Squash! Squash! Squash!

Winter Squash Harvest!

What a difference a week makes! Last week on the blog we discussed how excited we were to get started with the winter squash harvest. Yesterday we finally got to it and spent all morning picking spaghetti, acorn, and butternut squashes. The delicata will stay in the ground until they are a bit more ripe; in the meantime we'll pick here and there for the CSA and whole sale accounts. The greenhouse has now transformed into the winter squash curing site for the next 10 days or so. This process allows excess water to exit the fruit and prevents rotting, while enhancing long term storage rates. In addition, curing concentrates the natural sugars giving the squash a bit sweeter taste.

We cure our winter squash first so we can store them in our walk-in cooler for up to 6 months depending on the variety. This extends our wholesale income while also supplying us delicious food through the fall and into the winter.