Hubbard squash

[dragonfly]

Does anyone here grow them? I planted some seeds in Aug for the fall garden, and I have several squash forming, but how do I tell when they are ripe? Do they turn color? Right now, they are dark golden yellow, but the photo on the package looks orange. The largest one right now is about 10" long.

[justin]

i grew a lot of blue hubbards 2 years ago, but it was easy to tell when they were ripe, the same way you can tell when everything here gets ripe, frost.this year it was buttercups, butternuts, acorns, pumpkins, and some really good summer squash called pattypan.

[randydrivesabus]

I think hubbards, and most winter squash, require at least 90 days to maturity. So you have another month to go.

[JOHNYOGA2]

Dragonfly;
If you like Hubbards, let me make two other recommendations from Gournet Seeds (Squash-Winter) (available on-line-www.gournetseed.com)
Galeux D' Eysines, a French Heirloom that starts out like a pumpkin then gets really warty. Very cool. Unfortunately deer love them.
Tardiva di Napoli, which gets to be about 40 pounds and looks like a giant zucchani, but is a winter storage squash. Very tasty.

[dragonfly]

Thanks everyone. Our typical first frost is about a month from now, so I guess I'll just let them stay on the vine until then.

Justin- I'm also growing some buttercup squash. What's the best way to cook them iyo?

[beedeetee]

We don't grow hubbards but when I was a kid (40 years ago) my mom did. At that time "hubbards" were large and dark green on the outside. Maybe we just called them hubbards. Anyway after frost they would put them in our basement. They seemed to last a long time. I never really likeed them and they never seemed to go away. Mom was always bringing up another hubbard.

[randydrivesabus]

There are blue hubbards and orange hubbards...the orange ones are known as red kuri. the blue ones can get very big...like 10 lbs+.

[LenInNorCal]

DF, I too like hubbards and what we do around here is "touch" them to move or turn, just the fruit. If the stem breaks easily, she's done. Other wise they hold on and they are waiting, so let them wait until the frost night minus one day.Only works if the weather folks let you know there's going to be frost tonight.

[dragonfly]

Thanks for the tips Len. I don't know if I like them, I'm just growing them to find out.:) It's not something one can typically find in the grocery stores in this area.

[justin]

i cut them in half, put them face down in an iron skillet with about a 1/4 inch of water, cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 or so for maybe 35 or 40 minutes, then i turn them over, add butter and brown sugar, or honey and put them back in uncovered for another 8 minutes or so. it's the same recipe for most of the stuff i cook.

[dragonfly]

Thanks Justin. That's pretty much how I cook acorn squash. I picked my first one yesterday, and I'll try it that way.:)

[LenInNorCal]

Cut it into chuncks and steamed them here, is what SWMBO told me.

[dcross]

Supposed to make better pie than pumpkins do...