Had to harvest winter squash early -- help with storage prep needed

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

I grew two different varieties of Kabocha (Black Forest and Sunshine) and had to harvest -- some had separated from the vine by themselves, but mainly because the vines were dying. I'm not sure if it was natural die-back already or some sort of disease that hit, but regardless I now have a wheelbarrow full of squash. Most of them I think are ripe already anyway because the stems are mostly brown (some with a bit of green streaked in) and th skins is relatively hard - not super-hard, but definitely not soft. Some the them are not ripe yet, but I'll just eat them as-is so as not to waste them.

I am new to trying to store winter squash, but I know I have to cure them. What is a good way to do it this time of year? Would leaving in the wheelbarrow in the barn be ok (out of direct sunlight but is warm in there), or should I leave outside in the direct sun (temps not brutal - 70-80s predicted this week --- supposed to rain, though). Do I need to cover them with something, maybe shadecloth? What about the critters? Also, should I dip them in a dilute bleach or vinegar solution before storage?

The bigger problem is storage -- I'm not sure of the temps in the crawl space right now, after curing for a couple weeks, I need to store them cool about 50s-60s, right? Any suggestions? Barn and garage are going to be too warm, only place I can think of is the crawl.

Ugh too early for this!

Appreciate any tips/tricks you share - this will be a learning experience for me, that's for sure.

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Comments (3)

daninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)
8 years ago
Not sure why this good query never got answered. We had some system outages a few weeks ago.

Curing is mainly a matter of letting any small cracks in the skin seal (but internally, the sugars also develop). Many recommend warmish (80F) temps to do that curing, but the temperature likely just affects the curing time. Certainly keep them dry! But some say mildly humid conditions are helpful. Direct sun probably isn't going to be helpful.

As to storage, temperature isn't really an issue, but don't let them freeze. Wash the surface with a 10:1 bleach dilution to kill surface bacteria, and then maybe wipe a thin layer of vegetable oil over them.

My winter squash mostly last 4-6 months that way, kept at room temperature.
porkchop_z5b_MI
Original Author
8 years ago
Thanks for the reply! I took them out of the wheelbarrow yesterday and spread them out in a single layer on a mesh table in the barn -- it's pretty warm in there. I did cook one today because I noticed it had a hole in it and a bit of mold on the stem, figured that might infect all the others. The skin was hard on this one, so I'm guessing the curing is finished - ? . I'll probably get to trying to store them this weekend, have to figure out the best spot, maybe in the crawl space under the addition, on the shady side of the house. I thought best storage temp is around 50 F - ?. What should I store them in? I don't have any wire baskets, and I'm worried about critters getting at them -- we have mice in the attic, they're probably in the crawl, too.

Any other tips/tricks appreciated - this is a learning curve year!
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laceyvail 6A, WV
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
I store mine in a cool, dry room in the house. Crawl space is too moist usually.