Help - my butternut squash are going mouldy

[Woofster]

I had a decent crop of butternuts but they have started to go mouldy - from the stalk down. They are still mostly ok so I would like to cook them up quick so as to salvage my precious crop. I already have a lot of soup in the freezer. I am looking for recipes for cooking and freezing the stuff. Any ideas, suggestions ?
Also why has this happened to my squashes ? They are kept in my shed which is a decent one (i.e solid and dry). Was it a bad idea to store them by the window ?

[Dobby]

some of my pumpkings did the same. I go out and have a feel of them about every uther day
I have just choped some of them up and blanched thm and frozzen them that way we can still have rost pumpking and squash

[Nicos]

Mine never seem to last beyond Xmas without rotting either- maybe they just aren't meant to store long?

Different varieties of apple store better than others ( says she with a big box of wrinkly apples in the shed).So maybe the squashes are the same?

Would be interesting to know how other people's have stored.

[Flummery]

You really have to make sure they are ripe - which is best achieved outside in the sun. Therefore, this last season - har-har! Fat hope! As I don't have a massive veg plot I have eaten all but one of my squash/pumpkin harvest - I have one Baby Bear pumpkin left which I'm hoarding. It's on the dining-room windowsill and is rock hard. Its days are numbered though.
For storage you should be able to knock on the skin and it's like knocking on wood. You also need to leave a decent length of stem on, which also has to dry. I've never kept them in a shed but then, as I say, I've never had a huge quantity. Can't help further, sorry.

I'd be tempted to chop into chunks, toss in oil, part roast then cool and open freeze. You can then pop a portion or two in to roast later.

[Hazel at the Hill]

(*note to self to check the Prize Pumpkin which is sitting on a pallet in the garage.)

[Flummery]

Hazel, either have a party (curried pumkin soup a great starter and winter warmer) or make a Golden Coach!

[Hazel at the Hill]

Recalling the 'runner up' prize pumpkin which I used fresh and carved, it was bloody hard work getting into the thing and carving it.

Any tips - apart from using a hatchet or a circular saw...?!?

[scarey55]

Haze, if you plan to freeze it partly/completely cooked, you could try cooking it, then taking the skin off and chopping it up afterwards.

Oops, scratch that don't 'spect you will be able to get it in the oven will you?

[Flummery]

I only grow small ones. There are only 2 of us at home. I have now started cooking these in the microwave for about 4 minutes (but you do need to stab it with a knife first to let the steam out and prevent an explosion!) So you don't need to peel them and the cooked flesh scrapes off the hard rind a treat. However I assume if it's a prizewiner it's bigger than your microwave? (or kitchen?)

[Hazel at the Hill]

Funny thing, the vine - I can jus' tell that you two are grinning!!

Hrmph.

Will retrieve from the garage later and update you - think that the microwave is right out, but the oven, maybe????

[Woofster]

Thanks everyone for your advice and suggestions. I like yours, Flummery, to part roast and then open freeze. I think you are right about them not being fully ripe as a result of the lousy summer. Also a consolation to know others have not managed to keep their squash that long. This is the first year I have had a so called glut. I only managed to produce three Baby Bears off two plants but they were lovely - especiallly the seeds roasted and sprinkled on top. I am going to grow them again this year.

[kentvegplot]

I rememeber hearing someone on the radio (Bob Flowerdew maybe?) say that Butternuts won't keep much beyond New Year, so I don't think you've done anything wrong.

My favourite recipe is roasted slices of butternut as a veg with anything/everything

[momol]

Woofster,

Some butternut keep longer than the other plus they have to be really ripe when harvest and pre dried ( to harden it's peel and to loosen some excessive moisture).

You could microwave them like Flummery's suggestion. I like to bake them as it's taste became more intense and after baked used it in puree; in soup ; in gnocchi; in pie ;in bread; or even in ravioli filling and if still got some left, freeze it for later use.

Momol

[kernowyon]

in bread.

my tummy has started gurgling at the thought of this, never thought of using butternuts in bread, might venture out to shed if it stops p***ing down for 30 seconds (hasn't relented all morning here) and have a go at making some, if they haven't rotted like other peoples have!

[Hazel at the Hill]

You could microwave them like Flummery's suggestion. I like to bake them as it's taste became more intense and after baked used it in puree; in soup ; in gnocchi; in pie ;in bread; or even in ravioli filling and if still got some left, freeze it for later use.

Oh! How do you use it in bread - sounds wonderful!!