This is one of my stored Sweet Meat winter squashes. First time I have grown this variety. And I was pleased about this hefty specimen which was the largest of them. As they are stored on the shelf in the bedroom, they get inspected daily and all looked well until yesterday when I noticed a slight change of colour on the top next to the rest of the stem on just one side. The change of colour on the top is much more visible today when I took the photo.
Nothing was weeping, but when I cut into it, there was this strange, black, dry rot. We are used to weeping messes when squash goes off, but this dry rot is new to me. Fortunately there is plenty to rescue and freeze as the rot only extends to maybe a tenth of the squash, but I have never seen this before in decades of squash storing.
Does anybody know what this is and how it is caused? It must have been going on for some time under the rind, but without any outward signs.
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