All you need to know about Squash at Ignatius Farm.
If you are a CSA member, you will have noticed winter squash appearing in your pick up the last few weeks. It’s always a sure sign that fall is here. This fall we had the mad scramble to harvest winter squash before the first frost hit on September 14th. Farm Manager Heather said the earliest she has seen frost is September 6th!
At Ignatius Farm we grow the following winter squash: hubbard, delicata, butternut, buttercup, spaghetti, acorn, gourds and pumpkin. We grow edible (pie, seed, dual purpose) and decorative (jack-o lanterns) pumpkins. This is the first year we have grown gourds since 2009! Winter squashes are distinguished from summer squash in that they are harvested when the fruit and seeds inside are mature, evident by the firm skin. Winter squash can be stored for several months and is sweeter than summer squash. Summer squash includes zucchini, patty pan, crookneck, and other soft-skinned squashes.
Have you ever wondered about the process of planting and caring for squash? I sat down with Farmer Christine to gather a bit of information about squash on the Farm.
We have direct seeded for 4 years now. Last year due to cold, cold wet soil we had to switch back to seeding in the greenhouse a month late but it saved the crop. We mulch the beds with plastic to keep the beds warm and suppress weeds, and mulch the pathways with straw to also suppress weeds.
The final days on the plant are the most important time for winter squash. These final days send all the goodness to mature the seeds. When it is time to harvest, harvesting is done by cutting the vine close to the peduncle. Peduncle??? Yes, that’s the stalk bearing a flower or fruit! Ideally harvesting is done before it gets too cold at night and we also like to bring them in dry to avoid passing along any diseases that are spread with the rain. Squash are inspected at time of harvest and not brought in if there is a problem. The harvested winter squashes are put into bins and brought to the greenhouse and laid on airing racks to cure for two weeks. Once cured, they are moved to storage bins, weighed and labelled for future CSA pick up.
Now, how do we cook the squash that we bring home from CSA pick up? I like to cut the squash in half, scrape out the seeds with an ice cream scoop, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and place cut side down on a cookie sheet. Bake in 400 F oven for 30-40 minutes or until fork tender. Farmer Christine has a sweet tooth and has a slightly different way to cook. Instead of cooking cut side down, Farmer Christine adds to the cavity; maple syrup, butter, thyme, salt and pepper and bakes in 400 F oven for 30-40 minutes or until fork tender. Farmer Don’s favourite squash is delicata and he likes to cook it as follows: split delicata in half, de-seed, dice and toss into a mix of diced root vegetables. Add in oil, salt and herbs and roast at 450 F for about 30 minutes. Delicata skins are so thin they are quite edible. Yum. I have two new ways to cook squash!
