Squash, Squash, Squash
The squash are on the move and there is nothing more exciting for some of our first time gardeners than to witness the prolific nature of summer squash. Everyone is excited and are sharing with friends and family. Soon will come the time when folks will not answer the front door for fear of someone dropping of more crooknecks and zucchini! The trick will be to just set it at the back door and run!!
All kidding aside summer and winter squash have been an absolute staple in the diets of people of the Americas for thousands of years and cultivated to many of its current varieties by native Americans. There are as many ways to prepare squash as there are varieties of squash. Summer squash is great for a fresh raw meal or sauteed with onions and garlic. Easy to preserve with the use of a deep freeze, just slice it, blanch it, lay it out on a flat surface in the freezer overnight; the next day put it in a freezer container of your choice and your done. Winter squash is and has been a reliable way for folks to have "fresh" vegetables in the dead of winter. If picked at maturity (or close to it) winter squash easily last for 4-6 months in a cool dark area like a basement or root cellar. If you do not have a basement or cellar try a spare room in the house that you don't necessarily need to heat as much as your main living area. So no matter how you feel about squash please make sure that you are encouraging others to plant squash; because there are few/if any other annuals that produce more food per foot than squash.
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