In article ,
Peter Robinson wrote:

In the UK, Cucubita pepo is the only one that ripens even moderately
reliably. C. maxima (hubbards, crown prince etc.) does in some places
in most years, and C. moschata (butternut) is trickier still. The
others are pretty well hopeless, because we don't get enough autumn
daylight.

Interesting - perhaps I should try something like crown prince next
year. Last year, after I took in my neglected butternuts, I didn't get
round to doing anything with them and they hung around in the kitchen
until March staring at me. I didn't have high hopes - half expecting
them to be rotten - but I was amazed how delicious they were roasted.

Yes, ripe cucurbits keep very well - and, from the way they kept and
the way they tasted, they had ripened. The best C. pepo I know of
for keeping is Little Gem (Gem/Rolet), though it tends to be a bit
fibrous when very ripe. C. maxima (hubbards) are more like chestnuts
than the watery C. pepo (even pumpkins). C. moschata is too sweet for
my taste, though I grow Tromboncino d'Albenga as an alternative to
courgettes - it is much more solid and good to use at over 1 Kg!

You can tell C. maxima seeds from C. pepo ones because the former are
rounder, thicker and significantly rougher - watch out, because few
seeds are reliably identified as to species, and I can't guarantee
that some crown prince varieties aren't visually similar C. pepo.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.