I grew this squash in search of a good Cucurbita moschata which would ripen well outside in Ireland. I was surprised how well it performed in the very bad summer of 2023. It produced lots of healthy squash that ripened perfectly and were unfazed by the wet conditions.
There is a nice range of size in the fruits ranging from around 20 – 30cm in diameter. Once harvested, they will continue ripening from green to orange. It kept much better than I expected after having growing the larger muscat type (Musquee de Provence) squash before and finding them more prone to rot in storage. When cured, they well keep well on into the following Spring
The firm flesh is a vibrant orange colour and the central cavity is small. I found it not so good for roasting as other squash – it seems to be wetter and almost mushy when roasted compared to the more starchy maxima type squashes. Perfect for soup and pies and the best squash I’ve tried for eating raw. Sow in 9cm pots in early May and plant out when plants are robust enough.
