WHEN AND HOW TO HARVEST Time from planting to harvest depends on the
variety, as does the yield you can expect. Harvest summer squashes
when they're young--they taste delicious when they're small, and if
you leave them on the plant too long they will suppress flowering and
reduce your crop. Harvest summer squashes like the zucchini and
crookneck varieties when they're six to eight inches long; harvest
the round types when they're four to eight inches in diameter. Break
the squashes from the plant, or use a knife that you clean after
cutting each one; if the knife is not perfectly clean, it can spread
disease to other plants.
STORING AND PRESERVING Summer squashes can be stored in the
refrigerator for up to one week; don't wash them until you're ready
to use them. They can also be frozen, canned, pickled, or dried.
SERVINGS SUGGESTIONS Summer squashes lend themselves to a good
variety of culinary treatments. Saute slices of summer squash with
onions and tomatoes for a robust but delicately flavored side dish.
Add sliced zucchini and mushrooms to a thick tomato sauce for
spaghetti. Halve summer squashes and stuff with a meat or rice
mixture, or bake them with butter and parmesan cheese. Pan-fry slices
of summer squash, or simmer them with fruit juice for a new flavor.
Use the popular zucchini raw on a relish tray and among vegetables
for a tempura, or slice it thinly in salads. Use the larger fruit for
making zucchini bread.
Source: Vegetable Gardening Encyclopeida by Galahad Books, NYC, NY
1982 Typos by Dorothy Flatman, 1995
