Blue Hubbard

Butternut, Blue Hubbard, pumpkin harvest (Oct. 2011)

I grew Blue Hubbard squash this year for the first time. My only previous encounter with this large winter squash was about 30 years ago, when a housemate in a vegetarian co-op I was living in at the time stuffed a Blue Hubbard squash instead of a turkey for Thanksgiving. My memory was of a huge, unattractive gourd that filled the center of the table and required a dozen people to consume.

Growing, growing, growing .... the blue-grey color comes only as the squash matures and the exterior hardens (Aug. 2011)

But I read in the Fedco seed catalog last winter that Blue Hubbards, grown around the perimeter of a squash bed, serves as a trap crop for squash beetles, protecting the plants on the interior. The beetles did seem to prefer the large Blue Hubbard blossoms, making it easier to hand-pick them. And huge they are. – both the vigorous plant which snaked it’s way across the yard, and its massive fruit. But I would continue to grow it regardless. The ugly exterior hides gorgeous orange flesh as sweet and tasty as Butternut.

And in terms of quantity of food for the winter, Blue Hubbard is a boon. I forgot to weigh the largest of the squashes before we cut it up and baked it, but we had 7 pounds of edible flesh when we were done. As for the dozen people I thought we’d need to eat it – we simply mashed and froze it in reasonable sized containers.