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Old October 27, 2015   #1
SueCT
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Default Buying Butternut Squash

I love roasted Butternut Squash in the winter. It intensified the natural sweetness of the squash. I don't have room to grow it, so I buy it at local markets. This is the second year in a row I bought squash, half a bushel this time, that is bland and not sweet at all, even after roasting. Very disappointing. Of coarse I can "doctor it up" with brown sugar, maple syrup, etc. But with a good squash I don't have to. Does anyone who grows it know what causes this? Is it the variety, like a tomato? Is it weather, or when it is picked? Is it just "luck of the draw" when I buy it, or is there a way to tell a nice tasty squash before I buy it? I don't see any green on the squash and they are all good sized. While I am asking about it, if I do decide to grow a vine or two next year, is there any variety that will yield sweeter, tastier fruit?
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Old October 27, 2015   #2
Labradors2
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I've bought lousy, bland Acorn squash and been disappointed as usually I find it very tasty. Perhaps it depends on the soil in which it was grown.

This year, I was given seeds for Delicata squash which I grew, and it was the best tasting squash that I've ever eaten. The size was perfect for two people.

Let me know if you'd like some seeds.

Linda
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Old October 28, 2015   #3
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I think the butternut needs to be kept for a while before being eaten. It will improve in flavour. You said you like them roasted in the winter, but it is not winter yet.

Acorn squash are ready to eat in the fall.
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Old October 28, 2015   #4
SueCT
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I never heard that it will improve in flavor after picking. That would be very good news. I guess to be technically accurate I guess I should technically have said I enjoy it in fall and winter.
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Old October 28, 2015   #5
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I tell people that buy freshly picked butternuts, "For best flavor let sit in a warm dry place for 3 to 6 weeks before eating."
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Old October 29, 2015   #6
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That is the same for sweet potatoes. When they are fresh dug, they are starchy and do not taste very good. Let them cure for about a month and they are delicious.
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Old October 30, 2015   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by joseph View Post
I tell people that buy freshly picked butternuts, "For best flavor let sit in a warm dry place for 3 to 6 weeks before eating."
I find though that sometimes the butternut has started to rot a couple weeks into that! How can you tell if a butternut is freshly picked or be able to judge how long to let it sit?
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Old October 30, 2015   #8
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I always thought a butternut squash was supposed to taste like bacon, garlic, salt, pepper, and butter.

Worth
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Old October 30, 2015   #9
Ricky Shaw
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What butternut does everyone plant?

I'd like to grow it because I can trellis it, wife buys it already, but that 100DTM on the Waltham might be pushing it.

How about that honeynut butternut, anybody like that variety? Asking for a friend.
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Old October 30, 2015   #10
LDiane
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This year was my first time growing butternuts. I live on the Pacific coast of Canada, so usually grow maximas.

Winter Squash, Butternut Early Remix from Adaptive Seeds in Oregon performed fabulously - better than all my maximas. They were ready to pick the first week of September when I returned from a 7 week trip to South Africa and Namibia.

I haven't tried eating any yet, but they sure look good.
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Old October 31, 2015   #11
Ricky Shaw
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Butternut Early Remix from Adaptive Seeds is exactly what I had in mind, thank you Diane.

"In 2005, we started growing every early butternut variety we could find, including Nutterbutter, Hunter F1, Butterbush, Early Butternut F1, Butterfly F1, & more. We allowed them to cross freely & have been selecting for early ripening & 2-4 lb fruit with a classic butternut shape."

https://www.adaptiveseeds.com/winter...-remix-organic
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Old November 21, 2015   #12
kath
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ricky Shaw View Post
What butternut does everyone plant?

I'd like to grow it because I can trellis it, wife buys it already, but that 100DTM on the Waltham might be pushing it.

How about that honeynut butternut, anybody like that variety? Asking for a friend.
After lots of years of trialing butternuts, I settled on Burpee Butterbush because of the smaller size, shorter vines and the fact that I can save seeds from it. It's really early for me compared to most but the vines are still longer than I'd like, so I may give Butterscotch F1 a try next year; it's a 2015 AAS winner bred by Johnny's Selected Seeds and Pinetree Seeds is carrying it.
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Old November 21, 2015   #13
joseph
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Quote:
Originally Posted by luigiwu View Post
I find though that sometimes the butternut has started to rot a couple weeks into that! How can you tell if a butternut is freshly picked or be able to judge how long to let it sit?
My experience is that butternuts are very long-keeping if kept in a warm/dry place such as on a shelf in the bedroom. By long keeping I mean a year...

If a butternut is rotting a couple of weeks after picking, then I would guess that it was picked prematurely. Jab your fingernail into the squash. If it penetrates the skin then it was picked immature and will never really develop good taste.

Look at the fruit... If it's got splotches where the skin looks wrong, then maybe it was bruised or damaged in transit, or perhaps bugs were chewing on it. (Usually a darker color).
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Old November 21, 2015   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ricky Shaw View Post
What butternut does everyone plant?
I grow Lofthouse Moschata butternuts.

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Old November 21, 2015   #15
Tormato
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While I generally don't care for the (lack of ) flavor in butternuts, there is one variety that stands alone for sweetness, in my garden - Tahitian Melon Squash. It grows large, and is late, though.
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