How To Tell If Squash Is Ripe

Knowing how to tell if squash is ripe is the key to enjoying its best flavor and texture. Picking it at the perfect time makes all the difference, whether you’re growing it yourself or choosing one at the market.

This guide gives you simple, reliable tests you can do with just your eyes and hands. We’ll cover both summer and winter squash, as they have different signs of ripeness.

The main tests for ripeness are visual and tactile, meaning you look and feel. The specific signs depend greatly on whether you have a summer squash or a winter squash. Getting this basic category right is your first step.

Summer vs. Winter Squash: Knowing the Difference

This is crucial because their ripe signs are opposites in many ways.

Summer Squash: These are harvested in the summer when their skins and seeds are still soft and edible. They include zucchini, yellow crookneck, pattypan, and scallopini. You eat them soon after picking.
Winter Squash: These mature fully on the vine, developing a hard, inedible rind. They are harvested in autumn and can be stored for months. Examples are butternut, acorn, spaghetti, delicata, and pumpkins.

The core rule: summer squash is picked young and tender, while winter squash is picked when fully mature and hard.

How to Tell if Summer Squash is Ripe

For summer squash, “ripe” means young, tender, and at peak flavor. Letting them grow too large makes them seedy, tough, and bitter.

Visual Tests for Summer Squash

Size Matters: Check the expected size for your variety. A standard zucchini is best at 6 to 8 inches long. A pattypan is ideal at 2 to 4 inches diameter. If it’s the size of a baseball bat, it’s overripe.
Skin Color and Shine: The skin should be vibrant and uniform in color (deep green for zucchini, bright yellow for crookneck). It should have a slight, healthy gloss. Dull, faded skin often means it’s past its prime.
Skin Texture: The skin should look smooth and feel tender. Avoid squash with any wrinkling or tough-looking spots.

Touch Tests for Summer Squash

The Fingernail Test: Gently press your fingernail into the skin. On a perfectly ripe summer squash, your nail will pierce the skin with little resistance. If it’s very hard to puncture, the squash is getting too mature and fibrous.
Firmness: Give the squash a gentle squeeze. It should feel firm but not rock-hard. A slight give is okay, but mushiness means it’s rotting. It should feel dense for its size.
Check the Stem End: The stem should look fresh and green, not dry, brown, and shriveled.

Remember, summer squash grows incredibly fast. It’s often better to pick them a little on the smaller side for the most tender flesh.

How to Tell if Winter Squash is Ripe

For winter squash, you want it fully mature. This gives it the sweet, rich flavor and the hard rind needed for storage.

Visual Tests for Winter Squash

Deep, Consistent Color: A ripe winter squash loses any green streaks and develops its full, deep color. A ripe butternut is a uniform tan, a ripe acorn is deep green often with an orange patch, a ripe pumpkin is solid orange. Pale or greenish areas usually mean it’s not ready.
Dull, Matte Finish: Unlike summer squash, a ripe winter squash has a dull, not shiny, rind. A shiny rind indicates immaturity.
Tough, Dry Stem: The stem should be corky, dry, and brown. A green, fleshy stem means it was picked too early. The stem should also be firmly attached.
Hard Rind: The skin should look hard and developed. You shouldn’t see any soft spots or easily visible scratches.

Touch Tests for Winter Squash

The Thumbnail Test: Try to pierce the rind with your thumbnail. On a truly ripe winter squash, you will not be able to dent or puncture it. If your nail leaves an indentation, the squash needs more time on the vine.
Rock-Hard Firmness: The entire squash should feel hard as a rock when you press on it, with no soft spots whatsoever. Soft spots indicate rot or immaturity.
Heavy for Its Size: Pick it up. A ripe winter squash feels heavy and dense for its size, because it’s packed with mature flesh. A light feel often means it’s dry or underdeveloped inside.

The Sound Test (Bonus for Winter Squash)

Give a winter squash a gentle knock with your knuckle. A ripe, solid squash will produce a hollow sound. A dull, solid thud might mean the flesh is still too moist or underripe. This test takes a little practice but can be helpful.

Special Cases: Spaghetti and Delicata Squash

Some winter squash have extra clues.

Spaghetti Squash: It should be a bright, medium yellow color (not pale). A greenish tint means it’s not ready. The rind must be very hard.
Delicata Squash: Look for strong cream-colored stripes with dark green stripes in between. The skin should be very hard. Delicata can be eaten when smaller, but the hard rind is the key indicator.

What to Do if You Pick One Too Early?

If you accidentally pick a winter squash too early, don’t dispair. You can still try to use it immediately, though it may be less sweet and not store well. For summer squash picked a bit late, you can still use it. You might want to scoop out the large seeds in the center before cooking.

Sometimes you can tell a squash is bad by a few clear signs. A foul, sour smell is a dead giveaway. Deep, mushy soft spots or visible mold mean it should be composted, not eaten. For winter squash in storage, a suddenly soft rind means it’s spoiling.

Harvesting and Storing Tips

Using the right technique helps your squash last.

Always use pruning shears or a sharp knife to cut the stem. Never twist or pull, as this can damage the plant and the squash’s stem end, creating an entry point for rot.
Leave a good 2-4 inches of stem attached to the squash. A squash without a stem decays much faster.
For winter squash you plan to store, “cure” them first. Wipe them clean, then let them sit in a warm, dry, sunny spot for about 10 days. This hardens the rind further and heals minor scratches.
Store cured winter squash in a cool, dark, dry place (like a basement) with good air circulation. Do not pile them on top of each other.

FAQ: Common Questions About Squash Ripeness

Can you eat underripe squash?

Yes, but it won’t taste its best. Underripe summer squash can be bland. Underripe winter squash will be starchy, not sweet, and the skin may be tough even after cooking.

How can you tell if a squash is ripe at the grocery store?

Use the same touch and visual tests! Look for the correct color, a dull rind for winter types, and check for firmness. Avoid any with soft spots, cuts, or a green stem on winter varieties.

Does squash continue to ripen after picking?

Summer squash does not ripen further; it only degrades. Winter squash does not get sweeter after picking, but the curing process helps it store longer. It won’t improve if picked underripe.

What does the color underneath mean?

For many squash lying on the ground, the spot where it touches the soil (the “ground spot”) turns a creamy yellow or orange when ripe. A pure white ground spot often indicates immaturity.

How long does ripe squash last?

Ripe summer squash lasts about 1-2 weeks in the fridge. Properly cured winter squash can last 3-6 months or more in cool storage, depending on the variety.

With these simple visual and touch tests, you’ll be able to confidently pick squash at its peak. Checking the skin color and hardness, performing the thumbnail test, and noting the stem condition will guide you every time. Your recipes will benefit from the perfect texture and flavor that comes from a truely ripe squash.