Got way more winter squash and onions than we can eat right now. What’s the best way to cure and store them so they last into winter instead of rotting on me?
Great problem to have — a bumper harvest is worth figuring out how to keep!
Winter squash needs a good cure before long storage. Give them 10–14 days somewhere warm (around 80–85°F is ideal) with good air circulation. A covered porch or spare room works fine as long as it doesn’t get too hot or too cold. That curing process hardens the skin and heals any small nicks from harvest, which is what helps them last. After curing, move them somewhere cool, dry, and dark — 50–55°F is the sweet spot. A root cellar is ideal, but a basement corner, unheated spare room, or even under a bed in a cool part of the house can work. Don’t let them touch each other or sit on concrete — a wooden shelf or cardboard under them helps. Kept right, a good butternut or hubbard can go four to six months easy.
Onions need curing too — usually two to four weeks in a warm, airy spot out of direct sun. You’ll know they’re ready when the necks are dry and papery and the skins feel crackly. After that, the key is airflow. Old mesh bags, pantyhose, or wire baskets work much better than solid bins. Store them cool and dry — 35–40°F is best, though a cool basement at 50°F still works. Keep them away from potatoes, which give off moisture and ethylene gas that’ll shorten your onions’ life fast.
One thing worth knowing: sweeter onions (like Vidalias) don’t store nearly as long as a good cured storage onion like a Copra or Stuttgarter. If you’ve got a mix, eat the sweet ones first.
Poke around your harvest every couple of weeks and pull anything that’s starting to soften — one bad squash or onion can spread to its neighbors quicker than you’d expect.
What kind of squash did you grow? Some varieties are real keepers and others are better eaten sooner — happy to help you sort out which to eat first if that’s useful.