There was a danger of frost about a week ago. Winter squash shouldn’t be allowed to frost on the plant or they might not ripen if you have to bring them in the house to finish ripening, so I took off all the big ones and brought them inside. Including 4 big ones that were still green as grass, just on a lark.
Getting winter squash to ripen off the vine is not an ideal situation, but letting them frost is riskier. So I have a kitchen corner full of squash. It looks like the 2 oldest ones are ripening: more gold color, and green is slowly going away. You’re supposed to leave as much stem on each one as possible when you cut them off, to keep the area where the stem enters the squash from beginning to rot. Squash science that I don’t really understand, but it’s the common wisdom.
Maybe some of the others that were more gold when I took them from the plants will ripen, or maybe none of them will. This was an interesting experiment, but I won’t grow this again. It takes a field to let it roam, and I don’t have a field. I left it invade my patio area and this was a summer horrible with mosquitoes, and it attracted them down near the house, cos it was good places to hide. Plus it takes a longer growing season than we have here. I planted it June 1st, and even near the end of October, the squash still weren’t close to ready. Maybe some people further south want to grow the most interesting thing I’ve ever grown? It was that, this very energetic plant, so much so that she needed a name. Gardening is a series of adventures. It’s all good.
Sarasin's thoughts....... 
Are those as large as they appear? I don’t think I’ve ever seen any like that before. I’m waiting to see how they taste. BTW, thank you for doing the experiment.
It was a fun experiment. If you had a field to let her roam. They are big; 6-7” across and probably 3-4 lbs each. I’m waiting to see how they taste too, if any really ripen. 🤞
Whoa! That is a lot of squash to not ripen! I never gave ripening of winter squash any thought. They just do it, and then they stay out in the yard when the foliage dies back. By the time there’s frost on the punkin, it does not matter much.
Yea but our frost comes earlier here than there, and most of our winter sqaush have shriveled the vines and told us it was time to pick them before now. This thing take a growing season like some southern state, not PA. It was a fun experiment. Now, will any ripen……..
You know, I got maple syrup from the native bigleaf maples. It was . . . interesting.
Anything like the stuff from sugar maples?
Yes, but there is not much of it. Although the bigleaf maple is a sugaring maple in the Northwest and British Columbia, the season here is too brief. Technically, we have no good sugaring season. The trees go dormant like they should, but by the time the sap starts to flow, the buds are already popping. There is almost no time in between in which to get the sap. Once the buds pop, the sap tastes grassy. I got only a few ounces. I did it because my colleagues did not believe that it is possible. Although it is possible, there are easier sources of sugar.