Forum home Fruit & veg
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Leaking squash, help!

A strange query but an urgent one for me: how can I stop the cut ends of the stems on my little squashes from weeping? I have three pretty little "Hooligan" squashes, like mini-pumpkins, and I cut them this morning as I want to enter them in the village show tomorrow. They're supposed to be cut with a bit of stem if they are to be stored, and they look attractive like this, but a few hours after cutting, they're still oozing a watery liquid from the cut end of the stumpy stem. It gathers in the concave top of the fruit and looks messy. Any idea how I can get this to stop, or seal the stump somehow?

«1

Posts

  • bekkie hughesbekkie hughes Posts: 5,294
    Have you tried drying it with kitchen roll and dripping candle wax on it? You could also try sugar, im afraid these are only guesses, sorry.

    Good luck image
  • granmagranma Posts: 1,933

    Hi bekkie  this usually calluses  over , so cutting them early  as you have , they may have formed a natural skin by tomorrow.

    If others entering  have cut there's I should think the same will have happened to the squash which they are entering.

    But this is my own opinion are for what it is worth :

    Any how I wouldn't worry about it , at least it proves they are fresh and grown by yourself.  Not bought from tesco  or even cut 3 weeks ago and stored!

  • granmagranma Posts: 1,933

    Hi sorry got the name wrong should have been Green Magpie.I will have to take more water with this falling down stuff - but it tastes good !!!!!

     

  • Panic over! After  a few hours they stopped weeping and dried off. I suppose it would have shown they were fresh but  I' m glad they're OK - squashes are such watery creatures, I was wondering if they were going to relieve themselves of too much water and end up as shrivelled husks. 

     

  • bekkie hughesbekkie hughes Posts: 5,294
    I hope you do well, ive never had the courage to enter a show image
  • My squashes got third prize (out of 5 entrants!) in the  "other vegetables" category. I also got a first for my carrots and courgettes, so I'm happy.

    It's only a little village show, but I enjoy entering my produce and admiring the other entries.

     

  • bekkie hughesbekkie hughes Posts: 5,294
    Oh really well done, im so pleased for you imageimageimage
  • granmagranma Posts: 1,933

    Well done.  image         These  village veg shows can boost your confidence

    So what are you planning to show next year ?

  • I never decide until the week of the show, but my carrots and courgettes always do well. My French beans are good but this year they're all over too early, likewise my spuds which have not cropped well. Sometimes my very blue hydrangea gets a prize but there are always bigger ones and this year there was stiff competition. There are several floral art classes, which had very few entries this year - I made a corsage which got second prize out of .....two. So that's always worth a go if I can put up with the humiliation of getting a prize for coming last!

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,139
    Don't worry about coming second out of two entries - I've known Hort. Soc. classes with two entries only being awarded 2nd and 3rd prizes.

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





Sign In or Register to comment.