Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Autumn garden produce
This large fruit is growing on a long vine that erupted from the ground where some of our home made compost had been spread. It appeared much later than our courgettes (which have just about expired in the cooling weather) and has spread out to cover about half of a 12 sq metre bed. There were many flowers but only three or four fruits. This is the largest and, so far, is about a foot long. It has the shape of a butternut squash but isn't the right colour. It is near the spot where we once planted pumpkins but it clearly isn't a pumpkin. Any ideas?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Geraldine B on
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Obvs, it is a 'squashkin'
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Permalink Reply by Dick Harris on
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Thanks for the reactions. I shall report back in due course.
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Permalink Reply by maggie on
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A slight word of warning for self sown squash or ones grown from home collected seed. The squash and other cucurbits we eat have been modified for generations so that they are edible and not poisonous to us, whereas any that are derived from e.g. ornamental squash have not been.
It is very rare but occasionally gardeners have been ill or died by eating squash from 'uncertified' seeds. Usually suspect squash tastes very bitter.
On the other hand if it matures into dark green then brown and green stripes it could be a "Honeyboat delicata" (Cucurbits pepo). Just noted the size of this specimen which makes it too big for a Honeyboat.
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Thanks Maggie for this warning.
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https://www.simplemost.com/toxic-squash-syndrome-facts/
https://gardendrum.com/2015/08/25/german-man-dies-after-eating-home...
Hi Dick- I found a couple of links, as I say its v rare but good to have some awareness of.
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https://extension.oregonstate.edu/ask-expert/featured/are-volunteer...
... and this one. A 'volunteer' is one that appears but has not been cultivated.
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I finally cut open one of the volunteer squashes and I am happy to report that it tasted excellent. Not the slightest hint of bitterness.
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Permalink Reply by Maddy on
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I bought and roasted a 'turban squash' from Sainsbury's that tasted so bitter I couldn't eat it. It also pervaded the oven and ruined the flavour of the other dishes.
I got my money back (though not for the other ruined food), but I'm glad it was inedible as apparently they can be quite poisonous. Bit wary now, even though I love the taste...
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