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  • From: "Adriana" <gutierrez-lagatta AT charter.net>
  • To: <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [Market-farming] Squash blossoms
  • Date: Sun, 17 Jul 2005 09:22:09 -0500



Marcy,
I'm doing squash blossoms for the first time this year.

The best (biggest) flowers are from Costata Romanesco Zucchini - I'm charging $.75 apiece - this is in line with what wholesalers are charging in my area. A friend in Pennsylvania gets a lot less because Amish growers are charging as low as $.25 each. When I only have smaller sqaush blossoms available I'm charging $.50 apiece.

Harvest flowers that are wide open first thing in the morning and put directly into a cooler with an ice pack in the bottom covered with a towel or cardboard to avoid chill injury - yes, they are delicate but you will get used to it. It's a good idea to have a tray of some sort in the cooler so that you minimize individual handling after harvest. Line up the flowers so that the stems are all in the same direction - tangled flowers equals tangled stems. After a couple of hours the flowers get somewhat limp and you can pack them into clamshells. I get 25 in a 9" x 9" clamshell.

You will not get used to the scratching of the spikes on the stems. Plan on replacing the plants after about a month of production as they get "spent". I did not realize that the Romanescos were more vining than bush type plants. In the future I will trellis them.

Adriana
In hot, hot Alabama

A customer at the market asked if I could bring squash blossoms. I haven't
checked any of the post-harvest charts yet, but I'm wondering if anyone has
experience and what kind of treatment/handling you'd recommend. I tried a
few and they seem pretty delicate and wilt easily. I'm thinking maybe they'd
fit in egg cartons.
Other packaging ideas?
Should I keep them cool?
Pricing?





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