When is it time to harvest winter and summer squash?

Reuben emailed to ask the following:

I planted my squash and, being a first time gardener, didn't bother to take note of which one it is.  They grow very fast and I have one that I think may be ready but don't know how to tell when to harvest since I don't know which squash it is.

Now, my first response to this would be that the only important thing to determine is whether it's a winter or summer squash, because these groups should be harvested at roughly the same time. In other words, if it's a summer squash/courgette, it should be picked while young and tender, as soon as it's ready. If a winter squash, I'd say wait until the skin is very hard and it sounds a bit hollow when rapped.

Any more guidance on how to tell when a winter squash is ripe? Some people recommend leaving them out until after the first frosts - others say harvest before that. Are there any other key signs? I seem to remember reading on someone's blog that the skin should go dull when a pumpkin is ready to pick.

I've posted a pic of Reuben's squash at the top of this post, so if anyone can identify it, please do. The other pic is my first pumpkin Rouge Vif D'Etampes, which we harvested a week or so ago. the flavour  was a little immature - think newly bottled wine - but it still made a decent roasted pumpkin soup.

Comments

[Phil]

Hi Jane, smashing blog! Reuben's squash looks a bit like a pumpkin I've been growing this year called Potimarron. I think it's reasonably common and as the name suggests it is supposed to taste of chestnut. I've just picked a couple so should find out very shortly! They started yellow, went orangey as above and have now really deepened into a rich orange more like in the pic of yours. I've posted a pic of mine on my blog here - http://www.recruitingofficer.com/2006/08/late-summer-garden-update.html - if you'd like to take a peek. ;-)

[C.C.]

Toughened skin is the first indication. A winter squash will resist a cut by your thumbnail gently pressed into the skin (however, many pumpkin hybrids keep a soft skin and that rule doesn't work out too well.)

Another way to tell is that the stem begins to shrivel and dry (particularly the curly tendril that often is seen just where the squash joins the main vine). I try to harvest before the cold and rains here and if I can I harden them off by letting them sit in the warm dry sun (sometimes in the greenhouse if the rains are early) for a week to ten days. That will toughen the skins for storage.

[Reuben]

Yes recruitingofficer. That is my squash. Thanks! Now it has a name. I'd harvested a couple of them while they were still yellow and they tasted great (to my inexperienced palette). Now suddenly they're all orange just like the ones in your photo so I guess it's time to cut them loose too.