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Thai Muang Squash Tasteless?
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Posted by tomatozilla 10 (My Page) on Thu, Aug 14, 08 at 9:45
| To fill out an order for basil seeds decided to try Thai Muang Squash. For those unfamiliar this looks very similar to Marina di Chioggia, hunter green very warty skin, cinderella-ish shape and deep orange flesh. It turned out to be the fastest growing, healthiest plant, most productive and extremely attractive by far I'd every grown. Last week finally decided to pick and bake one and it was absolutely tasteless. Didn't look like it was left too long, nor did it seem underripe. Would be surprised if overwatering is the problem. Notice this one had dull skin (throughout it's growth), whereas its later-set neighbor has very shiney skin. Wondering do these need a chill to flavor up and I should grow later in year? Are there other tricks to these? I've grown excellent Marina di Chioggia before but closer to fall. I'd sure like to make this squash work! Thanks. |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Thai Muang Squash Tasteless?
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Not sure which cultivar you may have. I grow the Fagtong Sri Muang (C. Moschata)and it is a very good squash. Most winter squash need curing before they reach peak flavor so that may be your problem. If your is a C. moschata and I think all the Muangs are, then it will turn a very dark grey, then ripe to a terra cotta color. This particular one is very productive but takes a long season
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RE: Thai Muang Squash Tasteless?
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| Farmerdilla, OOOOH thank you soOOO much for sharing these absolutely ravishing squash pictures! I'm so wild about the beauty of winter squashes I never seem to have enough time to paint, photograph, and admire them and boy are yours inspiring! I wish I could have splendid toads in the garden that mimicked them. Okay back to business, so the dull finish in the picture while still green looks like the one I just tossed. So I have to leave it on the vine to try getting it to terra cotta? Or I pick it and keep it in a cool dark place? It hadn't grown for a long time when I picked it and sounded ready - when I thunk them they do have different tones and unfortunately I don't have any instruments anymore to test them against. Thanks! |
RE: Thai Muang Squash Tasteless?
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| As with all winter squash, I wait for the vines to begin dying before harvest. These are at least very dark green at this point. They are not large squash (under 10 lbs) so I just throw them in bushel baskets and store them in the barn until hard freeze threatens, which is not too early or often here. Best eating quality, when the entire stem is dry. Those in the top picture were just coming out of the patch. The bottom one is ready. |
RE: Thai Muang Squash Tasteless?
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| I grew these this summer. The first fruit, harvested when it started to turn orange (but the vine was still growing) was rather disappointing: tasteless and not very sweet. The one harvested when the vine started to die was much better but the ones left to ripen until orange or terra cotta in the garden then to mature in storage are wonderfully sweet and flavoursome. The 3 vines (one "hill") produced 17 mature fruit... and 3 months later we are still eating them. |
RE: Thai Muang Squash Tasteless?
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| Thanks solanum and farmerdilla! I will be patient with this ginormous squash plant until it decides to quit and look forward to harvest rewards then. I have to cut off about six feet of vines every other day, losing a couple squash I can see each time, because this monster really wants to take over. And I thought it would be reasonable like other squash and hang out at the bottom of the melon patch. If this tastes good, I'd say this is required growing for anybody in a hot climate who wanted to really produce a mess of squash. I bought the seeds from evergreen so it's whatever variety they sell. |
RE: Thai Muang Squash Tasteless?
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| Evergreen sells the hybrid version. I have not grown it, but this old OP has 25 foot vines. |
RE: Thai Muang Squash Tasteless?
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| The squash are still on the vine curing. The vine has continued to grow, but I stopped noticing new fruit formation some time ago. It is beginning to be fall-ish here in Los Angeles, and inspecting the vine this morning I see that while it is still growing and flowering vigorously, the flowers are all male. Is that a fluke from which it may change, or is this an ordinary signal of this squash type or winter squash generally that they are done for the season? Or do I need a new pair of glasses? |
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