Bigger Better Butternut
Bred by Carol Deppe for those who want to grow staple food for winter. Seed is in very short supply; packets contain 12 seeds. "Bigger Better Butternut is a dehybridization of Ultrabutternut HP Hybrid. Up to 15 lbs. Most are 8-12 lbs. Selected for long thick necks (straight or curved) and large size. Very early for a butternut this size. Finishes reliably in Corvallis, Oregon even though Waltham, which is smaller, does not. Must be cured for a month. Long storing, and can be stored stacked in piles through spring. Can keep for more than a year if stored in a single layer, so can hold through the summer. Tan squash have deep orange flesh which is flavorful but only slightly sweet. This makes BBB a better squash to use as an everyday staple. For pies use something else. Very long vigorous vines. Some plants have mottled leaves, some solid-colored; I am leaving both leaf types in the variety. Use tip: If you chop off what you need of the neck, let the cut end of the fruit “bleed” it’s sticky resinous juice for a few minutes, then spread the juice over the cut end with a clean finger to seal the fruit. The rest of the fruit will store for several days at room temperature without drying out or molding. You just chop off what you need for each meal. This characteristic of butternuts makes big butternuts practical even for the small family. And big butternuts have considerably less waste and are efficient to harvest, store, and prepare than small ones. The long-necked big butternuts are the premiere squash for using raw by cutting the skin off a section off the neck, and grating or running through a salad shooter to use in salads or cutting into rounds or pieces to roast or stir-fry." Bred by Carol Deppe, OSSI-pledged open-source variety. 20 seeds