# Heirloom Grey Hubbard Squash



## jobe05

Growing up as a kid, my Mother had to have Grey Hubbard squash for Thanksgiving, she grew up with this kind of squash as a kid as well. For years I couldn't find this squash anywhere. On the internet, it was talked about as an near extinct variety that was developed in the new england area, and was replaced with the blue Hubbard variety due to their size.

5 years ago, I found one of these squash in upstate NY, and purchased one ($27) and saved the seeds. I savored this squash on Thanksgiving day, as it was the best that I had ever had.

5 years later, I'm still using the seed that has come from that original plant, and am now going to use the seed from the one grown this year. 







The squash measures 25 inches long and 34 1/2 inches in circumference and weighs 21 pounds.

It will just fit in the oven, cut in half:






Last year when I grew one plant, it produced a smaller, orange and green squash about 8 inches long and 12 inches or so around. It looked funny and I didn't dare eat it. This year I planted many plants (16 or so) in case it gave weird looking ones again, and it did............. However.............. My wife said she had seen them in the store, and she read about them. They were described as a cross between a Hubbard and an accorn squash. Which made sense, since I had both varieties growing when I got these seeds from that crop.:






However this year, I also got a couple other different looking ones.

Here is a dark Green one, with a faint grey streaks on the front edge of it:






And an Orange one:






So far, I have tried the Green and orange stripped one, and the totally green one and I have to say, they are the best I have ever had, including the original Grey Hubbard. Although each seed came from one Grey Hubbard squash, they each have their own unique flavor and consistency, but all of which are fantastic flavor. 

I prepare them by cutting them in half, throwing in some butter, salt and pepper. Wrap in aluminum foil and bake for 3 to 4 hours. When done, I drain off the juice (save) and scoop out the inn side meat. I put it in a bowl and add back some of the juice, if needed, along with a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar............ Best squash ever......

Anyway.... This year I will have 7 or 8 of the original Grey Hubbards that I will get the seeds out of and freeze to get ready for next years crop.

If anyone is interested in a couple of seeds to plant your own, I would be happy to send them to you so you can plant them and keep the Grey Hubbard alive for future generations.

Be forewarned however, these squash take a lot of space to grow. Each plant will spread to over a hundred feet long and produce 1 to 3 fruit per vine ( I just grow 1 Grey hubbard per vine). So make sure you have the room for these to run.

Edit: I forgot to mention that these are great for their long shelf life while storing for the winter. When I was a kid, these were kept in the basement where it was cool and dark. They would keep for months.


*Edited by: jobe05 *


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## Wade E

Jobe, I love squash and almost always have some cooking whethrer on the grill or baking or steaming. My favorite has to be butternut or pancake. Thats a big 1 you are holding up there buddy!!!





















I really like my veggies!


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## jobe05

If you like butternut then you'll love these as thy are far nuttier tasting than a butternut. Mine is in the oven now awaiting dinner.......... Can't wait.

Because you are in the new england area, perhaps you could find these around there, or since I purchased the original in upstate NY, Appleman may still be able to find them in his area. I know that in the south, they are unheard of.


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## grapeman

Jobe now that you mention it I will chime in. I wasn't going to say anything because that is a good speciment. I grew them for many years to sell and my brother still does. They generally grow big up here- averaging about 45 pounds with some going 75 pounds, the little ones are about15 pounds. He still grows a few tons of these, but it doesn't take many to feed a family, so sales are limited. I/ he grow Gray Hubbard, Blue Hubbard, Green Hubbard, Orange Hubbard and all the other typical squash. The Hubbards run a little drier than some of the others. My Mom would always have me save one for Thanksgiving. I would split it with an axe and she would have enough squash for the 35-45 people at the family gathering. Now she cooks a small one and freezes most of it. 


I just picked the pumpkins for decoration. Only planted afew and got 13 good size ones. The biggest only about 75 pounds this year. We had a drought a good share of the growing season. Been busy most of the day crushing and pressing about 250 punds of grapes I picked yesterday.
10 gallons of white grapes-Cayuga and PetiteAmie. 10 gallons of GR-7 and St. Croix(haven't pressed those yet, just destemmed and crushed).




Hope you enjoy that squash. Make some squash pie with some- it's better than pumpkin-less stringy.


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## jobe05

Why wouldn't you chime in? I'm glad you did. As I said, I found this one in Upstate NY and was happy to find it after searching and not being able to find the seeds anywhere. Your right, when I lived in NY, when my father would grow these they would get much larger than the one that I am holding. I think they do grow better in more moderate environments versus the heat of the south, but mine to very well, even with clay soil. 

These are not available in tis area, or in Florida when I lived there. I had asked the guy who runs Victory seeds in Washington and he could only get blue hubbard, never heard of grey so I assume these are not out west either.

Will have to look up a recipe for the pie, sounds interesting.


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## NorthernWinos

I have bought seeds from this company....Pinetree...they have some hard to find seeds...veggies from around the world...I see they have Blue Hubbard Squash....but it looks Grey to me in the photo....request a catalog...for some unusual seeds....


http://www.superseeds.com/products.php?cat=130


R.H.Shumway has many heirloom varieties...


https://www.rhshumway.com/shumsite/shumsitebrowse.aspx?category=2117&amp;currentItemPage=1


When you save your own seeds you will get many unusual crossbred plants....I like the turbans you get on some crosses.


Our favorites are Butternut, Buttercup and Vegetable Spaghetti in that order.


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## NorthernWinos

These are our very favorite....
Butternut Ultra...we get the seeds from Stokes Seeds...either from Canada or Buffalo, NY....http://www.stokeseeds.com/
[I haven't been able to bring up their WebPage today] 


[*Note my size 6 1/2 dirty filthy garden shoe...just to show you the size they can get]











Here is a regular Butternut squash mixed in with the ultras...








The ultras are all meat, a seed cavity the size of a cup.


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## jobe05

Those are huge Butternut squash! I like the taste of a butternut squash, or acorn squash wrapped in aluminum foil (twice) and thrown into the hot coals of a open fire pit. How will you store those for winter? Or will you cook ahead of time and freeze, which is what we are going to do.

I have tried a lot of places looking for Grey Hubbard seeds and can not find any place online that sells them. Blue Hubbard is totally different from the Grey Hubbard.

Appleman: If you grow these, can you post where you get the seed, I'd like to contact them and buy fresh seeds.................. although I kinda like planting seeds not know what is going to appeat on the vine in a few months....


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## NorthernWinos

Those Ultra Butternut Squash and any Butternut store very well...I have thrown some out in spring on years when they get very ripe....


I store them under the bed in the spare bedroom...it is a cement floor with tile and we never turn the heat on in that part of the floor down stairs. They like it dry.


They are the best!!!!


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## grapeman

Jobe, I will check with my brother and see where he gets the seeds from nowdays. I used to get them from Harris Seeds in Rochester NY, but like many other companies they have grown, merged and become a less personnal company. My brother gets seeds from about a dozen companies and I am not sure which one he gets them from. Some companies call the Gray Hubbard a Blue Hubbard-New England Strain. I believe those are the ones you are referring to. Check out HolmesSeed Company, they have them as well as Harris Seeds. He grows those butternut squash also, although they have a different name for the crooked ones. You can take one and wrap it over your shoulders and encircle your neck with it- I think they call them neckpumpkins here. They sometimes go up to 15 pounds and are almost all meat. I grew some once and thy kept like NW probably better than any other squash.


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