When to pick acorn squash?

[nutNhoney]

I have 2 that look ready for picking. They are a little smaller than average but the weather hasn't been the greatest. How do I know when to pick them?

[Dwayne]

Pick one now and eat it if that is what you want to do. If you want to store them, you will have to wait until the stem dries out completely, harvest them with 2 to 8 inches of stem left on them (don't use the stems as handles). Then lay them on the back porch in the sun for 10 days to cure ( learned this trick from Len in Queensland), and then lay them in the coolest room of the house. I was still eating squash from the 2002 harvest, in early 2004.

Dwayne

[Guy Bradley]

Pick when the stem separates from the squash when given a push. Don't push too hard, though. Stems will generally be dry at this point.

Guy Bradley Chesterfield MO zone 6