant both summer squash and winter squash, they will probably be from the same species category and will cross-pollinate so that you cannot save the seeds. Getting both summer and winter squash from the same plant is an ideal solution. As I'm sure you know, there are many species of vegetables that if you keep them picked, they keep producing since the goal in life for a plant is to produce seeds for the next generation. So when I harvest them green, I harvest all of them guilt-free because it keeps producing and producing and producing and there will be plenty of mature ones for the fall. In fact, (I have no scientific evidence for this, but) it seems I end up with more winter squash in the autumn because the plants decide to set more blossoms since I keep stealing "the babies". I often harvest the green ones about once a week. Also, the Mexicans use the squash blossoms for quesadillas. Look up a squash blossom quesadilla recipe. It is succulent. (And if you know any Mexicans in Sweden, they will love you if you present them with squash blossoms.) Once again, when I harvest blossoms, I pick all of them. A new batch of blossoms will appear in just a couple of days. Also, if you lift up the end of a squash vine and cut it where it flexes, you can use this as a nice green vegetable. You get about 12 or so inches (sorry, don't know metric). Since the vines are so prolific, they can always use this kind of pruning. If you're keeping track, that's four vegetables from one plant. How cool is that? Getting such multi-use is a great space-saver. Since they can be trellised, that's another space saver. You get two green vegetables and two yellow vegetables, so you are getting the color/nutrition variety. A couple of times, I've had all four forms in one meal. Are you familiar with FoodWishes.com? (Also a RU-vid channel) Try his Butternut Squash Soup recipe. In all honesty, it is the best soup I've ever had in my whole, entire life.

I really appreciate it!

Good to know. I’m in Mn and my butternut squash do not have a brown stem yet, but we’re hitting 31 degrees tonight! I was worried if I should pick them because of frost but they’re not ready to harvest yet, still green stem! 😬