| Winter squash will taste bland and watery if not allowed to fully ripen on the vine. Wait until the plants die back and the shells are hard. A light frost can improve the flavor by changing some of the starch to sugar, but will also shorten the storing quality. It's better to harvest all ripe fruits before an expected frost. Harvest by cutting the fruit from the vine, leaving 3"-4" of stem. Dry in the sun until the stems shrivel and turn gray. Then store in a cool, dry area where temperatures remain between 45F and 50F degrees. |
