BUTTERNUTS NOW ?

Need to know the best time to plant?

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Tigger
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I'm adding that one to my list Peter. This year I grew a selection sent to me by Mandylew, all of which have been most productive, plus my favourite Butternuts and Crown Prince.

Perhaps I should extend the range next year? They make the most wonderful soup, mixed with onions and parsnips/carrots/spinach. They're also great roasted and mixed with cream cheese. I really will post some recipes before the week is out.......

I grew mine amongst the sweetcorn and the brussel sprouts this year - good use of space. I put some of the smaller ones up the hazel frames with the beans, peas and outdoor cucumbers. I might abandon the latter for more small squashes and pumpkins next year.
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vivie veg
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You can buy these from Edwin tucker & sons Ltd, for £9 per 100 and that is the most expensive squash that they have. Others eg Harlequin are £4.50 per 100.

So it may pay to take Allans advice in a different thread and buy the commercial packets of seed and share them or keep them for a year or two.
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Tigger
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I can feel a seed swap coming on. :lol:
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peter
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Mmmmmmmmmmmm!

BT let me down last night. I have Tuckers 2007 catalogue, is the bulk qty in their commercial catalogue?

Is it on their new ordering website?
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Wellie
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Peter,
I tried to access their site, and found a temporary site, so e-mailed them to add me to their mailing list, which they replied to a few hours later, saying i'd receive their latest catalogue within the week - 'citing.....
P.S. your typing was a little 'off' the other evening. I always find a little more ice can make a difference :lol:
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vivie veg
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I beleive the commercial catalogue will be coming out in November, you can get it online...so maybe they are updating it at the moment.
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peter
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Wellie wrote:Peter,
.....
P.S. your typing was a little 'off' the other evening. I always find a little more ice can make a difference :lol:


Sadly, I spend all day at work on a keyboard, so at home I worry rather less about complete accuracy of typing. Still thats planted an idea...... sip. :D
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peter
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Crown Prince does seem to be the flavour of choice here. :D
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Chez
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Well, I'm a bit late getting to this thread (or any for that matter), but like Piglet and Peter, we've once again had a great Crown Prince crop. Three plants produced 11 fully-matured fruits. You beat us by one, Piglet! But there's more...

We also grew Buttercup. Lakeview reminded me of this variety some time ago and we grew them this year too. In a good year (in NZ) they were sweeter and drier than CP, so we had our fingers crossed for our first sowing this year. In NZ, they were not as consistent year on year as CP. But our first sowing here, was fantastic! Just as I remember them. BC are generally about 1/2 - 2/3 the size of CP, so great for those want a smaller version, without compromising on flavour. Or should you want something even better than CP, for flavour. BC is the one I used in the Thai Curry, Piglet.

Baby Bear was another first for us this year. Being a smaller squash than both of the above and orange, we were dubious about it tasting better than previous and diasppointing halloween-type pumpkins, we'd grown previously. How wrong we were. Baby Bear has good flavour too. Perhaps not quite as intense as BC or CP, but it is just fine for culinary purposes. BB's flesh to seed ratio is not as good as BC or CP though.

All of the above varieties yielded good quantities too. I would need to look up the details now though.

With CP the gold standard by which we measure other winter squashes, we have completely lost interest in Butternuts. In terms of yield (we tried them over two years) and even flavour, they just don't stack up for us. But we are ruthlessly culinary-focused. Any every veg in our patch has to withstand analysis for flavour first, yield second. If it doesn't measure up, it's out.

The jury is out for us on Sweet Dumpling and Uchiki Kuri. We planted them late and although UK look good, we haven't yet tried one. We didn't think we were going to get anything from SD, but it suddenly went mad producing loads fruit. All a bit late, I fear, as the only one we've tried wasn't ripe.

So what will we grow again? Crown Prince and Buttercup (of course). Sweet Dumpling and Uchiki Kuri too, as planting them out so late we didn't allow them a fair trial. Probably not Baby Bear again, purely because of the flesh to seed ratio.

Well, I've made up for not posting recently. Hope you're all still awake and made it to the end?! I've just burnt myself out!

BTW Piglet & Wellie, we're bringing you each a Buttercup and Baby Bear on Sat, so you can try them yourselves.
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Chez
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After all that I forgot to say, we will be placing a commercial order for 50 Crown Prince seeds this month. And we can't use them all! We only need 3-4 plants in one season. If anyone is interested, the cost works out at 11p per seed + posting. Or we could come to some arrangement re swapping 'something', as previously suggested. We are still working on what we finally want for next year though!.

Anyway, do PM me if of interest.
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Wellie
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Well Hello There Chez, you shy retiring girl you !!

I am SO looking forward to meeting you at last...
I have just the other night accepted another kind offer of some CP seed, but thank you all the same.
I do, however, look forward to ANY completely free stuff from you on Saturday (!) and will gladly swop you anything horticultural in time (other than Trousers or my cat) :lol:
Look forward to it Chez,
Wellie
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Piglet
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Trust me Chez you wouldnt want the cat, its a complete git, trousers on the otherhand!!!

I will take some CP seed off you as I intend to ramp up production next year.
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Chez
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Shy and retiring... hmmm. That lump on the side of your face must surely be your tongue firmly planted in your cheek, Wellie.

You know, I've never come across a horticultural cat before. Or a horticultural Trousers for that matter. Lucky you are hanging onto them. Insured posting would be rather expensive, I fear!
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cevenol jardin
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Re original question - butternuts are part of the cucurbita moschata species therefore the whole plant stems, flowers and immature fruit are edible. They can be harvested as soon as they are big enough to eat you don't have to leave them on to cure unless you want to store them. I harvest our butternuts as soon as they are a big enough size for the kitchen, from as early as July, which seems to make them grow more fruit ready for a winter harvest. That is one reason why i always grow butternuts as they are the earliest pumkins to eat. Otherwise my favourite is Japanese Hokkaido(maxima), dark green skin dense dry orange flesh that tastes of chestnuts. Keeps 9-12months. Best way of cooking it is to cut into cubes skin on and boil in a small amount of water skin side down. 10mins add some soy sauce and cook for another 5 or so minutes that's it it is cooked!!! and delicous.

Others are
Marina di Chioggia (maxima) - Italian Heirloom - magnificent to look at gnarled knobbly skin, deep yellow orange flesh. (5kg) lovely baked.Keeps 9-12months.
Butternut(moschata) - reliable large cropper, creamy ochre smooth skin from organic seeds handed down. Great in stews, curries etc. Keeps 12months
Potimarron (maxima)- originally brought from Japan by Macrobiotic master Oshawa. Now a french classic. Chestnut flavoured dense flesh 2-4kg keeps 4-8months.
Musquee de Provence (moschata)southern heirloom variety smooth skin, deep ribs. Sweet firm flesh fruit up top 9kg stores well.

I NEED ADVICE
Next year i want to grow a variety for its edible seeds. Does anyone know what variety is best for the seeds, like the pumpkin seeds you get in the shops which are dark green?
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Wellie
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Hi cevenol,

I reckon the varieties you're looking for are the ones containing NAKED SEEDS (allegedly!), and Tuckers
Pg 36 & 37 do:
RETZER OLKURBIS (Lady Godiva) and TRIPLE TREAT.

RO says: a variety containing naked seeds, also known as the Almond Squash. It can produce more than 12 fruit per plant, weighing 3-5kg each. The largest fruit can contain 500g of green, protein rich seed. The flesh is not normally eaten, as it is not particularly flavoursome (!)

TT says: As the name suggests, this is a three in one pumpkin. You can eat the tasty orange flesh, use the shell for Halloween, and eat the seeds, as they are naked. They can be eaten raw or toasted and have a nutty flavour. The orange skinned, oblong shaped fruit grow to 3-4kg and should be harvested from September.

Hope this is of some use to you.
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