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Old June 27, 2014   #1
mensplace
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Default Squash or pumpkins for long storage

Having found Sweet Meat, I have now become interested in the prospect of growing others here in Georgia, but not sure of the best moth to plant them. It will be in the 90s for the next couple of months...or more. I'm not looking for decoration, but for those that are a real pleasure to eat. I began to lose my taste for Acorn squash after tasting some that were not only sweeter, but had a dryer, almost sweet potato, texture and flavor. Too, I'm not looking for the monster size, but those that are easier on the back and easier to process. Texture seems to mean a lot, because I can't stand the wet, stringy varieties.

I did plant the Rouge Vif du WHATEVER that some also call the Musque / Fairytale. Some seem to like the Long Island Cheese, others the Jarrahdale. I couldn't say, but want sweet and good cooking. Of the squashes, there are SO many, but I just want the best for storing and cooking. I will be using some seed from some Butternut, but that not one of my favorites as I have had so many that are wet.

Where does that leave me? I love delicata, but will have to order them as I haven't found them in groceries...or any others. Probably the season. Is there is best source where I can get smaller packages and, therefore, more variety?
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Old June 27, 2014   #2
Hunt-Grow-Cook
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Sweet meat is a winner. A smaller counterpart that I find as equally delicious is Sweet Dumpling. They can be on the smaller side, almost too small, requiring more than a few to satisfy my craving. Or maybe they are just that tasty. I am also trying Sweet Mamma and Buttercup this year. I am out in CA so I am not sure I could help with planning time, but I just planted my last wave from seed about 5 days ago. Our long summers should provide enough time to reach full maturity. Good luck in your search!
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Old June 27, 2014   #3
Keiththibodeaux
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Winter squash.
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Old June 27, 2014   #4
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Thanks Keith, but I wasn't meaning which was best so much as asking for variety suggestions for winter squash or pumpkin.
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Old June 28, 2014   #5
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I haven't tasted it so far but I picked up a var of butternut, it's supposedly sweeter than it's waltham cousin, for the moment I can say that they are more prolific and very much larger than what I'm normally accustomed to seeing. where as the norm is 5-10 lbs The largest I currently have on the vine are probably in the ballpark of 15-20 and still growing. More importantly this variety has been quite resistant to mold and only recently have developed a small case of the downey mildew, which when thinking about it is proabably more my fault because I was spraying for pests a little too late in the evening. I'll post up picture in the morning.

Gaston

ps. I forgot to say the variety is Butternut Rugosa
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Old June 28, 2014   #6
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MOSCHATAS - For storage, the butternut "types" are the best. I had a few Tahitian Melon Squash store for almost 1 1/2 years. Almost all moschatas (butternut and other types) are sweet. But, to me, rhey are not at all rich in taste. Baking is the only way to go with these, for me. Otherwise, they can be too watery and have even less flavor. These have very good resistance to squash vine borers.

MAXIMAS- These can have great sweetness, rich flavor and smooth texture, along with fairly good storage. Squash vine borers can mean a crop failure.

Choosing between these types is not easy for me. The maximas are far superior in flavor and usually texture, but with no sure crop.

My favorite winter squash is Tetsukabuto (F1). It is a maxima x moschata cross. While I haven't examined the vines to see if they'd be SVB resistant, I haven't had any attacks in three years of trials. Tetsukabuto needs either a maxima or a moschata as a polllinator. To me, flavor is equal to delicata (a pepo type). The pepos are not only SVB magnets, but the good tasting ones usually store poorly.

I have many moschatas in trial this year. A few from Japan are said to have the most promise for good flavor.

Also, I have a few maximas that are new to me.

Hopefully, after a harvest I can offer my analysis for this year's squash trials.

Gary
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Old June 28, 2014   #7
The Future
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I've stored Marina di Chioggia for over a year and it has sweet and dry classic taste. Baby Blue Hubbard could also be a choice if you want something small.
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Old June 28, 2014   #8
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found and ordered these from FEDCO:
Zeppelin Delicata Winter Squash OG
Sweet Dumpling Winter Squash
Sibley Winter Squash
Blue Hubbard Winter Squash
Jarrahdale Pumpkin

Essentially, ordering blind this morning. Now to try to find some of the others somewhere....and discern what I really want. Thanks for the guidance
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Old June 28, 2014   #9
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My favorite is Seminole pumpkin. It grows wild in the everglades so you know it does well in southern climates. Because it is so prolific, I cut a lot of the green ones when they are about the size of a softball and cook them like zucchini. I only let a few on each vine get to full size. I have stored them for almost a year. You can get seeds at Baker Creek or Southern Exposure.
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Old June 28, 2014   #10
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this is the newest one that is easy enough to access. three weeks old and still growing

Gaston
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Old June 29, 2014   #11
The Future
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kayrobbins View Post
My favorite is Seminole pumpkin. It grows wild in the everglades so you know it does well in southern climates. Because it is so prolific, I cut a lot of the green ones when they are about the size of a softball and cook them like zucchini. I only let a few on each vine get to full size. I have stored them for almost a year. You can get seeds at Baker Creek or Southern Exposure.

I also vote for Seminole. One of a minority of long term storage moschatas.
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Old June 29, 2014   #12
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There are so many sizes, shapes, textures, and colors, but when it comes to long term winter storage and range of flavors, especially when rejecting the stringy varieties outright, is there really that much of a difference to justify paying a fortune on purchasing and shipping, an area that can be an even bigger hit when ordering from a range of vendors.

In other words, would those I have already ordered provide most of what I should be able to expect in taste and texture in the sweet potato like squash and pumpkins. Maybe I should belay this until I can find more in the markets this fall? That way I could taste the fruit and get the seed from each. Five bucks for shipping and the seed cost adds up quickly, so I'm wondering if I really need so many if the tastes are very similar.
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Old June 30, 2014   #13
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Epsilon how are you finding that the Rugosa plant is growing? This year I did Blue Hubbard, Buttercup, Red Kuri, Delicata, Triamble, and Butternut Rugosa, and the Rugosa were the last to germinate and are the slowest growing plants so far, by a long shot.
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Old July 1, 2014   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mensplace View Post
found and ordered these from FEDCO:
Zeppelin Delicata Winter Squash OG
Sweet Dumpling Winter Squash
Sibley Winter Squash
Blue Hubbard Winter Squash
Jarrahdale Pumpkin

Essentially, ordering blind this morning. Now to try to find some of the others somewhere....and discern what I really want. Thanks for the guidance
Zeppelin Delicata and Sweet Dumpling should give you that sweet potato-like flavor. I've trialed MANY winter squashes. There are few that have the taste you're looking for (the same taste that I'm always looking for). And, there are extemely few that have that taste, and store well. I have serious doubts about long term storage of Zeppelin Delicata and Sweet Dumpling.

Gary
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Old July 1, 2014   #15
mensplace
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Enjoyed a kabocha squash filled with a marinara like sauce today for lunch. Cooked in the microwave. The texture was perfect and the savory sauce something new for me. Once I got down to the flesh alone the texture was just like a sweet potato, but not as sweet. Planted some of the seed. This was a good way to enjoy the squash and benefit rom the seed. Trouble is, there are so few varieties available now, but the savings in shipping alone paid for the squash. I'll just have to keep my eyes open in the next few weeks. There are several I will be hunting, but don't really expect to find, like the more novel varieties such as a few from Italy, Seminole, Hubbard, and the storage pumpkins. Can't even find these at the seed outlets here, so am building a list to combine an order. Have seen real mixed reviews about Jarrahdale and Long Island Cheese plus a lot of name crossing re which really is the Fairytale. My hope, to have something healthy to eat as an alternative to so much bread, rice, etc. that will last for months.
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