how can you tell when buttercup squash is ready to be picked?

Answer 1

" Harvest when the butternut squash is full size. Rind should be firm and glossy and bottom of fruit is cream to orange color. Leave squash on stems for better storing and pick before fall frost."
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/tog/harvest.html

"The oranger the color, the riper, drier and sweeter the squash."
http://whatscookingamerica.net/squash.htm

Some people wait until the vines begin to die. "If you are in a hurry tho, you can pick it when the stem is hard and dry and the skin is too hard to cut with a fingernail. Curing allows excess water to evaporate, making the squash sweeter also better suited for long term storage."
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/cornucop/msg0814265629269.html

The quality of vegetables does not improve after harvest so it is important to gather crops at proper maturity. At this point vegetables are at their peak for flavor and nutrition. Late September is the usually time of harvest.

"Winter squash that passes the thumbnail test (the skin should resist puncture from your thumbnail) usually is fully ripe and ready to harvest. The stem hardens and the skin color deepens: butternut deepens to a subtle orange-tan and a splotch of orange-yellow often will appear on the underside of buttercup types. Most winter squash will keep up to four months after harvest if you follow these tips: Harvest after the first light frost to enhance sweetness but before a hard frost; never handle squash by the stem (fruits can rot in just a few weeks after the stem breaks); cut — don’t pull — squash from the vine, and leave 2 inches of the stem attached; wipe off any dirt but don’t get the fruits wet; cure fruits in a warm place (80 to 85 degrees is ideal) for a couple of weeks. Once cured, store in a cool, dry location at 50 to 55 degrees."
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/2004-08-01/Pick-for-Peak-Flavor.aspx
Good luck! Hope this helps.

Answer 2

When To Harvest Buttercup Squash

Answer 3

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
how can you tell when buttercup squash is ready to be picked?

Answer 4

"General Rule" Grab it and twist it clockwise and then counter clockwise. Do that a couple of times and if it starts to come off the vine it is ripe. If not try again in a couple of days.

Answer 5

is anyone able to tell me what is the correct answer for this question?