How to Harvest, Cure, and Store Winter Squash -- Harvest to Table (2024)

Harvest winter squashes when they are mature. Winter squash is mature when its rind cannot be scratched with a thumbnail.

Winter squashes include Acorn, Butternut, Hubbard, Banana, Buttercup, Spaghetti, and pumpkins.

How to Harvest, Cure, and Store Winter Squash -- Harvest to Table (2)

Winter squash refers to squash planted in spring, grown in summer, harvested in fall, and stored for winter use. Winter squashes require more days to reach maturity than summer squash. Winter squashes store well while summer squashes do not.

Table of Contents

When to harvest winter squash

Winter squash is ready for harvest when the rind is hard and is difficult to scratch with a fingernail. The skin of mature squash will be dull and dry looking; immature squash will have bright skin with a sheen.
Harvest winter squash before nighttime temperatures dip into the 40°s F and before the first frost.
Squash harvested after frost will be sweeter but will not store as long as squash harvested before frost.

How to Harvest, Cure, and Store Winter Squash -- Harvest to Table (3)

How to harvest winter squash

Cut the squash away from the vine cleanly with a pruner or lopper.
Leave a 2- to 4-inch stem to cure with the squash. Ripping fruit from the vine can leave a wound that can turn to rot.

How to prepare winter squash for curing

Squash with a broken or loose stem will not store well. The exception is Hubbard-type squash which stores best with the stem completely removed.
Clean squash for storage with a dry towel; remove dirt and debris and any blossom that remains on the squash.
Don’t use water to clean the skin of the squash. Keep the squash dry. Do not handle or harvest wet fruit.
Cure and store only blemish-free squash; do not cure squash that is bruised or punctured or deeply cut. Curing can help heal minor cuts and scratches.
Slightly immature squash can be cured but it best to harvest and cure mature squash.

How to Harvest, Cure, and Store Winter Squash -- Harvest to Table (4)

How to cure winter squash

Winter squash when harvested must be prepared for storage. Preparation is simple—called curing—and requires little effort. Curing is essential for the long storage of winter squash.
Curing—a form of drying—allows excess moisture in the squash to simply evaporate and slows the fruit’s respiration rate; both are important for long-term storage.
As water evaporates from the squash, natural sugars are concentrated and the squash becomes sweeter tasting.
Curing also causes the skin or rind of winter squash to become harder. Hard skin slows respiration, helps the stored squash resist rot and collapse, and allows long storage.
Cure squash and pumpkins for 10 days at temperatures between 80°F and 85°F and relative humidity of 80 to 85 percent.
Curing winter squash requires about 10 to 14 days of simply letting the squash sit in a warm place with good air circulation. To cure winter squash set it on an elevated rack or mesh frame—chicken wire stretched across a frame or a window screen will do—and let the air circulate. Keep the squash dry during curing.
Winter squashes that require curing include Blue Hubbard, Buttercup, Butternut, and Spaghetti. Acorn squash is a winter squash that should not be cured; curing Acorn squash will reduce its storage life and quality.
If squash can not be cured outdoors, use a small cabinet with a thermostatically controlled electric heater or set squash in a warm shed or garage with a small fan to maintain good air circulation.

How to store winter squash

Store winter squash in a cool, dry place; store winter squash at 50° to 55° F with a relative humidity of 50 to 70 percent—higher humidity can result in rot.
Store cured squash on a shelf or rack, not on the floor.
Keep the skins of cured squash dry to prevent the growth of fungi and bacteria.
Do not store squash near apples, pears, or other ripening fruit. Ethylene gas released from ripening fruit can cause the squash to yellow and eventually rot.
Wiping the skin of winter squash for storage with 1 part household bleach in 10 parts of water can slow the growth of microorganisms that can cause rot.
Inspect stored winter squash weekly. Squash that starts to spot should be moved away from other stored squash and used as soon as possible. Skin spotting can be a sign of rot setting in.

How to Harvest, Cure, and Store Winter Squash -- Harvest to Table (5)

Storage life of winter squashes

The storage life of winter squashes is:

Acorn and spaghetti squash, about 1 month. The skin of Acorn-type squashes stored longer than 1 to 2 months will become yellow and the flesh stringy.
Butternut, 2 to 3 months.
Hubbard types, 3 to 6 months.
Banana, 3 to 6 months.
Buttercup or turban types, 3 to 6 months.
Jack O’ Lantern and Connecticut field pumpkins can be stored 2 to 3 months.

Squash articles at Harvest to Table:

How to Grow Summer and Winter Squash

How to Plant and Grow Pumpkins

Squash Seed Starting Tips

Pumpkin Seed Starting Tips

How to Harvest and Store Summer Squash

How to Harvest, Cure, and Store Winter Squash

How to Harvest and Store Pumpkins

Eight Ways to Cook and Serve Summer Squash

Seven Ways to Cook and Serve Winter Squash

Five Ways to Cook Pumpkins

How to Make Pumpkin Ice Cream

How to Make Creamy Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkin With Coconut Curry

Piloncillo and Pumpkin

How to Cook and Serve Squash Blossoms

Squash Growing Problems: Troubleshooting

Squash Vine Borer Organic Pest Control

Squash Bug Organic Pest Control

Corn, Beans, and Squash: The Three Sisters

Garden Planning Books at Amazon:

More harvest tips:

Learn when and how to harvest your favorite vegetables for the best flavor and texture. Get storage tips for each crop. Click on the vegetable you are growing below.

Artichoke
Arugula
Asparagus
Beans
Beets
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Cantaloupe — Melons
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Chard
Collards
Corn, Sweet
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Endive and Escarole
Garlic
Jerusalem Artichoke
Kale
Kohlrabi
Leeks
Lettuce
Melons
Okra
Onions
Parsnips
Peas
Peppers
Potatoes
Pumpkins
Radicchio
Rhubarb
Rutabaga
Spinach
Squash, Summer
Squash, Winter
Sunchokes
Sweet Potato
Swiss Chard
Tomatillo
Tomatoes
Turnips
Watermelon

FAQs

How to Harvest, Cure, and Store Winter Squash -- Harvest to Table? ›

Curing helps to harden the skin of winter squash and can even aid in healing minor wounds. Proper curing will improve the shelf life of winter squash too. If the weather conditions are right, you may cure your squash in the field for 7–10 days after cutting off the vine. Look for dry, warm days at 70–80°F.

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How to cure winter squash for storage? ›

How do you store cut winter squash? ›

If you cut up more than you need for today's recipe, you can store the unused portion in the fridge for at least four days. Just make sure it's covered, ideally in a close-fitting container or zippered plastic bag. Cut butternut squash also can be frozen. Just spread it out on a cookie sheet, and flash freeze it.

How do you store butternut squash after harvesting? ›

Storage Conditions

Squash store best at an even 50°F in a dark place. This could be a cool and dark shelf, cabinet, or drawer in the kitchen, pantry, or closet. They also store well in a warmer section of the root cellar such as on the top shelf.

Should I wash winter squash before storing? ›

Scrub winter squash with a vegetable brush under cool running water before cooking or cutting. Do not use soap. Do not wash squash before storing. Keep squash away from raw meat and meat juices to prevent cross-contamination.

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What is the best way to preserve winter squash? ›

Pumpkins and squash can be preserved for later use by freezing, canning or drying. They should have a hard rind and stringless mature pulp. Small size pumpkins (sugar or pie varieties) make better products.

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How to tell when winter squash is ready to harvest? ›

The skin on your squash will appear somewhat dull in comparison to younger, immature squash, and the color should have deepened throughout the season. The vines and leaves will be yellowed and fairly dead-looking.

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Where is the best place to store winter squash? ›

The ideal temperature is 50 to 55 degrees, though I had good luck storing winter squash in an unfinished basem*nt where the temps were often in the low 60s. They also like it dark. Store squash off of the floor, preferably in a container with air circulation—a milk crate or wire storage drawer works great.

How long after harvesting butternut squash can you eat it? ›

Depending on the type of pumpkin or squash, it should last 2 to 6 months when stored at the ideal temperature of between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit; a cool basem*nt can work well. Under ideal storage conditions, acorn squash can last up to 2 months, butternuts 2-to-3 months, and hubbarbs 5 to 6 months.

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What is the best temperature for storing butternut squash? ›

You'll see best storage results when you stash squash in a cool, dry spot. For most winter squash, store at 50º to 55º F with relative humidity of 60 to 70 percent.

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How to store yellow squash long term? ›

We recommend preserving summer squash or zucchini by pickling or freezing. Summer squash is good for you. It is low in calories and many varieties provide vitamin C, potassium and, if the skin is eaten, beta carotene. Preserve summer squash by freezing, pickle them for canning or dry them.

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Can I eat winter squash without curing? ›

When winter squash come off the vine in late summer, they are perfectly edible and delicious, but the skin is a little too soft and vulnerable to last through long storage. Enter curing.