Waltham Butternut Squash. © Denzil Green / 2014
Waltham Butternut Squash is an improved variety of Butternut Squash.
The plant is a vine type squash, producing 4 to 7 squashes per plant.
Waltham has a thicker neck than regular Butternut, and will be 25 to 30 cm (10 to 12 inches) long by 12 ½ cm (5 inches) wide at its widest part at the bottom. The squash will weigh 1 ⅓ to 2 ¾ kg (3 to 6 pounds), with a very small seed cavity inside.
It has a smooth, hard, buff-coloured rind, with yellowish-orange, finely-textured dry flesh that holds its shape when cooked.
The plant produces uniformly good yields of squash that are ready to harvest earlier than regular Butternut Squash. Many feel that the flavour is better, too.
85 to 115 days from seed.
Waltham Butternut Squash Interior. Nick Collins / Pixabay.com / 2018 / CC0 1.0
Storage Hints
Stores well, up to 1 year uncut. Good choice for home pressure-canning. See: Canning Butternut Squash.
History Notes
Waltham Butternut Squash was developed in the 1960s by the Massachusetts Agricultural Extension Service from a cross between New Hampshire Butternut and a wild squash from Africa.
Introduced by Bob Young of Waltham, Massachusetts, in 1970.
Waltham Butternut Squash, cleaned. Showing size compared to US quarter. © Denzil Green / 2014