Ah oui madame et monsieurs, the single greatest potimarron squash grown on our field, noshed. It was undoubtedly delicious, since woodchuck normally take a small nibble and then move to the next squash. Potimarron is a French heirloom, the name comes from potiron (pumpkin) and marron (chestnut). With an edible rind and sweet chestnut flavor, you can understand why it has been targeted.

Mixed Winter Squashes

Acorn Squash, Blue Hubbard, PA Dutch Crookneck, Butternut, Sweet Dumpling

Acorn Squash “Thelma Sanders”

Guatemalan Blue, Spaghetti, PA Dutch Not-so-crookneck

A bunch of pie pumpkins were cut off the vine last weekend, and we forgot to get them. Leaving them in the sun for 10-14 day helps harden the skin and seal the stem. This allows the squashes to store for the winter. I really should do this with all the acorn squashes we cut this week, but I fear the woodchucks.

Cut and
Piled, Forgotten for a Week, Cured, and Curiously Unscathed

Not enough winter squash varieties you say? Pshaw, here’s a bit more, from left to right, top to bottom.

• garlic
• Anna Swartz
• Acorn squash “Tuffy”
• Guatamalan Blue
• –
• Orange Dawn
• Potimarron
• Pumpkin “Baby Pam”
• Sweet Dumpling
• Acorn Squash “Thelma Sanders”
• Summer Squash – Pattypan , Crookneck
• Spaghetti Squash

A counterpoint to the Guatamalan Blue Banana Squash, the Jumbo Pink Banana Squash. I left it on the vine for now and taking my chances with the woodchucks. Next week I’ll spray it with a cayenne solution.

Jumbo Pink Banana Squash

Only found 1 Australian Butter squash.

Australian Butter

Musquee de Provence must have been delicious too. This is a cheese pumpkin, because it’s deeply ribbed and flattened shape resembles a wheel of cheese.

Musquee de Provence

Bonanza, the blue hubbard. They are everywhere. The vines easily run 20 feet and the fruits seem to average at least 15 pounds. That’s a lot of “pumpkin” pies. Did you know commercial pumpkin filler is mostly blue hubbard? Dan things they are ugly, I think they are beautifully fascinating. We could easily have 30-40 of these!

Blue Hubbard

The grasses are unbelievably long, towering at 4-5 feet.

Hues of Bronze and Green

And finally we bid adieu to the prolific summer squashes. There’s a crate of mature crooknecks sitting in the barn, I may try to save some seeds.

Goodbye Summer Squash