Squash and pumpkin question!

[buxton diggers]

I think I need to take all my squash out but haven't the heart... There are still loads of baby fruit on them but they don't seem to be getting any bigger and at least one or two on each plant are rotting. Is it too late to keep them? I've got my Wilkos onion sets to replace them! Will the first frost demolish the lot?
Similarly with pumpkins: they're still having babies left right and centre! Will these grow or will the drop in temperature finish them off?

[buxton diggers]

[supersprout]

I've got a similar situation on my plot bd, have decided to wait until the first frost threatens then harvest what's left. If any are ripe, I'll keep them - if not, then we'll have late courgettes!

[Mrs Ava]

Yes, like SS, what I do with the babies at this time of the year is cut them and use them like courgettes.  Some are delicious!!  They won't ripen or swell.

[buxton diggers]

Think I'll have to then! Poor little things. We're going away for a week so anything I don't do on Saturday won't get done till nearly the middle of October.
Midnight pickling for me then...
Does the same follow for the pumpkins? Will they not swell or ripen either?

[supersprout]

no :'(

[buxton diggers]

Brutal, brutal.
If there is a frost (trying to buy the pumpkins some time), will it turn the ones that have grown up ok to mush? Can I leave the ones grown for the kids for Hallowe'en in the ground till then?
Sorry, such a newbie...

[tricia]

I'm no expert, but why not wrap them in fleece or bubble wrap for the time you will be away? I can't imagine we will get a hard frost any time soon, but then - I'm in the south-west :). I still have one pumpkin on the vine and three huge butternut squashes which I plan to leave at least till the foliage has died back.

Tricia

[cambourne7]

I have an idea.

Get the baby Fruit off the plant.

Slice the top off and using a metal spoon or ice-cream scoop take out most of the inside to about 1 inch thickness.

Make a thick hearty pumpkin , veg and bean/pasta/rice soup and gently bake the pumpkin whole for about 30-45 min.

Then serve the soup in the pumpkin and enjoy.

L

[buxton diggers]

I've pulled the squash today! They really had had it so am pickling the baby pattypans tonight. Poor allotment, it's so bare.
The pumpkins are actually bigger than yesterday (the babies) so, I'm going to leave them as long as I can, wrapping the precious ones up before I go away. Thanks for advice and recipe!

[Rosyred]

So do you think I should pick all my butternut squash even though they are green just incase of a frost. (some are quite big)