Funny, but I don't recall planting Butternut this year

But we had a side of butternut squash with our squash boats last week:

I didn't buy any butternut at the store (especially at $1.19 a pound!).  It wasn't given to us by anyone.

It was from LAST year's harvest.  Yep, you read that right.  I cooked and served up a squash that was harvested sometime in November of 2011 and fed it to my family.

Waltham Butternut harvested in November of 2011

They sat on the bottom of one of the baker's racks on the main floor of the house, and throughout the year I only lost two or three of them.  I'm sure they would have kept better if I had stored them in the basement utility room where it's much cooler and darker.  The one pictured above was a bit drier than a newly-picked squash, but still very usable and smelled good.  I baked it, mashed it up with some butter and a bit of maple syrup.  Yum.

I planted Waltham Butternut late in the season last year, so I was still harvesting them close to the end of November.  I don't remember how many plants I started, probably four or five and they did take up one whole section of the "berry" garden.  We did have squash bugs take over the zucchini, but they didn't seem to wander over to the butternut much.  No powdery mildew either although I don't know if winter squash are prone to that.....unlike my Patty Pan and Yellow Crookneck this summer.  And although I'm a bit upset at myself for not planting any this year, I now know that it is most definitely on the list of "Things to Plant" next year.

If you're thinking of planting a good-keeping storage vegetable next year, give the Waltham Butternut a try.  I'm sure you won't be disappointed.  Unless, of course, you don't like to eat them.

Oh, did I forget to mention that they are an heirloom plant?  So you can save those seeds!  How much better can it get??