Can You Eat Spaghetti Squash Immediately after Harvesting? It should, though, be thoroughly dried and stored in a dry environment after cleaning. This will kill any mold or mildew that has developed or might develop on the skin. However, there is a school of thought that advocates wiping the rind of winter squashes with a weak 10% solution of household bleach mixed 90% with water. They also recommend that wet fruit should not be handled or harvested. Most experts warn that the skin should not be washed before you store spaghetti squash. Should You Wash Spaghetti Squash after Harvesting? Even though minor imperfections will “heal” during the curing process (see below), broken or bruised fruit doesn’t store well.Īny badly damaged squash will need to be cooked and eaten as soon as possible after harvesting to avoid the risk of rotting. It’s also very important to avoid damaging the skin of the squash. This will ensure it doesn’t rot at the point where it is attached to the stem. When you’re sure that it’s ready to pick at the end of the growing season, get yourself pruners or a sharp knife or garden scissors.Ĭarefully cut each squash off the vine, leaving one to three inches of stem attached to the fruit. This is a sure way of shortening the storage life of squash by causing unnecessary deterioration. If you pull it, you’re likely to break the stem and even dislodge it from the fruit. But don’t be tempted to try and rip or twist it off the vine. Spaghetti squash is pretty simple to harvest. If you don’t want (or need) all the fruit, you can give it to friends and family, or sell it at a local farmers’ market. Some will last for at least two months if you store the squash in a cool dry place. At this point, all it’ll be good for is compost.īut there’s no reason not to harvest all of it. If you don’t harvest spaghetti squash it will rot on the vine. What Happens If You Don’t Harvest Spaghetti Squash? When spaghetti squash is ripe the leaves and stems of the squash plants will turn brown as they dry out. It will harden up even more if you cure the fruit after you harvest spaghetti squash. This is because the skin dries out while it ripens and gradually toughens up. If you push your fingernail into the skin of the squash and you can’t penetrate the skin easily, the spaghetti squash is ripe. If you can scratch the skin off with a fingernail, the fruit isn’t ripe. Unlike summer squash, the skin of winter squashes is quite thick and tough when it’s ripe. When it’s golden yellow the squash is probably ready to pick. During the long growing season, the skin of the squash will gradually change color to ivory white, bright yellow, and then a dull but even golden yellow. The newly formed fruit of spaghetti squash plants is green. Here are a few guidelines that will help you identify if your spaghetti is ready to pick or not. Additionally, even if the fruit is the size it should be when it reaches maturity, it may not be ripe yet. It may be oblong or cylindrical and size varies.įor instance, when ripe, this type of squash may be anything from 30-15 cm in diameter and can weigh between 4 and 8 pounds (1.8-3.6 kg). ![]() ![]() Signs That Tell You When You Can Pick Spaghetti Squashįirst of all, you aren’t going to be able to judge the ripeness of spaghetti squash by size or shape. Once you know what you’re looking for, it’s not difficult to tell when spaghetti squash is ripe. ![]() These include color, skin features, and the vine they are growing on. If you don’t have a seed packet because you’re growing heirloom spaghetti squash seeds you have harvested, or you’ve lost the packet, there are several signs that will help you. Generally, the information on seed packets will be more specific in terms of the growing time the different varieties of squash require. But how do you know that it’s ripe and ready to harvest?Ī reliable rule of thumb is that you can harvest spaghetti squash about 90 to 100 days after it has been planted. Like all winter squashes, spaghetti squash is left to ripen on the vine. How Do You Know When Your Spaghetti Squash Is Ready to Harvest? They should be ready to harvest about 40 to 50 days after these appear. But the approximate date will depend on your spaghetti squash planting dates.Īnother indicator is the flowers. When to harvest spaghetti squash? Spaghetti squash, also called vegetable spaghetti and noodle squash, is usually ready to pick in late September or October. It has a mild flavor and tastes good with many typical pasta sauces. It doesn’t look or taste like spaghetti, but when it’s been cooked, the flesh can be shredded into long, thin, pasta-like strands using a fork. Spaghetti squash, like pumpkins and butternut, is a winter squash that is harvested in the fall.
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