Magdalena Big Cheese Squash is a heritage winter squash from Sonora, Mexico, representing one of the oldest cultivated types in the Cucurbita moschata family. It produces large, light orange fruits with deep ribs and a distinctive flattened shape that resembles a wheel of cheese, filled with wonderfully sweet, bright orange flesh. Hardy across zones 3 through 11, this variety thrives in warm-season gardens and stores well for winter use. It's an exceptional producer that has earned favor among seed savers and gardeners who value both historical significance and culinary quality.
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Moderate
3-11
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Moderate
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This ancient squash from Sonora Mexico delivers on both heritage and harvest. The fruits are genuinely large with that charming cheese-wheel shape, and the flesh inside is a vibrant orange with a sweetness that makes it stand out from modern hybrid squashes. Having been preserved and passed down through the Native Seeds/SEARCH Seed Bank Collection, it represents a living link to pre-industrial agriculture while still performing reliably as a productive garden plant.
As a winter squash, Magdalena Big Cheese is used throughout the fall and winter months in cooking. The sweet, bright orange flesh is excellent roasted, pureed into soups, or baked whole. It stores well for extended periods, making it valuable for preserving the harvest season's abundance into colder months. The large fruits make it well-suited to family-scale cooking and processing.
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Transplant seedlings outdoors only after all frost danger has passed and soil has warmed to at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Harden off seedlings gradually over 7 to 10 days by exposing them to outdoor conditions in increasing increments. Space plants 3 to 4 feet apart in all directions to allow room for the sprawling vine growth.
Direct sow seeds outdoors in warm soil once soil temperature reaches 70 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit and all frost danger is past. Plant seeds 1 inch deep in groups of 2 to 3 seeds, spacing groups 3 to 4 feet apart.
Harvest fruits in fall before the first frost, once the skin has hardened and turned a deep orange color. The fruit should feel solid when pressed and the rind should resist puncture from a fingernail. Cut fruits from the vine with a sharp knife, leaving 2 to 3 inches of stem attached. Handle harvested squashes carefully to avoid bruising, which shortens storage life.
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“Magdalena Big Cheese Squash originates from Sonora, Mexico, where it represents one of the oldest types of cultivated squash in human agricultural history. It was preserved and maintained through the Native Seeds/SEARCH Seed Bank Collection, an organization dedicated to conserving crop varieties adapted to arid and semi-arid regions of the American Southwest and Mexico. The variety carries forward centuries of selection by Mexican farmers who bred it for productivity, flavor, and storage quality in challenging climates. Its presence in the Seed Bank ensures that this genetic heritage continues to reach contemporary gardeners committed to preserving agricultural diversity.”