My butternut squash is VERY stringy and there are shoots growing inside it...

[DavidHameron]

...Is it an alien, too old to eat or wot?

Not just the bits round the pips: the flesh itself has gone all stringy in the middle. And the little shoots with leaves on: WEIRD.

take a picture!

I would except I've just scooped it all out and put it in the over, in the hope y'all will confirm it's fine to eat

Leaves? Inside or outside?

it probably is too old to eat, but we had a pumpkin in this state in the winter (it had been sitting in the house for about 4 months before we ate it!)

the shoots are from the seeds inside, thinking it's a viable environment to grow.

we ate the pumpkin and didn't even get a tummy ache, so i'm pretty sure you'll be fine.

i would avoid eating the seed shoots, though.

Inside, within the cavity. MAD, I tell you.

It can't do me any weirdy harm to still eat it, surely?

I am going to ring Mr Ocado though, because it only arrived from them this week, so they must have been storing it for far too long...

i would definitely ring mr ocado.
it has been stored for way too long, as you say.

it won't harm you to eat it, but you probably shouldn't have thrown the evidence.....

It's a triffid!!!

Actually I have scooped but not thrown: shoots currently sitting in bowl ready to compost. Iguess I could photograph them and send to MrO with a complaint?

good plan