Squash is one of those annual fruits that provides year after year in multiple seasons. Some are overwhelmed by the amount of squash they produce and find different ways to store them. You might wonder how summer squash compares to winter squash in this regard. Perhaps you already know that certain methods work best for one or the other, or maybe you’ve decided to grow kabocha, pumpkins, or butternut for the first time. One thing is sure: if you successfully harvest, cure, and store your squash, you can enjoy it year-round. Spaghetti squash in summer, or zucchini all winter long is possible! Harvesting these fruits before the first frost and after the last frost is easy, and the curing process is too. Storing options abound, as well.
Food Safety
Be sure to follow food safety guidelines when preserving the crops.
You should remain vigilant when it comes to safety, especially in canning, preserving, or fermenting foods. Improper storage can cause disease. The CDC has a guide on Home Canning and Botulism. Consult this guide first if any of these methods are unfamiliar to you. Another excellent resource for storing food long-term is the National Center for Home Food Preservation. Their guide for storing long-term is great. Consult this to learn ways to add shelf life to your efforts in the garden. Follow guidelines properly before you embark on this endeavor.
How to Store Winter Squash
After harvesting the crops, sort out any with soft spots or dings on their surface. After you harvest winter squash, sort out any with soft spots or that have a little ding on the surface. These should be removed from long storage and consumed immediately or composted. Some types, like your butternut squash harvest, should be at the right color for its variety.
Once you harvest winter squash, wipe it down with a dry cloth to remove dirt and debris. Cure winter squash in an area at temperatures of 70 to 85°F (21-29°C) with relative humidity at 80 to 85 percent. Make sure the fruit is in a single layer. Some guides recommend curing squash in the sunlight out in the yard. While this is great for some regions, others may be too cold.
Proper curing of these winter fruits gives them a hardened protective layer of skin that keeps out mold and rot. It also promotes sweeter and more pleasing flavors by increasing the content of natural sugars in the flesh. Curing also reduces the fruit’s respiration rate, which makes long-term shelf life easier.
Curing Times
Curing time for the crops will depend on the variety.
Harvest all the squash on the vine before the first frost of the growing season. Cure both fully ripe and immature squash. This prevents the rot of fruits and gives you more fodder for cooking experiments. Keep good air circulation around the fruit either with a window screen or a structure made of chicken wire. A root cellar is a great place to cure and store squash from your pre-winter harvest. Properly cured fully matured squash is such a treat. Different winter squashes require different curing times after harvesting. Some don’t require any curing time at all.
For instance, pumpkins or pie pumpkins, spaghetti squash, acorn squash, delicata squash, and a few others are ready to eat right after harvesting. In particular, delicata squash has such a thin rind that it can be eaten right along with the flesh. Butternut squash, Hubbard, large kabocha squash, and Lakota squash have specific curing times. It’s essential to cure them for the skin to eventually coalesce for edible fruit.
Here is a list of the times needed for each winter variety that requires curing:
Butternut: 2 to 6 weeks
Hubbard: 4 weeks
Large kabocha: 4 to 6 weeks, depending on the variety
Lakota: 1 to 2 weeks
Dry Storage
The crops can be stowed in a dry place for up to 6 months. Winter squash can be stored in a dry place for up to 6 months depending on the variety. In a place with higher humidity than your average kitchen, or colder, they won’t last as long. Store them this way if you don’t want to incur the extra cost involved in canning, fermenting, and preserving.
Refrigeration
Cooked or pureed crops should be placed in the fridge in an airtight container. Since whole squash is best left in a place with good air circulation at room temperature, the refrigerator isn’t a good option for long-term storage. However, cooked or pureed winter squash keeps in an airtight container or resealable plastic bags for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator. Of course, this is not a good option for long-term storage, but it’s a great way to enjoy the squash multiple times in one week.
Freezing
The crops freeze very well by keeping them in a plastic bag or an airtight container in the freezer. Winter squash freezes very well. Keep it in plastic bags or an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months. Butternut squash stored in the freezer can then be used in soups and bread recipes. Note that you must remove the skin before storing it in the freezer. Freezer containers are great for storing winter fruits.
Dehydration
The crops can be dried in an oven or a dehydrator. To dehydrate winter gourds, peel the skin, cut it in half, and remove the seeds and stem. Save the seeds for next year’s garden, or enjoy them roasted and spiced. Cut the entire squash into ¼ inch strips and steam them until they are tender (about 3 minutes). Then dehydrate them at 140°F (60°C) for 2 to 3 hours. Reduce the temperature to 130°F (54°C) and let the squash dry until it’s brittle. Store it in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Use this method if you have access to a dehydrator or low-temperature oven.
Freeze-Drying
The crops can be freeze-dried to prolong their storage. Winter squash can be freeze-dried. It is best to cook the squash in your preferred method before freeze-drying as the firm flesh reconstitutes better if pre-cooked. This can prolong other methods of storage, such as smoked squashes. Follow the manufacturer’s directions for your unit.
Pickling
The crops should be quick-pickled and stowed in the refrigerator for about 1 week. Winter squashes don’t keep at room temperature in cans because they are low-acid foods. It’s essential to refrain from pureeing winter squash for these storage methods. Any winter squash that is pickled or canned should be treated as fresh food and stored in the refrigerator—never at room temperature, which is too warm for foods with low acid content. The result of pickling and storing winter squash in a warm room is botulism. Pumpkins, acorn squash, and butternut squash can be quick-pickled and stored in a refrigerator for about one week. Skin the squash, remove the stem, and seeds. Then slice them or cube them. Make your preferred brine with equal parts vinegar and sugar, and cook the squash in the brine before placing it in your jar. Let it cool and tightly seal it for the refrigerator.
Smoking
A shot of orange crops being smoked in a smoker in a well lit area outdoors
To smoke the crops, a smoker is required, but it will result in some of the tastiest ways to enjoy the crops. Although this method requires access to a smoker, it’s the tastiest way to enjoy winter gourds. It will not, however, store for long. Smoked winter squash should be eaten immediately, or 1 to 2 days after it is prepared.
After curing your gourd, cut it in half and remove the seeds and stem. Season it, and wrap it lightly in foil, poking holes in the area where the seed cavity is. This provides ventilation and air circulation that allows the smoke to permeate the skin. Place the squash in the smoker at temperatures of 225 to 230°F (107 to 110°C) for 1 ½ to 2 hours, or your preferred consistency. Serve it whole or sliced, and add butter and other spices.
Fermenting
Cut the crops into bite-sized pieces, submerge them in brine, then transfer them to a container with a lock. Although it’s not necessary to ferment winter squash, it is possible to do so. It’s important to err on the safe side and treat all forms of canned winter squash as fresh foods rather than those that can withstand long-term storage without spoilage. Use a gourd that is easy to cut into bite-sized pieces. Submerge it in brine, then transfer it to a can that has been pressure sealed, or has a fermentation lock. Allow it to ferment in the refrigerator. Winter squash is great in chutneys, with raisins, cinnamon, and garlic. Properly fermented winter squash will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 year. Once it is opened, consume it within a month.
Canning
Cube the gourd before placing them in a pressure-sealed container.
Canned winter squash must be pressure canned as it is a low-acid food. It is essential that you cube the winter squash rather than puree it. You can always puree it later when you’re ready to use it. This method requires access to a pressure canner, seals, lids, and a tool to remove air bubbles. These aren’t incredibly expensive but can cost around $100 on the lower end. Also, you need space in your kitchen to can gourds and other winter squash. Use a tested and safe recipe from the National Center For Home Food Preservation. Store winter squash in cans for 3 years. Properly canned winter squash can also have a storage life of up to 5 or 6 years. These cans are perfectly ok to store at room temperature, but once you open them, keep an eye on them and consume them quickly.