winter squash-how to get into?

[Ridgerunner]

I don't think I'd use a bandsaw or anything powered. The gunk might get in the moving parts and mess it up and it would be pretty hard to clean. The juice and pulp could be sticky. A hacksaw should work.

 

[patandchickens]

Good tips! Have lots of butternuts and little sphagetti squash ripening. just bought veg.and flower seed from Dollar General marked down to 17 cents to freeze for later including some other types of squashes. I'm still wondering, seriously, if anyone uses an alcohol cleaned hacksaw or bandsaw. Can anyone think of a reason not to?

You *could* if you wanted, but I wouldn't think it'd be the best method. You'd get a messy raggedy fuzzy cut; and if you had a method to hold the thing securely enough in place to *saw*, it'd be secure enough to use a *hatchet* instead; and as Ridgerunner says it would schmuck up a bandsaw something awful (there is 'sap' in the skin layer that is rather sticky)

I wouldn't worry about alcohol-cleaning the hacking-up utensil btw, although if it may have nasty chemicals on it e.g. machine oils then you'd want to make sure THOSE were well gone. Presumably you will be cooking the squash once it's cut so that will take care of any "workshop germs" of the biological sort, IMO.

GOod luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[ninnymary]

Well after reading this post I think I will stay away from winter squash! I am always cutting my nail! even with my knives kept sharp!

I can't see myself struggling to cut them when I'm only 5' and 110lbs. I just don't have the strength. :/

Mary

 

[patandchickens]

Well after reading this post I think I will stay away from winter squash! I am always cutting my nail! even with my knives kept sharp!

I can't see myself struggling to cut them when I'm only 5' and 110lbs. I just don't have the strength. :/

No no no, don't shy away from winter squash. First, the majority of them are small and not especially hard, especially when they've not been stored more than a month or three.

And secondly, it does NOT take great strength (well except maybe for an older 30-lb Hubbard, but you can always just drop it out a window to let it crack open ).

My mother-in-law is 4'11, probably 120 lbs, and 84 years old (not an especially spry 84 either). She eats butternut squash (IMO the best of the winter squashes, and not especially small) regularly all winter. I have not SEEN her cut one open but obviously she DOES.

As with so many other things in life, you just have to be SMARTER than the squash

Pat

 

[ninnymary]

o.k. Pat...You've convinced me. I do love butternut squash so maybe I'll give it a try. Does the plant sprawl alot? I don't have too much room for squashes. Actually, have room for only 2 plants.

I don't think I'll try dropping it out of the window though. I don't like to clean up splatters! and my squash would get dirty! I'm a sort of clean freak person.

p.s. Maybe your mother-in-law has a secret admirer cutting her squash.

Mary

 

[Ridgerunner]

I agree butternut is probably the best variety. I've been growing Burpee's Butterbush which does not sprawl any more than my zucchini or yellow summer squash. I don't think the yield is as good as some that sprawl, but you always have tradeoffs.

If the rind is too hard for you to handle, you can always bake it first or maybe steam it as Hoodat suggested. I don't think it will explode? There are strategies to deal with it.

 

[elf]

Don't know what type butternut and sphagetti sq. my husband planted in with our corn (he was supposed to be planting yel. crookneck but he gets confused). But it's spreading all over creation and is loaded with squash, although small ones so far. They may grow more, but I've started eating some now since there are so many. I'm rather scrawny armed, but able to cut them. It's just awkward, and I'm looking for any easy out, since I'll be cutting a lot of them over time. I had intended those seed to be planted in our former pasture , and was going to just let them take over along with my cantalopes. I think they can coexist with the weeds and grass as long as you first till the strip where they're planted. So if you have an area other than your garden, they can spread into a groundcover.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I usually plant winter squash with my sweet corn to give the corn a living mulch once the squash starts growing. I still have to work the corn once or twice to keep the weeds and grass down, but once that squash takes off, I don't have to worry about weeds and grass and I'm going to have to work the corn anyway. So usually the winter squash does not take up any extra room in the garden. Not quite the case this year. I planted some Baby Blue Hubbards and those are running all over the place, much more than the others I've planted. I've had to cut the vines back to keep them out of other crops. They are producing a lot of squash but I won't be doing them again. Live and learn.

I took the idea from the trilogy, where the Indians would plant field corn that is harvested dried at the end of the season with pole beans that are harvested dried at the end of the season and winter squash that are harvested at the end of the season. The three grow well together.

 

[vfem]

Well after reading this post I think I will stay away from winter squash! I am always cutting my nail! even with my knives kept sharp!

I can't see myself struggling to cut them when I'm only 5' and 110lbs. I just don't have the strength. :/

Mary

If it helps I've never had an issue getting into an acorn squash!

I have never bothered with the hard skin varieties until this year... but my husband's a carpenter so I'm sure I have the right (and wrong) tools for the job! LOL

 

[ducks4you]

For Hubbard squash I have repeatedly been told, and read, that the best method (safer than an axe) is to drop the thing out of a second-story window, or off a very tall deck, onto a hard surface. Once it is opened that way, you can use a big ol' knife or whatever to whack up smaller.

That picture is gonna be with me ALL WEEKEND!!!