The Right Time to Harvest Butternut Squash and How to Store It

The popularity of butternut squash among home gardeners is not surprising. With its dense, sweet, and slightly nutty flesh, it is one of the most versatile winter squashes. It also comes in compact, bush varieties that fit small spaces, such as Butterbush, and it’s easy to grow. 

To fully enjoy the fruits of your labor, follow these tips about how and when to harvest butternut squash as well as necessary post-harvest steps, including curing and proper storage.

If you haven’t eaten it all by then, it will let you put dishes made from your homegrown butternut squash on your Thanksgiving table. 

When to Harvest Butternut Squash

Butternut squash is ready to harvest when you notice a few key signs: it turns from green to orange, the rind is hard, and the stem/vines have dried up and died back.

Once you can check all the boxes, you don’t have to harvest it right away. Just make sure you harvest all the butternut squash before the first fall frost, as it will store longer if it isn’t exposed to frost. 

Color

As butternut squash ripens, its skin turns from green to a light beige to a deep, solid tan color and no green streaks. Depending on the variety there might be some bronze or orange highlights (and no green streaks) in it when the fruit is ripe. 

Skin

The skin or rind should be hard and pass the fingernail test: when scratching it with your fingernail leaves a mark or breaks, the butternut squash isn’t ready; it needs for time for the skin to harden. Another indicator is dull and not glossy or shiny skin. 

Vines and Stems

The vines should be crispy, shriveled, and yellowing, in other words, dying when the butternut squash is ready. Green vines indicate that the butternut squash needs more time. The stem should be hard and dry and of uniform tan color. 

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How to Harvest Butternut Squash

When it’s time to harvest the squash, follow these steps: 

1. Using a sharp knife or pruners, cut the fruit from the vine about 3 to 4 inches of the stem on the squash.
2. Do not lift or pick up the squash by its stem when removing it from your garden, as the stem easily breaks off.
3. If any stems break off, set those squashes aside to use first. Butternut squashes without stems are more prone to rotting and won’t store well because bacteria can enter the fruit. 

Curing Butternut Squash

After harvesting, it is important to let the skin of the squash harden more. In the process, any scratches or cuts are being sealed. This process is called curing.

Cure the butternut squash for 1 to 2 weeks at a temperature between 70 and 80 degrees F. Pick a location that is warm, well-ventilated, dry, and not accessible for critters and insects. A screened-in porch, garage, or shed is ideal. 

Storing Butternut Squash

After curing, store the butternut squash in a cool, dry, well-ventilated location at 50 to 60 degrees F. Make sure there are no apples, pears, or other ripening fruit nearby, as the ethylene gas they exude affects the storage life of squash. 

Properly cured and stored butternut squash can be stored for 4 to 6 months but it is best when used within 2 to 3 months.

Saving Seeds of Butternut Squash

If you want to save the seeds of your butternut squash, make sure that it is an open-pollinated variety; otherwise, the plants from those seeds won’t be true to seed and won’t have the same desirable qualities.

1. Extract the seeds when you are using one of the squashes for cooking. However, don’t cut the squash open in half all the way as you would normally do because cutting through will damage the seeds. Only cut through the skin and top layer of the squash from top to bottom and as deeply as needed to split the squash open into two halves.
2. Remove as much of the stringy pulp around the seeds as possible, then place the seeds in a large bowl with cold water and swirl them around to dislodge more pulp.
3. Pour the pulpy water off the top and keep the seeds at the bottom of the bowl. Repeat this a couple of times.
4. Drain the seeds in a fine strainer and place them in a single layer on plates lined with paper towels. Place them in a dry place out of direct sunlight for about one week, or until they are thoroughly dried. Store them in labeled envelopes in a dry, dark place.