In another topic I read that winter squash shouldn't be harvested until the stem dries and cracks. I have a ton of ripening Delicata volunteers, and the one I picked last week (about 8" long) from a green stem seemed to taste fine. Do the milder-tasting winter squashes take better to early harvesting than the more robust pie types? Or should I leave the vines alone and come back when the stems are cracking or frost is threatening?