Autumn is just around the corner, which means that various varieties of fall squashes are soon going to start appearing on grocery shelves (if they haven’t already). Not only pumpkins but acorn squash, butternut squash, and more.
These hard-shelled, starchy veggies are staples of many tasty fall dishes, from hearty soups to pasta to casseroles. If you’re planning to load up on winter squashes once they hit the shelves, be sure you’re not stashing them in your fridge.
After all, you don’t keep your Halloween pumpkins in the refrigerator, right?
Winter squashes of all varieties should be stored somewhere cool yet dry; since they do most of their growing in the fall (despite the name) and are harvested before the first frosts hit, winter squashes aren’t keen on too hot or too cold temperatures.
The fridge is simply too chilly for them, as well as too humid. If you keep your winter squash, no matter the variety, in there, they’ll go bad extremely quickly.
Instead you should put your winter squashes in a cabinet, the pantry, or any other shelf or drawer or compartment that’s cool, dry, and dark. Between 50 and 55 degrees F is the ideal temperature range. If you store them properly, your winter squashes should last you the entire fall– possibly as long as six months.
