As one of the most versatile winter squashes, acorn squash is an excellent addition to any garden. Bake it with butter and brown sugar for a sweet treat, or stuff it with apples, sausages, and mushrooms for something savory. However you decide to experiment in the kitchen, you first need to know when to pick acorn squash.
In the same way that there are tricks to selecting the best produce at the grocery store, there are some signs to look for in the garden that will let you know your acorn squash plant is ripe. Things like skin texture, color, and time of year can all be indicators telling you your squash is ripe.
I don’t think you can treat your acorn squash like any other winter squash. If you try to cure your winter squash in the same way as butternut squash or spaghetti squash, you will probably end up with soft, rotten squash. But, when you harvest acorn squash correctly and follow the correct curing and storing steps outlined below, you can enjoy acorn squash all year long—giving yourself plenty of opportunities to try out acorn squash soups, salad dressings, desserts, side dishes, and main courses.
One of the easiest ways is by noting its color. Ripened acorn squash turns dark green in color. The portion that has been in contact with the ground will go from yellow to orange. In addition to color, the rind, or skin, of acorn squash will become hard.
How Can You Tell When Acorn Squash Is Ready To Pick?
Of course, harvest time for acorn squash varies depending on your selected variety. Most acorn squash varieties ripen 80-100 days after they have been planted. You can get a more specific date if you look at the “days to full maturity” or “days to harvest” on your seed packets. However, you want to harvest your winter squash before the first heavy frost because they are frost sensitive, so estimate to harvest acorn squash around September or October.
The plant itself will start to change appearance as well at harvest time. Don’t pay too much attention to size when harvesting acorn squash. Unripe acorn squash reach full size pretty early in the season. Acorn squash is typically green with a pale yellow spot where the squash is facing the ground. On a ripe acorn squash, that spot has turned from yellow to a deep orange color and is ready to be picked. If the whole squash is orange, you have waited too long, and the squash has become over-ripened. If you have selected an acorn squash plant that turns entirely orange when ripe, disregard this. If this is the case, it should specify on your seed package. The acorn squash vines and stem will also have turned slightly brown and dried up when the squash is ripe.
Ripe acorn squash has also changed skin texture. Acorn squash is ripe when it has developed tough skin. The easiest way to test if your acorn squash is ripe is to press your fingernail into the skin of the squash gently, and if the squash has soft skin and penetrates easily, you still have an immature acorn squash. If your fingernail can only scratch the rind, or you have to press hard to break it, it’s time for you to harvest acorn squash!
How To Harvest Acorn Squash
When harvesting acorn squash, you will need a sharp knife or clippers. You can try breaking it off of the vine, but we recommend cutting the ripe acorn squash free to make sure you don’t damage the stem. Whatever you do, do not yank the acorn squash from the vines; this can damage unripe squash you haven’t harvested yet. While twisting it free will work for summer squash varieties, it’s essential to harvest acorn squash in a way that does not damage the stem to make sure it’s still able to produce and in a way that keeps a small section of stem attached to the ripe squash.
When making your cut, you want to leave at least an inch of the stem on your ripe acorn squash. You can leave up to five inches if you want; make sure it’s somewhere in that range. Leaving a bit of stem helps the acorn squash lock in moisture, and failure to do can damage your fruit and even cause early decay.
We first must sort through them before we can cure our ripe acorn squash. Any acorn squashes with soft spots or signs of damage on the rind need to be eaten immediately because they will not preserve for longer periods like the others.
Like other winter squashes, acorn squash needs to be cured in a cool, dry place. Although your acorn squash is ripe and has developed tough skin, do not stack winter squash on top of each other. Doing so could create soft spots and ruin your squash fruit texture. Ripe acorn squash will not keep if cured improperly, and rot can spread if they have been stacked. Instead, place them in rows or layers. Cure acorn squash where the temperature is between 50-55 degrees. Any more or less could damage the squash. Rotate the squash a quarter each day for two weeks to ensure the stem has dried thoroughly and the rind has developed a tough skin.
How do I know when an acorn squash is ripe?
FAQ
How do you know when acorn squash is cooked?
How do you know when squash is done?
What color should acorn squash be inside?
How do you know if acorn squash is ripe?
There are several ways you can tell that an acorn squash is ripe and ready to be picked. One of the easiest ways is by noting its color. Ripened acorn squash turns dark green in color. The portion that has been in contact with the ground will go from yellow to orange. In addition to color, the rind, or skin, of acorn squash will become hard.
What does acorn squash taste like?
Acorn squash has a bit of a mild and buttery flavour. It is similar in flavour to a pumpkin (not pumpkin pie) but cooked pumpkin, however, it isn’t as flavourful as pumpkin. The benefit of acorn squash is that it can be combined with many flavours well and can be prepared in many different ways.
Does acorn squash ripen after picking?
Acorn squash does not continue to ripen after it is picked. Although squash can remain undecayed for a long time after it is picked, it won’t get any better tasting once you cut it off the vine. So, if you want the best flavor and squash fruit texture, wait for the signs that your squash is truly ready.
What happens if acorn squash is not ripe?
If you’ve accidentally picked acorn squash when it wasn’t quite ripe yet, it’s probably not going to be very good. Unripe acorn squash tends to be watery and bland. Despite some reports to the contrary, in reality, your acorn squash needs to be attached to a vine in order to ripen.