When To Harvest Butternut Squash (& The Best Way To Do It)

Butternut squash (Cucurbita moschata) is a staple crop for fall harvests because it's a healthy vegetable full of vitamins, minerals, and fiber that can last for months when properly stored. You can even grow squash in a crowded garden if you know how. This annual fruiting vine produces several mature squash for harvest in the fall. But how do you know the best time to harvest your butternut squash? You can determine the ripeness of the squash based on three common signs: color, stem, and skin.

Even though squash is ready to harvest in the fall when temperatures start to drop, it is considered a warm-season crop. Generally, the plants won't survive once temperatures consistently stay below 45 degrees Fahrenheit. If you want to have a quality harvest with a long shelf life, it is important to make sure that the squash is fully mature before taking it from the vine. The color, stem, and skin will tell you when it's ready.

First, the most important consideration is the color of the squash. You will know that your harvest is almost ready when all the green streaks have faded and the color is a consistent tan or orange color. Wait at least two weeks after the color is uniform to harvest. If you allow the squash to continue to mature, the color could get deeper, which means more nutrients.

The second consideration is the stem. Generally, the stem will begin to "cork" and dry out. You will notice its color fade from green to brown, and brown cracks will appear. It may also shrink a bit. Once this happens, you do not need to continue to wait for further ripening unless there are still green streaks in the squash itself. Finally, the skin will harden when it is time to harvest. If you push your fingernails against the skin and they do not leave marks or break through, the squash is ready to pick.

While these are three helpful signs that you can look out for to know if your butternut squash is ready, you don't need to wait for all three to harvest. That being said, the longer you wait, the better the harvest will be. While you are watching and waiting, you can also keep an eye out for signs that your squash plants need to be pruned. Properly pruning your squash plants can result in a bigger, healthier harvest.

You don't want to navigate through all the mistakes everyone makes when planting squash just to mess it up when it is time to harvest. Harvesting your butternut squash is not difficult, but there is a bit of skill to it if you want the best quality squash. The harvesting process begins with how you pluck the squash from the vine. Use a knife or pruning shears to cut the stem. The most important thing is to make sure you leave some of the stem on the squash; about 1 inch is enough. This helps reduce the possibility of stem end rot, a fungal disease that will make the affected parts of the squash inedible.  

Once you have harvested, the squash will stay fresh for several weeks if you store it in a cool, dry place with good ventilation. However, you can extend the shelf life if you cure it after harvest. Curing is achieved by storing the harvest at 80 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit with 80% to 85% humidity for about two weeks. After curing is complete, the squash can last for another two or three months.