So far I have been able to pull three large squashes from my two plants. A couple have been left on the vine since they were attacked by the evil squirels. They can continue to snack on those and hopefully they will leave the rest alone. I have three or four more that are maturing and still have several blossoms that show promise. Hopefully I will have a few more for the pantry and freezer.
Butternut squashes are a versitile fruit in the kitchen as it can be roasted, toasted, pureed for soup, mashed into soups, baked into casseroles, breads and muffins and adds a sweet earthiness to each dish it is added to. Add to its versitility, the fact that it packs a whollop of nutrition (fiber, vitamin C, manganese, magnesium, potassium, Vitamin A and finally Vitamin E).
The only downside I see to this marvelous fruit (aside from its squirel luring effects) is that they do take a bit of space to grow. I placed mine under an obelisk structure in the garden to curtail some of its outward expanse, but it still spread over my lilac bushes and across my garden walkway to encircle my compost bin. I am going to try a compact variety next year and see what that is all about, but for the moment, I am enjoying the bounty of this fruit by dry storing some of the harvest while peeling, dicing, blanching and freezing the rest for soups and baking!
Happy Gardening!
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