How to Tell if Butternut Squash is Ready to Harvest! Simple Tips to Help You

You've planted your butternut squash and watched them grow all summer. Now it's almost fall and they are big and beautiful. Do you know how to tell if they are ready to pick? You will learn some very simple tricks in this video so you pick your squash at just the right time!**Some of our MOST FAVORITE homestead products**
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[@cjboac9864]

Leaving them to harden is best to leave in the sun not over one week, then on a covered porch out of the sun for one full week! They harden well & better for longer storage! Wiping them down with apple cider or white vinegar using a cloth or paper towel helps keep bacteria off. Then store in dry area, pantry, garage or shed. Laying them on a bed of Rice straw really helps too! Helps with moisture problems! They’ll last for many months! 👍❣️

[@cindys.w.8566]

Its called curing and its best to do so 1 month in a cool dry place with air flow. Cutting the stem long also helps keep all things you don't want to enter the, out.

[@johnreginahenderson7032]

Awesome info! Thank you!😊Regina

[@lizchattin7016]

That's precisley the info I was after. I appreciated the clear shots of how brown/dry the stem should be before harvesting them. Good video!

[@MsCherokee70]

Same information I was looking for too. I had a feeling she would have the right answers. 😎👍🏼

[@laurad7439]

First time growing butternut squash. Last year they kept yellowing and dying (very small). Figured out my mistake and now I needed to know when to harvest. Perfect video. Thank you!

[@jimthompson5272]

Thanks. Great info.

[@LWeideman1]

Thanks! I’m standing in my squash patch trying to decide what is ready. Now I know.

[@daveandellenbartlett8725]

Thank you Sarah! Grew butternut for the first time this year and there you are 6 years ago teaching me how and when to harvest it. 😊

[@thomasjefferson7868]

I’m glad I saw your video so I don’t waste all of my hard work by guessing!!

[@jennibradley435]

Just came across this video and it is SO helpful! This is the first year I have grown butternut squash and my husband and I have been debating whether or not its time to pick my one big one yet. From your video i have learned it is not time and to watch my stem ( everything else looks ready to go). Thank you!

[@grace2garden403]

Thank you for showing the difference in the vines.

[@marysewell9200]

You can't go wrong with planting butternut, they are soooooo yummy 😋

[@ponderosapondhomestead4344]

Thanks for this video from 7 years ago. I did a KZbin search on how to know when to harvest butternut squash. Picked yours because you always have helpful videos.

[@CupcakeBaker1982]

Needed this right now. I was just about to harvest but thought I’d double check. Thanks to you I’m going to leave it until the stems get dryer. Thank you xxx

[@dnkjb]

This morning we were talking about when to pick the Butternut Squash, so I googled it and of course a Living Traditions video came up. Exactly the information we needed. Thank you Sarah!

[@phyllispeltier1911]

I love butternut squash soup

[@iartistdotme]

Love these squash but only just discovered that the seeds were the best part! While I adore the flavor of baked squash, now I bake the seeds next to them in the oven. I remove the innards, pull the seeds from the strings (way easier than pumpkins) and wash them a little. Dry them, toss them in a little bit of butter, cook until done and add salt. They are so much less fibrous than pumpkin and taste far better. I hate that all these years I've been throwing them away as waste or compost. They are really good roasted, candied and sprinkled on top of butternut soup.

[@erinbuyense5821]

I throw my seeds out to get more squash lol. 1 in the store makes 20 in the garden.

[@iartistdotme]

@@erinbuyense5821 I sure agree - I get several free ones each year from the compost bile. LOLThis year my compost gave me three acorn, two butternut, and one pumpkin. What a bargain! I do save seeds from my butternut and acorn for planting in the garden but love eating them so much, also.

[@tanyapineda7212]

Are they ok to eat before they are ripe?

[@iartistdotme]

@@tanyapineda7212 I never thought about it before and don't know. I have one sitting on my counter that was not quite ready but the squirrels were getting to it. I will cook it then try it - if it's 'off' then I'll put it back in the compost to try again. I have a feeling it will just be bitter but will find out tomorrow night. (Update) I read in a comment below that they will continue to ripen and also that they are fine to eat - more like a summer squash and they won't store well. See the comments below for more info.

[@tabilittlefield1326]

I am going to try that!

[@angiegreen6366]

When the stem withers from the butternut they are ready to harvest. If you pick it too soon it tends to be watery and not as sweet at least here in New Zealand xx

[@colliecoform4854]

This video popped just as we were having this discussion. Once it stops raining I'm going to the garden and checking them.

[@KRay-fb2vf]

Now I understand what to look for, thank you very much. We pressure can butternut squash.

[@doramather4729]

I like adding steam butternut squash too Mac & cheese because I am adding a vegetable to a cheese and pasta meal. So good. I also like planting butternut squash in my garden.

[@LisaMarieTattersall]

First time I grew butternut squash! Thanks for your valuable info. I picked 12 not ripened. Will wait! God bless 😇😍

[@auntieg9431]

Thank you. I'm a first time grower (in the uk) and really grateful for your wisdom and experience from 'the other side of the pond'. Thanks so much

[@darleneblock7575]

Thank you, this is our first year for growing these and did not know what to do ! Appreciate your knowledge.

[@NatashaCraig92]

Very thorough and informative! I've watched other videos but still had my doubts because my squash's stems are part brown and green. You cleared up any doubts I had. Thank you!

[@kitchenmadamskitchen2564]

I came here because I planted one n didn't know if it was ready to pick it or not. Thanks for sharing.

[@northerndeplorable6653]

Thank you for this excellent and straight-to-the-point video. Just the info we needed!

[@kennysilver9769]

You did a great job in showing the way to tell when they are ready to harvest. This is my second time viewing this video. I watched a couple of other channels, but could not tell much because they didn't show close-ups like you did. Thanks you!!

[@samanthawillard2759]

Thank you, this was incredibly helpful! Harvesting my first butternut squash soon!

[@cindys.w.8566]

We've had butternut last us 15 months in our back room. The stems should be cut as long as possible for the best long term storage. The taste will change a lot if picked to soon and have little flavor unless you PICK when ripe, don't be in a hurry the flavor is just amazing when picked when ripe and cured at least 1 month+

[@beebop9808]

I had these pretty gourds come up under my bird feeders that all of a sudden started looking like butternut squash. lol Makes sense. I love butternut squash and probably threw seeds out for the birds and critters to eat. Pay back, I'm lovin it! lol Thanks for the harvest info! Plants are starting to die back now.

[@FloraForever]

I'm very happy with this video, lots of good Information to help out other people who are just as keen to grow these plants as much as you are, thank you!😀

[@anabarol1687]

Thanks, I planted mine last January thus year. Now there's flower already

[@mother2midwife]

Lol- it’s like waiting to cut an umbilical cord! We should wait to cut it till the cord is white and the blood has all drained back into the baby’s body ☺️ This is so helpful for a new gardener ❤️

[@kristie4890]

Thank you so much for making this video! I LOVE butternut squash! For the taste and how easy they are to bake but also because they are so easy to store, just pick, cure and store. I now know exactly when to harvest them. Blessings to you all!

[@ishaa5948]

Thank u. I was thinking about getting rid of all of my squash plants because I don't want to pollinate by hand. But these have just started to bloom so I have hope🙏

[@mintcream1186]

This was a very useful video. I’m growing winter squash for the first time and I had no idea how to tell when it was done thank you.

[@seeweezeke]

this lady seems like a sweety you can tell she really enjoys her garden good video

[@dooseyboy]

We had a butternut spring up and take over a corner of our garden, so far I've got 3 pumpkins that I can see and loved your video, very helpful, can't wait to harvest hopefully before winter sets in here in Australia 2020

[@davidcorbett2195]

Excellent, needed this. First year with Butternuts (Waltham), I really don't have a cool long term storage place, so will have to figure out how to freeze, dehydrate, can or.. guess I can just gorge on gourds.. err. squash..

[@jthepickle7]

Mine I harvested as part of Fall clean up. Gathered them up then cleared the dead garden plants to put on the compost pile - all just before First Frost ( stems couldn't be any drier). The butternut this year were all 'single serving' size - never seen them so small yet healthy.

[@professorbuchanan894]

Thank you this is my first successful year with butter nut squash and I was concerned about them growing on a trellis. Which I added to prevent an animal from eating them.

[@jacquelinedechabert-rios6960]

Great video with good info. Thanks for the help.. harvesting some myself and now realize I picked a few to soon.

[@vbfit1247]

Thanks so much for your video showing all the details. We let one “volunteer “ grow in our garden and it is giving us 6! This was my first year growing butternuts. Next year I’ll put them out where they can roam freely or climb. It too came from the compost pile! Our plague of grasshoppers have not bothered the vine in the least!

[@mr.baseball3880]

First timer here so this helped out a lot. Thanks for the great information and posting!!

[@cynthialopez4485]

Thank you. I just planted a butternut squash & a spaghetti squash yesterday. Honestly, I've never eaten either, but I hear they're quite tasty and I like the fact that they can be stored. I hope you will consider doing a video on how to store these properly & how to cook them.😊

[@barbaraberglund5813]

Thsnk you Sarah. I am growing butternut squash for first time so this is sooo helpful.

[@trimbaker1893]

Ha! wonderful. I planted some kind of squash seeds this spring, from squash I had for supper last year. I did not remember what kind. well, they are those! butternut! the vines are going crazy and there are dozens of squash. I have been watching them, building trellis and moving the vines a little at a time across the yard too...they are all still green/striped-ish. I could not remember eating green squash and was hoping they would turn golden tan. Thank you for this video. I am really happy. : )

[@pw7.088]

Thank you for the excellent video on harvesting butternut squash, we live in Texas and this is the first year I’ve grown it. I’ve sowed many seeds all summer long and it’s now mid September so I’m hoping they will continue to bare fruit and bless us with lots of the butternut squash this fall.

[@calmheart1782]

I grew butternut squash for the first time this year. I had no idea how to tell when they were ready to pick. Thank you very much for the video!

[@gailpurcell3209]

Thank you. I am ready to pick some butternut squash but they definitely need more time. I appreciate your advice.

[@HellCatt0770]

So helpful! Thank you. I’ve grown some by accident reusing my old compost!! Pretty excited about my surprise bounty!

[@Jack-sk4mp]

This is exactly what I was looking for. Almost picked mine to early lol. Thank you and just subscribed!

[@whatintheheck4692]

Thank you! It’s my first year planting butternut squash and this was very informative, especially the stem part!

[@teresa4729]

Excellent video to learn the tips to confidently harvest my first ever butternut squash patch. Glad they store well because my vines were very productive….excited to enjoy all winter.

[@Sarah-rd1qy]

The best info out there. Thank you so much for showing size, color, stem. You're a great tacher.

[@nathaliewalker7468]

Thx for the tips. It's my first time growing them this yr and I'll be growing them every year from now on ❤️. It's so easy to grow them no maintenance.

[@teresaakins1408]

Omg thank you. thank you. i got some growing now .but had no idea .when to pick it .now i do thanks to u ..so so much

[@olyak7174]

Exactly what I was looking for. THANKS!

[@KraftyKaren-7]

Well I wish I saw this video efore harvesting some of my butternut squash. Oh well. Thanks for sharing this very informative video. Blessings

[@michaell1665]

Thanks again... had to review as I'm close to harvesting my small butternut squash bounty here in SE Louisiana.

[@jayc6159]

Thank you it’s my first year growing squash, I will keep an eye on the stems & color.

[@MyChilepepper]

I like the green immature ones too. You don't have to wait until winter to enjoy your butternuts. The light green skin is edible and so is the inside bits of seeds and cut really easy all the way through.

[@Minnesota_Mama_Bear]

Just decided to try these this year. Also doing buttercup. Glad to see you grow them on a trellis. I was searching those type of videos when yours auto played. Love your channel! I try to watch daily.

[@_thatchickchris8246]

Butternut my favorite of the squashes 👍🏻.

[@LivingTraditionsHomestead]

+_ThatChick Chris Ours too, for sure!

[@joyguin1427]

i have a patch of butternut but i had no idea when to tell they were ready. Thank you for this video.i am going back and watching all your videos. Keep up the good work !! Joy

[@dumbbunnie123]

You said in another video, that the canned butternut squash was watery...when I did can them I found a way to salvage it was to purée and drain it through a piece of cheese cloth or tea towel... After that the root cellar and dehydrated and powdered worked very well for me. I just cooked the squash, purée did it and put it on fruit leather sheets in the dehydrator ! Once powdered it was the most convenient way to make a delicious side dish in minutes....soup is as simple as chicken broth shallots sautéed and the powdered butternut squash and some milk or cream, depending on our dairy supply at the time ....just a suggestion you might enjoy that has fed my family for decades!

[@Hanna-DailyLife]

The process is mesmerizing

[@wahnitafinnegan4410]

Thank you for this video first time growing them and my husband and I didn’t know when to pick them😊

[@denisemartinez6456]

I was wondering when to know. I'm excited ours are coming in like crazy as is all our other squashes. ty great video and one much appreciated.

[@pacob4728]

You are living the dream! Congratulations. Love your Vibe.

[@offgridsweden]

Great that you did this video. This is the first year I got butternut squash in my garden. Thanks for letting me know when to harvest them. Greetings from Andreas on Off Grid Sweden channel

[@LivingTraditionsHomestead]

So glad you are having success this year! It is so rewarding...

[@uekiguy5886]

Hello to Sweden from Kansas, U.S.A. Many people plant winter squash in July because they have a 90-day maturation period. However, I plant mine as early as possible because you can use the young, green, immature fruits as summer squash. Green butternut is THE TASTIEST summer squash--much better than yellow crook neck or zucchini. Try grating and sauteing in butter. If you plant both summer squash and winter squash, they will probably be from the same species category and will cross-pollinate so that you cannot save the seeds. Getting both summer and winter squash from the same plant is an ideal solution. As I'm sure you know, there are many species of vegetables that if you keep them picked, they keep producing since the goal in life for a plant is to produce seeds for the next generation. So when I harvest them green, I harvest all of them guilt-free because it keeps producing and producing and producing and there will be plenty of mature ones for the fall. In fact, (I have no scientific evidence for this, but) it seems I end up with more winter squash in the autumn because the plants decide to set more blossoms since I keep stealing "the babies". I often harvest the green ones about once a week. Also, the Mexicans use the squash blossoms for quesadillas. Look up a squash blossom quesadilla recipe. It is succulent. (And if you know any Mexicans in Sweden, they will love you if you present them with squash blossoms.) Once again, when I harvest blossoms, I pick all of them. A new batch of blossoms will appear in just a couple of days. Also, if you lift up the end of a squash vine and cut it where it flexes, you can use this as a nice green vegetable. You get about 12 or so inches (sorry, don't know metric). Since the vines are so prolific, they can always use this kind of pruning. If you're keeping track, that's four vegetables from one plant. How cool is that? Getting such multi-use is a great space-saver. Since they can be trellised, that's another space saver. You get two green vegetables and two yellow vegetables, so you are getting the color/nutrition variety. A couple of times, I've had all four forms in one meal. Are you familiar with FoodWishes.com? (Also a KZbin channel) Try his Butternut Squash Soup recipe. In all honesty, it is the best soup I've ever had in my whole, entire life.

[@lisaolson80]

I read a bunch of articles that didn’t really tell me very much. This was so informative. I really appreciated the information about the stem, which I hadn’t seen in other places. I feel much more prepared to harvest my squash now. Thanks so much!

[@wtchfrmpnw]

Thank your for the clear, right to the point information!

[@swianecki]

Never knew about waiting for the stems to dry. Interesting.

[@tabilittlefield1326]

I live in Maine. We harvest all squash (except zucchini and summer squash) AFTER the first frost. Then we cure them outside, but under cover (like in an open garage bay) for about a week or two. They last ALL winter long stored inside in a cool place. I just keep mine along the wall on my dining room floor.

[@MFaith777]

Good to know. I’m in Mn and my butternut squash do not have a brown stem yet, but we’re hitting 31 degrees tonight! I was worried if I should pick them because of frost but they’re not ready to harvest yet, still green stem! 😬

[@daniellesnyder1244]

Thank you for the great info, I was harvesting mine too soon! 🤦🏼‍♀️😩

[@christinagraham2754]

So helpful! Thank you SO much!!! I LOVE your videos! I have tons of butternut squash coming, and I believe 1 so far, per your video, is ready to pick. :)

[@rettadarr]

I love butternut squash. My mom would make squasb pie for me instead of pumpkin. And I make cheesecake with butternut squash.

[@tassiegirl1991]

Your video was brilliant, clear descriptions and seeing the actual changes was really appreciated. Thank you

[@ingridcarlson4506]

Super helpful. My first year trying butternut. Thank you!

[@aprilculver4061]

Thank you for your tips. It’s my first year growing them and they are looking great!

[@vitalinsights411]

Gréât tips. I have some in my garden and was wondering when to harvest.🙏🙏🙏

[@MichelleCharles22]

Thank you this was really helpful. I’m ready to go see if there are any ready to harvest

[@jaykay643]

Excellent, everythng answered, thank you. My first yr growing these and was comparing them to ones in the grocery store. I have to look more at the stem because most are turning tan (with faint green streaks) even when small...half the size.

[@jimlee5626]

Good job! Just what I needed. Mine are not ready for a bit yet. Thanks!!!

[@kingdomrootedmama]

So helpful thank you. It’s my first year that I planted butternut squash and really want to store them and I wasn’t even sure when to pick them. Thank you

[@GardeningwithBernie]

Growing these for the first time and my fruit just emerged and it was green with stripes and I wasn’t sure if it was a butternut squash or something else but thanks to your video now I know that it transitions from its emerging color to when it gets bigger and it gets ripe. Thank you for this information.

[@Ang-e-la]

Do I need to cure the squash if I know I'm going to bake them a couple days after picking them? Also, Thank you for making this video. I learned alit from it.

[@tracyatkins6120]

Thank you!! This video was perfect timing.

[@CBsGreenhouseandGarden]

Yes Mam you are correct on when its time to harvest. Great job done here!

[@LivingTraditionsHomestead]

I really appreciate it!

[@lololollaughatlife1431]

Can you show us how to build a root cellar and also how you store things in your root cellar and generally how long we can expect things to last in a root cellar?

[@DisgruntledVet]

Thank you for sharing. Just what I was wanting to know.

[@lynutermark1454]

Thank you for the 411, that's what I needed to know.

[@ThatBritishHomestead]

It was an amazing squash harvest this year

[@craftingontheporchwithbill]

Excellent video. I'll be growing butternut squash along with an heirloom called Candy Roaster, an old mountain variety. Knowing when yo harvest will really maximize the flavor and storage life. Thank you for sharing this with us.

[@PlainJane48]

We cure ours in our shed, it is usually warmer in there and they do very well.

[@leemartin9156]

Is it the heat, rather than sunlight that cures them?

[@IowaKim]

It has been a while since I grew Butternut squash, so needed a refresher. Thanks for the info. In the past I have used them to make pumpkin pies. Sarah Lee uses butternut squash, not pumpkin, and they taste the same in a pie. Try it sometime.

[@mam564]

This was very helpful! Thank you! Btw, I couldn't help but notice how beautiful your skin is! Seriously!

[@chelinfusco6403]

Fantastic and great to know. Our butternut squash has done good this season. They are not ready per the color of the stem but getting there. I have a short story to tell you: at the start of this video you can hear the cicadas; well, we just saw a video of a ritual rattle snake battle- two big snakes fighting. My husband was in the kitchen and not knowing the sound he was hearing was that from this video, he jumped clearly out of the kitchen... then realized the sound was that of the cicadas in this video. He couldn't stop laughing at himself, and I joint him in laughter. LOL.

[@marilyngodfrey868]

I remember years ago, we were living in a small house next to a very old about to fall apart old home on the property of an elderly couple, who had to move to town. One summer evening we were watching tv. The Windows were open. All of a sudden I heard that noise, the one I had never heard before, but I knew it was a rattle snake sound. I asked my husband of he heard it? He said no, but he would check. Of course I was terrified he would be bitten out there in the dark. But after thirty u notes of ripping up old rotting porch flooring, he returned to the house. He said that I was right it was a rattle snake...not just a rattle but a granddaddy, a huge, and very long one. But it was dead and carried away so we could not smell it. I think it had 13 rattles and a button. Very scary!

[@effieinglish]

O.M.G. 😮

[@markstevenson9080]

Your presentation was very helpful. Thank you! Best of luck in your homestead!

[@jenniminder1362]

"Unripe" butternut squash can be eaten and is delicious. What she is showing you is what the squash should be for long term storage.

[@rockydelnegro550]

Luckily I'm from the volunteer state . ( Mid Tennessee ) and guess what... we had volunteer butternut squash in my onion patch ! Lol being our first time growing butternut this video was perfect . It taught us so much ! Thank you Sara .good job

[@kingjames4886]

you harvest any winter squash either when it turns it's "ripe color" or when the stem starts to crack... or before the frost kills them, they'll continue to ripen in storage. what do you have piled all over your squash? that's like a squash tower! if you want food security grow acorn squash though, they're harvested earlier so you get larger yields and more confidence that you'll get something in a bad season.

[@iartistdotme]

I didn't know they would ripen after being picked but my 'compost gift' was nibbled on by a squirrel and I got it before they broke into the insides. But have noticed that it deepened in color since I picked it and am thrilled since I didn't expect it making it even sweeter. I'll keep letting it darken now, thanks!

[@kingjames4886]

@@iartistdotme if the skin isn't intact it won't keep well unfortunately. should use it before it starts to rot.