I would like to show off my Tahitian Melon winter squash harvest for this year. The Barbie is there to give you an idea of the sizes. Though the leaves were not as prolific as last year I actually got a lot more squash. Some of them were very large–large crook necks which will be great for making lots of pies and soups. I have added muffins to my list of what to do with my Tahitian Melon winter squash harvest. These are not all the squash that I harvested. We had already eaten 3-4 and I had given away a few.
More About the Tahitian Melon Winter Squash Harvest
The Latin name for this squash is Cucurbita moschata. They keep very well, with flavorful, sweet orange flesh. They have a good resistance to vine borers which I have experienced in the 2 years that I have grown them. They were attacked by squash bugs this year so you have to keep your eye on them. During the growing season, these plants need night temperatures above 60 degrees F to grow well. At the end of the season they didn’t ripen so well because the night temperatures were cooler than 60 degrees. It is good to start them early so you have plenty of optimal growing time. Check out this squash growing on a Tomato Ladder trellis!
After using the Tahitian melon all through last winter I can report from experience that it is a great keeper. I kept them in the basement on the concrete floor. None of them spoiled. We ate these squash through the month of June of the next year! And they were all delicious.
Another report based on experience is that the squash that grow towards the end of the summer don’t fully ripen. They never get to that rusty orange color. They are more of a yellow greenish color. When they are sitting side by side the contrast is striking. They aren’t as sweet when they are not fully ripe. What I learned to do this year was to harvest them when they were still small. Then they tasted more like a summer squash and they were good. Click here to buy seeds.
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