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Caserta Summer Squash

Cucurbita pepo

Price: $3.01

SKU: 3370371

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50 days — 'Caserta' is a prolific, early, bush, cocozelle-type summer squash.  It produces cylindrical, slightly tapered, fruit that have creamy flesh and skins that are light-green with dark-green stripes. Best harvested at four to six inches in length which also helps to encourage more growth and productivity.

As with any summer squash, you can harvest them at just about any size. We prefer them at the young and tender stage when they are excellent lightly steamed, sautéed, or stir-fried. However, during the "high season" of summer, unless you are checking your plants daily, the fruit size can get away from you very quickly! Medium sized to large fruit can still be cooked in the same way as previously noted, but since harvest occurs during "barbecue season," we like to quarter the zucchini lengthwise, and with the skin left on, coat them in olive oil, season to taste, and then grill them until tender but firm. Often our seasoning is simply fresh ground black pepper and salt, but experiment with herbs for fun flavor variations.

'Caserta' was bred at the University of Connecticut, introduced by F. H. Woodruff and Sons, and an "All-America Selection®" winner in 1949. Each packet contains four grams, which is approximately 24 to 28 seeds.
Planting Instructions: Choose a location that has warm, well-drained and fertile soil. Work in plenty of organic matter and mulch to conserve moisture.

Sow directly into the garden after any threat of frost has past. Sow one inch deep in hills or rows spaced 24 to 30 inches apart.

Harvest when the fruit is six to eight inches long or still tender. Harvest will be lengthened if you keep picking.

Customer Reviews:

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★★★★☆ Impressive and vigorous ... enjoyed them very much.
By Chelsea Clarey on March 15, 2017

Planted indoors in March and transplanted a month later, 'Caserta' was bearing vigorously by June. Be careful, though; 'Caserta' apparently responds very badly to crowding! Squash bugs are a huge problem across cultivars in my region, but 'Caserta' has been our top performer two years running despite the horrid little egg-laying things. We picked the fruit small and enjoyed them very much.