When to Harvest Spaghetti Squash and How to Tell It is Ripe

Spaghetti squash requires an extended growing season in order to reach maturity, according to Jagoz. As part of this ripening period, its skin hardens and thickens, producing hard and tough slices when harvested.

An ideal spaghetti squash should feature a hard, unyielding rind that resists puncturing or marking, with deep golden yellow hues free from green streaks or spots.

Harvesting

Spaghetti squash belongs to the winter squash family and, like its other members, requires a long growing season and cool environment in which to mature and cure. But unlike its summer and winter counterparts, its stringy flesh sets it apart among members of this vegetable group.

If you want a taste of autumn in your garden or kitchen, now is the time to harvest spaghetti squash. As is usually the case when harvesting fruits such as this, further maturation provides more flavorful harvests with longer shelf lives.

Thick skinned spaghetti squashes are an indicator that they are ready for harvesting, since their hard, unyielding surface makes it almost impossible for fingernails to penetrate it. When pressing a fingernail against their surface and it leaves little or no impression behind, that indicates their ripeness.

Other indicators that a spaghetti squash is ready include its color and texture. A mature squash will have dark golden yellow skin with hard rind that has lost its glossy sheen; also, its weight should reflect this maturity; you may wish to thump or tap on it and listen out for a hollow sound when tapping or thumping the squash for verification.

Ripening

Spaghetti squash plants generally reach maturity and begin to ripen in late summer, prior to their first winter frost. Gardeners should check for indications that their squash are ready to harvest such as looking at its vine and skin texture for signs.

A spaghetti squash that has reached maturity will have a dark golden yellow hue and hard, unyielding rind. Shininess should fade to matte and any signs of green spotting or streaking indicate it isn’t yet ready. Gardeners can test for its readiness by gently pressing their fingernail against its skin; when fully matured it should feel hard but won’t puncture or leave marks on it.

To harvest squash, cut its stem 2 to 3 inches above its base with clean shears or garden pruners. If the squash are not yet mature enough for picking, they may continue growing and produce moldy spots on its skin that lead to mold growth and soft spots that need to be cut away manually.

After harvesting spaghetti squash, it should be cleaned and dried thoroughly before being stored. When possible, store in cool, dark locations such as a root cellar, garage, or basement; stacking squash on each other reduces air flow, potentially leading to its spoilage.

Curing

Spaghetti squash can be enjoyed raw or cooked, and has an extended shelf life when stored properly. A hard rind forms to shield its delicate flesh from potential danger. Therefore, to ensure successful harvesting of this crop it must be allowed to mature fully before being harvested; an indicator that a spaghetti squash has reached maturity would be its shininess becoming dull; additionally it will have creamy yellow hues with green spots; its skin should withstand fingernail tests without indenting.

As a final sign that a squash is ready, its stem will begin to shrivel up and turn brown. This is important because the stem acts as a living connection between vine and fruit, providing vital nutrient flow from vine to squash fruit. When this connection dries out completely, nutrient flow ceases and harvesting can begin.

Keep a garden calendar and use the days-to-maturity on seed packets as helpful tools when harvesting squash. There is no firm date, as weather conditions can delay its ripening. Instead, it is most important to check on its ripeness prior to cutting from vine. This ensures it will continue ripening after being taken from plants while staying fresh through winter.

Storage

As with other winter squash varieties, Spaghetti squash requires proper storage in order to endure through the harsher months. Thankfully, unlike its summer cousins such as zucchini or yellow squashes, it won’t deteriorate quickly when handled appropriately and cured.

As your squash begins to ripen, its skin should begin changing from light green/white to a rich golden yellow in hue and its rind should no longer mark or puncture easily when pinched with your fingernail.

Test the rind for ripeness by tapping it with your palm. Squash needs to be slightly overripe in order to continue ripening after being cut from its vine; however, even if frost arrives early and early harvesting occurs it could still ripen over time.

Before storing spaghetti squash it must first be cleaned and dried thoroughly before being treated to an antimicrobial solution of water mixed with bleach or white vinegar to kill bacteria and inhibit mildew growth. After cleaning the squash can then be laid out in a warm, protected location with some sunlight so they may ripen, eventually reaching a beautiful golden yellow color and ready for storage in a cool dry location for up to two months.