How long will butternut squash keep after it is picked?
Hardiness Zone: 6a
By Dorothy from Cleveland, OH
If there no bad spots, nicks in the skin, etc. it will keep for about eight months in a cool basement. You should check the squash about once a week, though, to see if it's starting to go bad. In that case you can cut out the bad spot and cook it immediately. Enjoy!
I'd wrap each individual squash in newspaper so they didn't touch one another in case one started going soft. Do check them over frequently though and use any squash that appears to be getting a soft spot. We've kept them over winter and into spring when we were in Michigan. I think about 5 months we had plenty of good squash, used them for baking, stuffing, and made some wonderful "pumpkin pies" with them too.
We knew folks who stored them in straw in their root cellars.
Hope this helps.
Pookarina
I too have kept my butternut squash for many months through the winter. I left it on the vine as long as possible then when I did have to bring it in (it was probably close to October) I set mine in a basket using it (them, I had several of different sizes) as a center piece for either the dining or coffee table. They looked really pretty and were often a conversation piece, starting with, "are those yours from your garden?" Even more so by April! I think that was when I used the last one. They were so, so good! I have some growing now along with spaghetti squash. Good luck with them, and enjoy.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
How do you freeze butternut squash?
By Linda V
I chunk mine, then blanch it. Drain and pat dry, then put into zip lock bags and freeze.
Blanch it, let it dry, and freeze it flat.
How do you freeze butternut squash? Can it be frozen in the raw form?
By Dorothy Stella from Rochester, NY
If I was going to freeze butternut squash I would cook it first by any method. The problem with this is that you have to then use it in soups or puree'd.
You should bake first but freezing without precooking is not a good idea. :-( Cut in half and place cut side down on baking sheet. Cook until tender. Scrape pulp from rind and mash or remove rind and cube.