Winter Squash Tasting

The real test of winter squash for me is how tasty it is.   I don't grow decorations, I grow food.

Turns out that two of the squash I planted were decorations.   Not tasty at all.

The first was the Omaha Pumpkin.  I got the seed from Baker Creek, but there must have been some cross pollination, because it didn't look right and it was more like spaghetti squash than pumpkin.   I don't care for spaghetti squash at all.

The flesh looks like this when baked.    Stringy.   Nasty.   I threw it to the chickens. 

The second was the warty stripey volunteer squash that came up.  

It had a hard shell that was very difficult to get into and the flesh looked like this.  Eric thought it might be a gourd.

Stringy.  Nasty.   Definitely a decoration.   I threw it to the chickens.  

Sooo.   I did get a few decorations after all.

I think the Faux Omahas will rot - the skins seem soft.   I'll pitch them somewhere where the seeds won't volunteer in the garden.

 I'll let the warty things dry out and see if they are indeed gourds.  If they are, then they'll just get harder and eventually dry out until you can hear the seeds shake around inside.   Then we can make birdhouses or such with them.  

We still have the butternuts to try and the Greek Sweet Reds and the rampicantes.   I have a good feeling about those.   I'll keep you updated.