Summer squash grows fast and easy, a single plant can give you many summer squashes with ease. In this article, we will explain how and when to harvest summer squash to get the best flavor and performance in the orchard.
If you don’t harvest the summer squash on time, it will be full of seeds and become bitter, so here we will explain how to harvest the best summer squash easily.
If you have any problems with your yellow squash plant, we recommend our article about yellowing leaves on squash. In this way, you will be able to fix the problem of yellow leaves, and then you will be able to harvest yellow squash in abundance.
Table of Contents
When to Harvest Yellow Summer Squash
When to Harvest Yellow Summer Squash? Summer squash reaches maturity in 60 days or less, but the most important thing for harvesting summer squash is not the time of fruit ripening. Harvest summer squash when the summer squash is 6″ to 8″ (15 to 20 cm) long and has shiny skin.
Of course, summer squash can grow larger to 10″ (25 cm) long, but a summer squash that size will have many seeds and a bitter taste. Therefore, it is best to harvest summer squash when it is young and the skin is shiny, it should also be tender to the touch.
It is also important to harvest summer squash on time, not only for the taste but also so that the plant continues to produce more summer squash. Harvesting summer squash will allow the plant to continue to develop more fruit because it will have more energy.
Summer squashes of the round type are also harvested when their skin is shiny and their size is that of a tennis ball. A good size for harvesting round summer squash is between 3″ and 6″ (8 and 15 cm) in diameter.
In summary, the best time to harvest summer squash is when the summer squash is 6″ to 8″ (15 to 20 cm) long and the skin is shiny.
How to Harvest Summer Squash
How to Harvest Summer Squash? Harvesting summer squash is very simple. First, you need to make sure that the summer squash is the right size and has shiny skin. The summer squash should be between 6″ and 8″ (15 to 20 cm) long, if it is a round summer squash it should be between 3″ and 6″ (8 and 15 cm) in diameter.
Then with a sharp, sanitized knife, you will cut the summer squash you have selected. Leave a small stem on the summer squash to prolong the storage life. Always use a sharp tool and do not pull the summer squash because it could damage the plant and ruin the production.
Remember that the smaller summer squashes will be the tastiest to enjoy at meals. Harvesting summer squash will encourage the plant to continue producing more fruit. Summer squash will continue to grow until fall, when the plant will have completed its cycle and will die.
How to Store Summer Squash
How to Store Summer Squash? As I mentioned earlier, a summer squash plant can bear a lot of fruit; if you have several plants, you should easily fill up with summer squash. That is why it is important to know how to store summer squash to preserve it for as long as possible.
You should store summer squash in the refrigerator, wash the summer squash and dry them well because excess moisture is not good for preserving. Then place the summer squash in a paper bag and store them in the vegetable crisper in the refrigerator. In this manner the summer squash will last a week or even a little longer in the refrigerator, the important thing is that they do not have moisture.
Also, you should store the summer squash in the freezer. Dice or grate the summer squash and then boil it for three minutes (blanch it). Remove summer squash from boiling water and immerse it in cold water to cool the summer squash. Finally, store summer squash in the freezer for up to 3 months.
