Storing winter squash

[loraxc]

I have three mega-huge winter squash plants going and not too long from now I will have about 10-12 ripe winter squash. Obviously, we can't use these all at once, and I don't have a chest freezer. How can I best keep these from going bad? Is it best to leave them on the vine, or pick? And if I bring them inside, how should I store them?

[confustication]

I tend to put those sorts of things in the cellar where it's cool. You can certainly can them- mashed/chunked/whatever as well.

Most often though, I find that chunking them up and freezing them is ideal, if you can keep an eye out for a chest freezer you'll probably be ahead of the game financially- craigslist can be your friend.

[lmonter]

Do you have a spot in/around your house that stays 35-50*F or so?
I kept some butternut squash just on a piece of carpet on the floor of the garage last year, and it lasted until about Feb (someone knocked the stem off in Jan and it started turning funky on the end). Was just as good as back in October. I like live storage though - easy peasy, if you have a spot for it. I'm hoping to find some old lockers from a school remodel to throw in the garage, and putting in some stacking baskets to keep squash and such in out in the garage. And unless it's 0-10*F outside for weeks on end, our garage stays 40-50*F because we heat with wood stoves which keep the whole house pretty toasty (even when the kids leave the patio door cracked open when they're outside playing in the snow).

When you do pick them, cut the stem, but leave something like an inch of stem on the squash so you don't give it an open wound for ickies to find their way in. So you get to go out to the garden with your good knife.

[loraxc]

I probably should have mentioned that I live in Florida! I also don't have a garage or basement, so there's no place to put a chest freezer even if we could afford one. My only options are room temperature storage or leaving them on the vine. I was wondering, though, if there were any tips for room temp storage--is it better if they're in the dark? Should I hang them in baskets, or regularly turn them? Should I wash them first? I seem to vaguely remember reading something about coating with wax or oil...??

[lmonter]

Hmmm... dry and dark then would be your best bet, but I have no idea how long they'd last. I'm still figuring that one out myself. I wouldn't leave them on the vine for too long though - wouldn't want other critters finding your stash and going to town. Baskets may be good - as long as they get okay air circulation and aren't smushed up against other stuff really tight. Don't wash until you're ready to eat/prep them. Don't know I'd do wax or oil though... if I go hunt down my copy of Root Cellaring sometime today I'll try to remember to look it up for ya.