Can I ripen green squash?

[me&thegals]

I couldn't find a definitive answer on this when doing a search. Can anybody help me? I have some enormous Amish Pie Squash that haven't ripened yet. We got hit with our first frost Sat morning. With all the vines dead now, what would happen if I picked and stored these? Also wonder about using this as a way to save squash that are getting hit with squash borer.

Regarding squash borer, is there a time in the season when they tend to have completed the damage, or is it "the longer on the vine, the worse off the squash"?

Thanks!

 

[bills]

Not familiar with the Amish squash, but if they are already fairly large, I think that they will be great for eating as is. The maturing is more for the seed, then the flavour. I have eaten young squash many times, and actually they taste pretty darn good. I picked some young buttercup squash over a month ago, and they cooked up dandy.

If you bring them into a warm kitchen for a few days before eating this may help ripen them a bit, as well.

If you can sun cure them for a few days, they should store very well. This will help toughen the rind.

If your vines are already dead or dieing back, I think the vine borer won't do much more damage now, as far as the squash quality. If infested early in the growing season, chances are your squash production, and health, would suffer greatly.

I would burn or garbage the vines, rather than compost them. Not sure about the life cycle of the borer, but you don't want to reintroduce them.

We have had a few hard frosts the last few days, and worry a bit about my buttercup squash going soft in the field. It warms up nice during the day, and the vines still look like they have some life in them, but I'm sure it's not for long.