4 Reasons Why I Will Never Grow Squash Again!!!

[stella1751]

Number 1: They get way too big. I planted nine plants in the following bed, four hills of two and one hill of one. This is 40 square feet. That should've been plenty space. No. They wanted more. I think squash are pushy. Behind them, in the shadowy corner, is the paper wasp nest I allowed. We're not talking tame little Western paper wasps, here; no, it's the Europeans, the ones that take exception to invasion. How am I supposed to pick the ones in the back?

[img]https://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy292/mitbah/squash_1-1.jpg[/img]

Number 2: They are drinking three times the water being consumed by my reasonable, evironmentally conscious, tomatoes and peppers. I am constantly watering these guys, and they want more, more, more. "Want" is not correct. They demand it. Should the gardener be so unwary as to slack off on the water, even for a second, they go on strike and abort their fruit.

Number 3: They attrack what I suspect to be an unsavory crowd. If I encounter a bug with which I am not familiar, I kill it rather than risking it getting away while I run in and look it up in the bug book. Well, ever since the squash moved into my neighborhood, three different bugs have made an appearance: 1) One humongous black beetle with four orange squares on his back; 2) Three red-and-black winged bugs; and 3) Two very unsavory looking, small-bee-type bugs with a green head. I haven't been killing them; their resemblance to a bee is all that is keeping them alive, but the others are dead.

Number 4: I don't like squash. I've tried it. I don't like it. It was a cucurbits year. I decided to experiment. I guess I'm glad I did. Now I can sneer when I pass the squash in the produce section at my grocery store. I won't grow 'em again, though. Never. Too big, too much water, too many bugs, gross tasting.

Hey, can these puppies be pruned? I really want to pick the back ones in this photo, should the squash be so gracious as to produce without me draining the better part of the North Platte

[cas0502]

OK so:
1) why did you plant squash if you don't like it?
2) why are you worried about picking the squash in the back if you don't like it? and
3) why are still watering it if you don't like it?

I tend to stick with the tried and true veggies for my garden. Granted it limits what I grow but at least I know I'll eat it. If I want to try something new I'll get it at the farmers market first before I invest my time and energy into growing it myself. (Of course with 2 picky kids and a picky husband I don't try many new things these days. )

[nes]

I have to agree with cas I'm dieing to grow some asparagus peas because they are so darn neat looking! But NO one here is going to eat them.

You should try some different methods of preparing your squash, it really is delicious . What about soup? Roasted? Spaghetti squash goes great with tomato sauce (as past )!

[tedln]

Stella,

Beautiful squash plants even if they do feel unwelcome. Your right, they do need a lot of care. In my case, I have to hand polinate them early in the season before the bees wake up in the spring. For me, the neighbors, our family, and our friends; after the tomatoes, the squash make my garden worthwhile. We have eaten them this year a half dozen different ways and loved all of them. Some folks grow them only for the blossoms and stuff the blossoms. We eat squash all year. When the garden is over, we pay $1.69 per lb. for them. I think I've grown about $250.00 worth this year.

Ted

[hendi_alex]

First I can't imagine growing more than two or three squash or zucchini plants. Secondly, the fruit is best when picked small and tender. Third, squash can be prepared in a number of great tasting ways. We usually just slice and lightly stir fry with a little onion, olive oil, salt and pepper. But squash makes a great casserole. Our favorite has layered squash covered in cream of mushroom soup and sharp cheddar cheese. Two or three layers are then covered with cheese and cornbread crumbs. Although pretty decadent, the casserole is delicious. Squash and/or zucchini are also great when cut in thin wedges and grilled with onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, and/or other veggies. We drizzle ours will olive oil and sprinkle liberally with Mr. Spice, our favorite herb blend from thespicehouse.com, before placing the veggies in a grilling basket. Our friends always rave over the grilled vegetables. My mother-in-law used to like to prepare squash the old fashioned southern way. Start with a liberal amount of butter, add squash and a dash of salt and pepper to the squash and then start cooking them down. Cook them down until they are thick and pasty and begin to stick and carmelize in an iron skillet. The resulting, thick paste of squash has an intense sweetness with all of the flavors intensified by the cooking down process. Finally, my mother also liked to cook squash in probably the most unhealthy southern way. She would slice the squash fairly thin, maybe an eigth of an inch or little more, dip the slices in plain flower with salt added, dip in buttermilk, then dip in her favorite flour/meal mix. Fry in the trusty black skillet in about an inch of oil. The crispy treats are sooooo goooood! but so bad for you.

[gixxerific]

You should try some different methods of preparing your squash, it really is delicious . What about soup? Roasted? Spaghetti squash goes great with tomato sauce (as past )!

Ditto. Thy them a different way in spag sauce sounds good to me or just about anything Alex said (insert tongue to the floor drooling emoticon).

I'm not very fond of cucumbers yet with french dip not so bad. But tonight I made spaghetti with out of the can sauce. I added fresh chopped onion as always and fresh spices in moderation. But something new was to skin than rough dice a cucumber than add all that to the hamburger while it cooked. It was quite awesome my wife nor kids (suckers there's some vitamins for you) even knew it had cucumber in it.

[jal_ut]

Hey, can these puppies be pruned? I really want to pick the back ones in this photo,

Prune them?
After what you just said about squash, just jerk them out by the roots.

[kgall]

Mmmmmmm. fried squash!

[BrianSkilton]

Squash is just delicious I wish I had more success all 27 of my plants have been affected by the vine borer, I would give anything to have my plants looking like yours...They get big, that is why I planted mine 6 feet apart. Anway, if you have too many squash make jamie oliver's courgette carbonara...it is amazing.

https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pasta-recipes/beautiful-courgette-carbonara

[green~acres]

Hmmmm, I cant think of 1 reason to not grow squash.There are so many ways to fix it.Casseroles,Fried, Stuffed, and as was mentioned,, spag. sauce.I had 39 squash plants this year.There is enough in the freezer til last til next spring. Gave a lot away, and ate all we could while it was fresh. Try it, you might like it.

[stella1751]

jal_ut wrote:

Prune them?
After what you just said about squash, just jerk them out by the roots.

Darn, that made me laugh. Several times. Thanks!

Back in the mid-1950's, when my father was a poor North Dakota farmer, his farm failed for the second year in a row. He sold the farm, bought a brand new 1957 Dodge, and loaded his wife and kids, six of 'em, ages 5 to 2 months, into the car and headed for the land of opportunity back then: California. He knew he could get a job there. California was then emerging as THE agricultural state to beat all agricultural states. A fellow with his farming experience could get a job anywhere!

It was only when he got there that he learned how the California Ag system worked back then: An overseer trucked in a load of immigrant workers. They worked the soil, cared for the plants, picked the harvest. One check was written by the Corporate farmer, a check to the overseer, who trickled the funds down to his considerably less expensive employees.

Dad couldn't get a job. He'd never even graduated from high shool. All he knew was farming. Here he was, a third-generation North Dakota farmer with six very young children in a strange, strange land, and he couldn't get a job.

He took many menial jobs. I think my Mom said he worked four different ones. While he was working all these jobs, he studied for his GED. He barely slept, and eventually he became ill. Quite ill. One night, he came home, walked into the house, and collapsed on the floor. He had developed a serious case of double pneumonia.

Mom contacted the nearest convent. The nuns took Dad in. He had a long convalescence, but he lived. While he was there, the nuns supplied food and whatever to my Mom and her six young children. Dad recovered. He earned his GED. He passed the Civil Service exam. By the late 1970's, Dad was the Northeastern Region Border Patrol Chief.

Long story, but this is why I am growing these blasted squash! I give roughly 90% of what I grow to a local church. I ask them to pass them on to any parishioners who might be suffering like my mother and father, fifty years ago. It's payback. Last year, they said squash was a favorite.

I know it's selfish of me, but next time I have a big cucurbits year, I'm growing cucumbers!

[tedln]

Squash is just delicious I wish I had more success all 27 of my plants have been affected by the vine borer, I would give anything to have my plants looking like yours...They get big, that is why I planted mine 6 feet apart. Anway, if you have too many squash make jamie oliver's courgette carbonara...it is amazing.

https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pasta-recipes/beautiful-courgette-carbonara

Brian,

Your probably right. The yellow squash would do a really good job in the Jamie Oliver recipe. I didn't have my glasses on when I looked at the recipe, but it looked like he did use courgette (zucchini) instead of yellow squash. I'm not a big fan of the taste of courgette compared to yellow squash. It doesn't seem to retain it's identity as well when cooked as squash.

Ted

[Charlie MV]

Vine borers take ours out every yeay by early June. I can't imagine a squash plant that big. I think you're just a closet squash lover and are really bragging. I'd give anything for squash like that.

[tedln]

Stella,

Is it possible the plants you are talking about are in fact zucchini plants. In my garden, the zucchini plants (which I no longer grow) were usually twice the size of the yellow squash plants. If they are zucchini, it's possible more people will agree with you about their likes and dislikes.

Ted

[crobi13]

Stella,
Your story brought tears to my eyes. That is a wonderful thing you do.

[tedln]

Alex,

Thanks for the memories! Your mother in laws recipe for squash is my oldest memory of cooked squash and my mouth starts to water thinking about it. It did have the most intense flavor that only the combination of squash and butter cooked into a paste could produce. I grew up thinking my favorite flavor was "burned". It was the only way my mom could cook. Her method was to cook everything until it couldn't be recognized. It was the perfect method for the yellow squash.

Ted

[nes]

Stella you have the best stories!!

I'm going to force hubby to read that one when he gets home, he likes to complain about his 50 hour work weeks as an apprentice while I "stay at home on vacation with the child" (he had to take care of DS for 1 1/2 hours while I was at the eye doctor on the weekend, he had help & still had a complete about-face "how do you do it!?" ). Poor guy works hard, but I keep trying to explain to him it's nothing compared to what our grandparents had to go through!

For next year their are several varieties of squash that grow in a more "bush-like" manner, Um, I'm thinking acorns (very delicious as well) like Celebration (bear with me, I haven't grown these yet, maybe next year) from Vesey's "...Compact bush plants do not take over you garden..." or a dumpling variety like Bush Delicata (again Veseys say) "...A space saving, open pollinated, bush-type plant that spread only 3-4 feet and produces a beautiful crop...".

Also if you know anyone with babies who are in need (that's fantastic you're growing it all for the church!) squash is an EXCELLENT baby food. My MIL thought I was insane for making all my own baby food, but you cut the darn thing in half, fill the scooped out seed bit with water, tinfoil, 400F for an hour & it's $2 for more food then my son could eat in a week (I froze LOTS).

[stella1751]

Tedlin wrote:

Is it possible the plants you are talking about are in fact zucchini plants. In my garden, the zucchini plants (which I no longer grow) were usually twice the size of the yellow squash plants. If they are zucchini, it's possible more people will agree with you about their likes and dislikes.

Nope. But it's interesting that you bring that up. I bought these seeds from Burpee because they were supposed to be a compact plant. I can handle a compact plant. The last thing they are is compact.

What's interesting, though, is that this is a variety pack, including seeds for Peter Pan, Creamsicle, and Sunny Delight. The only plants aborting their fruit are Sunny Delights. The Peter Pan and Creamsicle are giving me tons. I've only picked maybe a half-dozen Sunny Delights

I would hate it if people agreed with my likes and dislikes. Those are what makes a forum fun: people disagreeing, all in good humor. We are shaped, I think, by our early environment. My mother hates squash because her grandmother used to serve it at every meal, boiled and mashed with a fork. I think they put salt on it

This is a fun thread, Tedlin. People are jumping in like mad. Those are the good ones

[tedln]

Stella,

"We are shaped, I think, by our early environment. My mother hates squash because her grandmother used to serve it at every meal, boiled and mashed with a fork. I think they put salt on it "

I agree, and the memories of my early environment are some of my treasures. I can tell people about my early childhood and it sounds depressing, but for me they are good memories.

I mentioned in my previous post that my mom cooked things until they couldn't be recognized. In fact, if your were color blind in our house; you would starve to death. Since there were six of us kids and everything was cooked into submission, you simply said "pass me some of that brown stuff please". or " is there any of that green stuff left?"

We always avoided the red stuff because it was always beets. Mom simply couldn't cook beets into submission. They still tasted like beets.

Those are wonderful memories. I try to duplicate some of my moms tastes and I can't do it. Burned is the closest I can get and I guess that is why it is still my favorite flavor.

Ted

[kgall]

How wonderful Stella! To grow and give to people in need...People on limited incomes can't afford nutrient rich foods like veggies and tent to eat foods void of nutritional value! Bravo! Your parents must be proud!

On a side note...I put tomato cages around my squash and they tend to grow up not spread out! It has saved me a ton of space.

[gixxerific]

How wonderful Stella! To grow and give to people in need...People on limited incomes can't afford nutrient rich foods like veggies and tent to eat foods void of nutritional value! Bravo! Your parents must be proud!

On a side note...I put tomato cages around my squash and they tend to grow up not spread out! It has saved me a ton of space.

You wouldn't have to have any pics of them would you? I have a roll of cage and could make some for those as well. Just like to see how it works for them myself.

[stella1751]

Kgall wrote:

On a side note...I put tomato cages around my squash and they tend to grow up not spread out! It has saved me a ton of space.

If you look very closely at the photo, Kgall, you'll see the tomato cages I tried. I like them in terms of support--they keep the plants from flattening during one of our plant-toppling blows--but early on I could tell that squishing all those leaves upward would kill the plant and make it impossible for it to produce. Then again, there's an idea . . . Kill 'em with kindness!

I've a germ of another idea, though. Those of you who like squash could contribute your least expensive recipes. The fewer the ingredients, the better, keeping in mind the impoverished state of my recipients. I could type up a list of recipes and include copies with my deliveries. Like, for example, Nes wrote about using it for baby food, which I'm betting is very expensive in the jar. If Nes could write a brief description of how to fix the baby food, and if I could put "Nes" on it with a state or a country, I think that would be cool.

I can imagine how many times my 27-year-old mother, lost and alone in that huge, alien state with no support group, them all being back in North Dakota, wept when the nuns brought her another delivery to feed her hungy young children. (Mom didn't learn how to drive until Dad was diagnosed with PSP, which would put her at about 60 then.) I think she probably sent many a silent "thank you" to those who helped her fulfill her responsibilities as a mother.

Well, if anyone is interested and if the webmaster has no problem with it, I could print up two or three pages of inexpensive ways to fix squash, crediting The Helpful Gardener members, just in case the people getting them feel as I do about the beastly stuff

[kgall]

Yep. I see them now. I tried to be choosy about keeping only leaves in the cages that wouls encourage the main vine to go straight up. The other leaves I led fall where they may. I found that keeping the vine in the cage and the leaves where they want they still take about a third of the room as the ones I let sprawl. I did try stakes with trellis netting wrapped around them and found it too constricting.
Gixx...Here is the pic. Ignore the powdery mildew. I think I am finally getting a handle on it and am getting squash again. You can see one of the vines on this one has escaped on me. It's hard to get a good pic of the structure. My vines aren't too tall yet but they are growing...We had rain 29 days in June and all of my veggies are behind!
[img]https://i799.photobucket.com/albums/yy280/kgall_photo/P1020485.jpg[/img]

[nes]

It's not that baby food is so expensive by the jar (it's like 40c for a small jar of organic baby food at our grocery store) it's just that if you buy a squash it's like 1c for a small jar of baby food .

Really there is absolutely nothing to making baby food, you roast/boil the food with no spices then blend it down until it's smooth. As the baby gets a little older you start mixing flavours (like carrots & peas) and blend the food a little less. If anyone is interested a quick google search will give you TONS, I got most of mine out of a garage sale book entitled "cooking for babies and toddlers" (including home-made baby biscotti, yum!).

I never buy DS anything pre-made because I'm stay at home I have more then enough time to cook everything myself, it's WAY cheaper & he doesn't mind when mommy experiments a little with her cooking .

I really think a HG Squash Recipe collection is a grand idea!! I never touched the stuff before DS came along, but he won me over to the dark side!

[tedln]

Here you go Stella,

Baked Summer Squash Casserole
5 pounds medium size yellow squash
2 eggs
1 cup seasoned Italian bread crumbs
4 ounces of butter or margerine
¼ cup of sugar
2 teaspoons of salt
1 medium onion diced
dash of pepper to taste

Cut squash into chunks. Place in pot with enough water to cover squash. Cook until tender. Drain in colander. Add the rest of the ingredients except bread crumbs and gently mix with the squash in a large bowl. Pour mixed ingredients into one large or two small casserole dishes. Cover with generous layer of bread crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees until lightly browned (about fifty minutes). Yield: 10 servings.

Ted

[kgall]

OK Stella Here is a receipe:

2 zucchini
2 tomatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
1 or 2 garlic cloves minced
oregano (can be fresh or dried, they both work)
grated parmesan cheese (optional)
Preheat oven to 425. Thinly slice zucchini and tomatoes into rounds. alternate placing slices of zucchini and tomato into a casserole dish, overlapping each by 1/3. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with garlic and oregano. Bake uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes. Zucchini should be slightly tender. Sprinkle with parmasan cheese and return to oven for 5 minutes, until cheese is just brown.

This is a really tasty side dish. I am a bit heavier with the garlic myself!

[green~acres]

Squash Dish

6 small tender squash

1 cup herbal stuffing crumbs

½ cup grated sharp cheese

Margarine

Salt and pepper

Small onion

Parboil squash until done.slice in halves.place halves in one layer in glass baking dish. Sprinkle with stuffing crumbs, cheese, salt and pepper. Grate a little bit of onion on each squash.Squeeze enough margarine to season. Place in microwave on high only long enough to melt cheese.makes 4 servings.

[green~acres]

Squash Fritters
4 cups grated, squash (fresh or frozen)
2 1/2 cups flour
2 eggs, beaten
salt and pepper to taste

Squeeze as much moisture as possible from the squash. Mix with flour and eggs to form thick paste. Fry at medium heat in oil or butter until golden brown and crispy on both sides. Serve warm with sour cream if desired. Makes 15 small, appetizer-size pancakes. Grated zucchini can be used instead of squash

[nes]

mmm squash fritters those sound good!

I'm still trying to think of my favourite squash recipe I could actually share, I was thinking about it this morning & my favourite of favourites is the pumpkin pie from Joy of Cooking, but there is a copyright issue on that one . Still mmmmmmmmmm!!!

[Gerrie]

mmhmmm, just smell those fritters-as one country singer said once "if it ain't fried, it ain't food" The recipes all sound good and I will try some but here's a question for everyone-I forgot to check my zuchinni for a few days while I had company and then this morn when I did check I have five 'baseball bats'-how can they be cooked? They wont be tender like the small ones and I'm embarrassed to take them to the local food banks and elder lunch programs like I usually do with excess [/quote]

[stella1751]

Gerrie, try making zucchini bread. I find it interesting how many people think a large squash is a good squash. However, I have a friend who makes excellent zucchini bread from hers.

Today a friend visited me, and I sent her away with some squash. For those of you who are interested in seeing what these look like, I took a photo of her haul before she left. The yellow with green centers are Sunny Delight; the pale yellow are Creamsicle; the green and (I think) pale white are Peter Pans. They really are extraordinarily lovely . . . for a squash!

[img]https://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy292/mitbah/pattypans.jpg[/img]

[Gerrie]

Stella- are they 'patty-pan' squash? I've seen but never had them, must try one soon!

[stella1751]

Yep. I should have mentioned that. Sorry If I were a squash person, I'd grow the Peter Pans. Of the lot, they are the hardiest, and they mature FAST! Truth be told, I like watching them grow

[Gerrie]

Ah, I forgot all about zuchinni bread, and it's wonderful to have in the freezer for those cool fall days when I crave a hot cup of tea.


One thing I do with some of my zuchs is to put them and an onion, some carrots and celery in the food processor and then freeze in small containers-great for soup starter, omelets, even a quick stir fry when I don't feel like starting from scratch. I sometimes just throw it frozen into a heated can of chicken broth for quick soup. If any of you try this, go easy on the onion til you get a blend that suits your taste.

[kgall]

Gerrie, here is a squash recipe I use when the zucchini get too big.


Stuffed Zucchini

12 ounces pork sausage
1 large zucchini
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup shredded Colby cheese
2 cups ricotta cheese
1½ cups Italian cheese blend
½ cup onion, chopped
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ cup tomatoes, chopped

Heat oven to 350°. Partially cook zucchini in microwave for 5 minutes, remove and cool for 10 minutes. Slice in half lengthwise, remove seeds. Sprinkle with garlic powder.
Place crumbled sausage in a large skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown, drain and set aside.
Combine eggs, Colby, ricotta, Italian cheese blend, onion, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Layer sausage, tomatoes and cheese mixture in sausage halves.
Bake 40 minutes, then broil 5 minutes to brown cheese.

[tedln]

I've never been a fan of zucchini, but I am a fan of the ways people use them. In England, the zucchini is called courgette. If it is allowed to grow over sized, it is called vegetable marrow. Both are used quite differently. Some claim the flavor and texture of the two are quite different. Some even make a form of wine or rum with the vegetable marrow called marrow wine. They hollow the marrow, fill it with liquid ingredients, and allow it to ferment in the marrow. Here is one method from a U.K. gardening forum. There are many other recipes.

"I think you are referring to Marrow Rum, snuffits.
The idea is to slice the top off the marrow and scoop out the seeds. Stuff the centre with demerara sugar, (a few raisins helps to improve the brew).
Put the top back on the marrow and seal it with tape to exclude the air.
Then either prop it up, or suspend it in an old (clean) pair of tights in a cool place.
When the marrow starts to go a little squishy poke a hole in the bottom with a skewer.
Put a muslin cloth over a sterilised bucket and let the juices drip through it.
Then drink and enjoy
Can be potent, especially with the raisins. "

Ted

[tedln]

Stella,

While I have grown and enjoyed summer squash for many years, I've never grown or eaten patty pan squash. Since my gardens usually contain farm animal manure in the compost, I always peel my squash before cooking. Because a "patty pan" resembles a hockey puck with ruffles, I can't imagine peeling one. How are they prepared. Is the skin on a patty pan tough like winter squash or soft like most summer squash?

Ted

[ljcoolj]

I love acorn squash. Slice in half, put a little butter and brown sugar on it and bake until soft. Yum!

[stella1751]

Tedlin wrote:

I always peel my squash before cooking. Because a "patty pan" resembles a hockey puck with ruffles, I can't imagine peeling one.

They have a very thin skin, Tedlin. I researched squash before choosing these, selecting them because they are a (HA!) compact plant with a downright pretty squash. I don't eat squash, but the literature said you can eat these just like an apple. I did that with the first one I picked, just wiped it off with my hands and chowed down. I didn't taste the "slightly nutty flavor" that was promised, but the texture was excellent, sort of a combination of apple and peach.

I think you leave the skin on 'em when preparing them, but other than eating them straight from the garden, I'm all asea. I guess you bake, fry, and boil, like the other kinds, and use the too-big ones for bread, pie, and cookies. My mother has an excellent recipe for pumpkin cookies; I bet a person could substitute squash for those.

On a slight digression, last night I fed my backyard squash a new recipe of compost tea, one using alfalfa pellets. It might be my imagination, but they look very perky this morning. Worse, I think they may have grown an inch or two last night.

Alfalfa pellets get two leaves up from squash. They like it! I've got another pot on the go for the ones out front

[nes]

Stella you must get your mom's pumpkin cookie recipe for us!! (PLEASE) It's one of a very select few veggies I can actually get hubby to eat (even if it's all sugary and baked it still counts right?).

Peter Pans....they mature FAST!

You'd think Peter pans wouldn't mature at all... (sorry!)

I definitely notice after a little rain or a cooler, wet night the squash look beautiful in the morning! Mine have been giving me the most gorgeous orange flowers every day .

I'm also super happy because I thought I'd lost all my butternut but I found two of the really "small pumpkin plants" where lieing to me, their flower buds look very different, they are definitely butternut! HOORAY!!! I don't know if we're going to get full grown butternut before frost, but I'm going to be VERY nice to them & just hope!