Storing winter squash

[Yasminh14]

I'm sure there are probably threads from previous years about this, but couldn't find any. So just wanted to ask for people's tips on storing winter squash. We now have 8 Hunter butternut nicely cured and 8 Sweet Dumpling also looking about ready to harvest (I understand that these do not need curing, but if anyone knows different, please do advise). We also have Waltham butternut which were incredibly slow to get going and only now having fruit set. As long as weather stays warm here, I hope we will get around half a dozen of these too (would have been many more, but was ruthless and cut off anything that didn't look it would have time to mature).

Now we are not sure where to put these for storage. According to what I've read, you're supposed to store them at between 10C and 15C in a well-ventilated spot. It's probably not going to be that cool here for some time, hopefully that won't matter too much? We have a couple of outbuildings where we could put them, but am concerned about mice. Would mice eat them?? Can I keep them in a cardboard box with holes punched in the sides for extra ventilation? Does it matter if they touch each other, or should they be spaced? I've seen pics of them suspended in nets from shed ceilings, but don't know how we'd manage to do that here. What do other people do?

[Thelma Sanders]

I put them on a shelf in the shed, then when the colder weather starts I bring them indoors in to an unheated bedroom, on trays.

[Alison]

I do as Thelma does although they tend to come into the bedroom earlier in case I forget. Re curing - I've always cured all winter squash, don't know about any that don't need it but could be proved wrong.

[VolesAteMyPeas]

I think it's advisable to store them spaced from each other. The risk if they're touching is that if one starts to rot or mould, it'll spread to all of them very easily. I've grown sweet dumpling this year ( and Hooligan too which is similar) and I'm planning to cure mine. Both my allotment books say to do so!

I'm not sure yet where I'll store mine though. We have no shed, no spare room, no outhouse, no garden. On the stairs is most likely! Although not very cold. We'll muddle through. Either that or we'll be eating an awful lot of pumpkin and squash next month.

I also have to say how wonderful it must be to live in Dinan. We camped there last summer and it was absolutely beautiful. Better climate for squash certainly! It's my dream for retirement. (Which is a long long way away).

[snakeshack]

I just put mine on a shelf in the larder. My festival lasted through to the end of June this year


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[Yasminh14]

I also have to say how wonderful it must be to live in Dinan. We camped there last summer and it was absolutely beautiful. Better climate for squash certainly! It's my dream for retirement. (Which is a long long way away).

Yes, it is wonderful living here. We are also a long way from retirement, but as we were lucky enough to have a property in London with loads of equity (just because we bought our house many years ago before the boom, not because we are loaded or anything) and as we don't have children, we saw no reason to continue in the rat race just because it's what society dictates. You only have one life. Our goal now is to find a property to renovate where we can have a gite for holiday letting income, and become completely self-sufficient in veg, and maybe even to some degree in meat by keeping sheep and chickens. We are already almost there in the veg dept. Even if you don't have loads of equity, property is so cheap here compared to the UK, I really think anyone could do this if they really wanted to. It just takes the courage to make the leap. So don't just think of it in terms of your retirement - why not just do it?

[Yasminh14]

Thanks for your replies, I will cure my Sweet Dumpling then. Although they've been left on the plant for a good few weeks after ripening and already feel pretty hard. A bit more curing can't hurt though.

What about mice, does anyone think these are a problem? If we do store in an outbuilding, they are unavoidable here in the country. Do they eat squash?