How to harvest & store pumpkins
Harvest & store pumpkins
Harvest your pumpkins when the vines are dry, and fruit is an even deep orange or characteristic color of the variety. The rind should be hard and not easily punctured. Cut a 3-6 inch stem with a sharp knife or pruning shears. Lift the pumpkin from the bottom not by the stem to avoid breaking off the stem. Pumpkins should be free of cuts, scratches or bruises.
Wash your picked pumpkin with a light chlorine solution to help avoid fungal or bacterial rotting. Sources recommend that a newly harvested pumpkin should be cured @ 80 degrees and 80% humidity for 7-10 days to finish ripening and healover any surface bruising but its not always practiced and may not be necessary.*
After curing, store them in a dry, cool place with good air circulation and temperatures around 50-55 degrees with relative humidity of 50-70%. Properly stored pumpkins (50-55 F) can last up to 2 months but if stored in warmer temperatures (70 degrees) only 2 weeks.
Avoid any ethylene gas exposure, don’t store pumpkins with apples or other fruits. Do not store them on hard surfaces like concrete or stack them on top of each other.
*http://www.uky.edu/Ag/IPM/manuals/ipm12pum.pdf
Today there are many types of Pumpkins to choose from, some varieties make great Jack-o-Lanterns, whereas others are better for pies. Their rich history goes way back to Central America.
Choosing a pumpkin
Looking for that perfect pumpkin for your Jack-O-Lantern? Here are some tips that might help.
-Pick a pumpkin with a green stem that is free of bruises, discolorations and soft spots
-Don’t carry the pumpkin by the stem, it can easily break off .
-A thicker walled pumpkin will allow for more imaginative carving.
-Store your pumpkin in a cool, dry place, not freezing until you decide to carve it..
-When carving your pumpkin, tell the Irish folktale tale of Jack-O-Lantern
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My pumpkins are off the vine and molding. they are not fully orange. can i still cook and eat them? i’m sick about this as it is our first try and they are big and perfectly shaped. UGH!!!
JENNIFER
I BOUGHT THREE JACK-O-LANTERN SIZE PUMPKINS THIS YEAR WITH THE INTENTION OF CARVING THEM FOR HALLOWEEN, WELL I NEVER CARVED THEM AND I WANT TO AT LEAST USE THEM FOR BAKING, HOWEVER I AM NOTICING SOME SMALL SPOTS FORMING WHICH SEAM TO BE ROT FROM THE INSIDE.I HEARD OF A RASH OF FUNGUS INFECTING LOCAL PUMPKINS IN MY AREA. IS IT O.K TO EAT THE PUMKIN IF I CUT OUT THE ROTTED AREA? IT WOULD BE A SHAME TO THROW OUT THREE PUMKINS UNUSED. ANY ADVICE YOU COULD GIVE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. THANX JENNIFER
Kathryn
I have a dozen beautiful pumpkins in my garden, but they are only partially ripened, and we have already experienced our first frost. Will they continue to change color, and is there anything I can do to speed the process? Thanks.
When can I harvest my sunflower seeds and how?