Waltham Butternut Squash History

Waltham Butternut Squash was developed in the 1960s by the Massachusetts Agricultural Extension Service from a cross between New Hampshire Butternut and a wild squash from Africa. Introduced by Bob Young of Waltham, Massachusetts, in 1970. Waltham Butternut Squash is an improved variety of Butternut Squash. The plant is a vine type squash, producing 4 to 7 squashes per plant. Waltham has a thicker neck than regular Butternut, and will be 25 to 30 cm (10 to 12 inches) long by 12 1/2 cm (5 inches) wide at its widest part at the bottom. The squash will weigh 1 1/3 to 2 3/4 kg (3 to 6 pounds), with a very small seed cavity inside.

How To Plant Waltham Butternut

Fertilize well throughout the butternut squash growing season. Regular feeding will produce the most abundant crop as will keeping the hills weed free. Butternut squash cultivation should be done by hand or with a hoe. Don’t cultivate too deeply since the roots are shallow. Watch carefully for bugs and when the need arises, use insecticidal soap or apply insecticides in the evening when the bees have returned to the hive since bees are essential to growing butternut squash successfully. Your squash will be ready for harvesting when the skin turns hard and is difficult to pierce with your thumbnail. Butternut squash can be roasted or boiled and makes a particularly tasty substitute for pumpkin in pie. Once you know how to grow butternut squash, the possibilities are endless, and your neighbors and friends will appreciate sharing your bounty. Click Here to learn more.

Preserving And Storing Winter Squash Waltham Butternut

Squash store best at an even 50°F in a dark place. This could be a cool and dark shelf, cabinet, or drawer in the kitchen, pantry, or closet. They also store well in a warmer section of the root cellar such as on the top shelf. Check and cull them often to make sure the squash are not developing soft spots. Turning them can keep them from bruising. Remove damaged fruit and use them up soon. Try to keep the storage temperature even, fluctuating temperatures will encourage rotting. Squash that have thinner skin and so do not store as well include: delicata, a small and tall yellow squash with dark green stripes that is quite sweet (use by January); spaghetti squash, a large yellow variety with a stringy center and a summery flavor; and pie pumpkins, the small orange pumpkins that kids love, their sweet meat is excellent for pies.

Waltham Butternut Squash Recipes

Butternut squash is one of my favorite winter squash varieties. It belongs to a species known as C. moschata., a group of squash that also includes the Winter Crookneck, the Cushawsome, and some varieties of pumpkin. Butternut squash, like all squash, has ancestry in North America. Archaeological evidence suggests that squash may have first been cultivated on the isthmus between North America and South America (known as Mesoamerica) around 10,000 years ago. Click here to learn more.

Squash Nutrition

Butternut squash is an excellent source of provitamin A carotenoids, vitamin C, B vitamins, potassium, magnesium, and manganese. The high antioxidant content of butternut squash may reduce your risk of certain conditions, including heart disease, lung cancer, and mental decline. Butternut squash is low in calories and packed with fiber making it a great choice for any healthy weight loss plan. Butternut squash can be added to a wide variety of both sweet and savory recipes, such as stews and pies.

Other Squash Varieties Worth Checking Out

Early Summer Crookneck

Vegetable Spaghetti