Kitchen Garden Forum

I am growing butternuts for the 1st. time, do I pick them early like courgette's or leave them on the plants till autumn like squashes?,
some of them are the size that you see on the supermarket shelf.
Thanksfor any help.
Bren

Leave them till they have hardened off in the Autumn. Only then will they store into the Winter.

Sounds like they have done well. I haven't tried them yet, are they easy to grow Bren, same as squashes or any special tips?

Picked too early, before they've hardened off, the flesh is not nice as the sugars have not developed, bit like am unripe apple.

Hi Bren,
I grew them, for the first time, last year and tried them about now and they were very disapointing. Realy inedible. The ones I left till the plants were dying back in Autumn were lovely. Don't be tempted to try now.
Regards, Gerry.

Hi Bren,
Leave until hardened off - they store really well but the skin can be a bit hard to peel so I roast with skin on and they are delicious. Infact I would grow them in preference to all other squashes.
Hilary

Thank you all for your help, I will leave them in the ground like the other squashes till frost is treatened.

Nature's Babe I just sowed and transplanted them the same as the other squashes just kept the two lots as far apart as I could.
Bren

LOL Yes Bren,, I believe they can be a bit promiscuous !