Handle them very carefully. Wipe them down with a weak bleach solution. Store in house in a cool, but not cold, room.

Handle them very carefully. Wipe them down with a weak bleach solution. Store in house in a cool, but not cold, room.

Agree except if you have a long-storage potato bin then that works great. A root cellar is best but a cool but dry basement also works. Without those, once disinfected just keeping them out of the sun light and in a dark cubbyhole will work for sometimes.

And of course you can always cook, skin, chop and freeze the squash too. Poke some holes, microwave just until softened, cut open, remove seeds, cut out the meat, package and freeze.

Dave

Thanks! More squash came in today... so now I can store them properly!

Remember that you can make "pumpkin" pie from any of the squash varieties you listed, too! (I roast the squash as opposed to steaming it before using so the finished product is not too watery.)
Butternut (Waltham is the kind I grow) should remain fine for the entire winter--in fact, well into the following summer!
Longest-keeping squash I have found is the neck pumpkin. I believe Harris Seeds sells it (or maybe Park). I also have found it at harvest festivals this time of year. LOTS of "bang for your buck" due to the long neck--all "meat"!!

We store anywhere from 50-100 squash every year, and I've found the best place to store them is on newspaper or cardboard in a dry, bright room with plenty of air circulation. In our case, its on shelves in the greenhouse where the temps are roughly 40 at night and 75 during the day, all winter long. This is naturally a very dry climate, so that helps:-)

For recipes, squash goes great with lime juice, diced and browned in butter/olive oil, and of course the 'pumpkin' pies. Then diced and into soups and stews, any of the Thai / West African dishes with a peanut sauce.

I know it sounds yucky, but with many of the winter squash that are going to be cooked, the peel will cook up very tender and it would take a far more delicate tongue than mine to tell a peeled vs non-peeled dice of squash in a blind taste test.

And finally, they can be sliced, cooked, then dehydrated - they taste like candy.

I agree that a coolish bright room with good air circulation is much better than a root cellar.