Most people who are worried about “ storing pumpkin ” are look only for ways to salt away the portion of puree that ’s left in a can of pie filling after doing their baking for Thanksgiving .
But when you grow your ownCucurbita pepo , C. moschata , orC. maximum , being able to bring through the amplitude to use at Halloween or throughout the winter is a luxuriousness .
Since these coinage have been bred as important food sources , this case of winter squash is n’t super finicky about how you save it .
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But there are a few steps that will keep your harvest home from rotting before you’re able to carve or fake with them .
I ’ll share tips for all types you might want to pull through for later . Here ’s what to expect :
What You’ll Learn
How Long Can You Store Fresh Pumpkins?
Before you make plans , a reality check is in guild .
All your serious sweat wo n’t keep thesewinter squashfresh beyond a certain breaker point .
If you ’re trying to save aHalloween varietywith a thin rind and minimum human body , you may require it to stay novel for a month at elbow room temperature , or a couple of months if you take stair to store it somewhere that ’s cool and juiceless .
As forpie type , they may last two to six calendar month in ideal computer memory conditions .
Some heirloomcooking pumpkins , like ‘ Amish Cheese , ’ have thick , fresh flesh and have been bred to be stored for many months longer .
The Australian preparation favorite , ‘ Jarrahdale , ’ can last up to a year in depot . I have experience growing this kind , and last time of year used the unripe - rinded fruit as part of a Christmas display atop my piano .
Of of course , any of these maxed out passing dates rely on a mickle of attention from you . Read on for the tactics that will better your betting odds of long - storage success .
Planting and Growing Considerations
It ’s hard to imagine planning this far in the lead , but the best sentence to assure the fruits last a prospicient clip after you harvest them pass off very early on . You ’ll need to determine the best time to cull before you sow .
For jack - o’-lantern types , you ’ll want the number of days to harvest to coincide with a date a few weeks ahead of Halloween . That will give you meter to heal the fruit ahead of chip at .
If it ’s too late for that type of pre - planning and your harvest is due to derive in several months forward of Halloween , be indisputable to watch all the other steps described below to keep your gay winter squash from rotting onward of October 31st .
For moretips on making jack - o’-lanterns last longer , consult our guide .
As for those intended for cooking , essay to time that crop for late September to mid - October .
That allows you sentence to cook the cured fruits in pie , soup , and other dishes for Thanksgiving , and you ’ll still have months afterwards when they ’ll stay on fresh for cooking wintertime comfort food and yield butter for freeze .
Remember , even though pumpkins may be mature and advanced for the pick , theseeds will keep maturingand the frame will become a number sweeter after harvest .
Before harvest , it will also boost your storage efforts if you make every effort to space your vine for copious air circulation , pruning as ask .
This will discourage sericeous mildew , which rots the fruits from the interior . That may make them unfit for beak , much less storing .
Harvest to Last Longer
Part of assuring an extra - long utilitarian life involves heedful crop practices .
First , make trusted to piece only fruit that are already mature . Any others plunk too soon wo n’t last but a couple of daytime before the rinds start rotting . For moretips on bang when pumpkin are good , see our guide .
Also , harvest ahead of frost , which make these and other varieties of wintertime squash commencement decay straight off .
Any fruits that you ’re be after to keep around for a while should also be detached of bruises and blemishes . Marred rinds hasten deterioration .
When an soul squash has fallen from the vine minus a fore , or if one has a damaged stem , that also disqualifies it as a recollective keeper .
The space where the stem grew is specially susceptible to mildew and decay , and a rotting bow will have the remainder of the fruit to promptly deteriorate as well .
allow a three - inch stem attached at the top when you harvest . It wo n’t dish up as a handle , but rather , forge a seal against mold and gives the yield a few more solar day of nutrition .
Part of the sizable harvest home relies on the picker ! Make certain your hands and tools are clean , to avoid conveying mildew or mold to the fruit that will make them decompose more promptly .
Also be careful to transmit each one with both hands , not using the theme , to avoid dropping or bruising it . After that , proceed to the curing stone’s throw .
Curing and Disinfecting
“ Curing ” is just another parole for “ hardening , ” and the summons involved can help your homegrown winter squeeze to last an additional three month or move . For cooking pumpkins , cure also intensifies the flavor .
The process is straightforward :
Once you plunk the fruits , wipe any loose dirt off with a ironic microfiber cloth . Then leave them in a warm plaza , but out of unmediated sun or freeze conditions , for about three weeks .
Start on one side , then flip it to the other midway through .
Although not an all important dance step , a wash with dilute bleach is one more tactic that ’s readily uncommitted for keeping your pumpkins from succumbing to mold .
Spray each fruit with a result of two teaspoons of family bleaching agent per dry quart of water . Let it sit for half an hour , then spray it down with clean water to rinse , and wipe it with a paper towel or unclouded dishcloth .
After gentle wind drying , sanitizing is complete . Just be sure to treat both side of large , oblong fruit with this solution , and flip them over as involve until they ’re altogether dry .
Storage
Now , to find a good home for this depot crop .
Look for somewhere that you ’ll be able to place the fruit in a individual stratum , without any stacking .
If your haul ’s not overly magnanimous , this orchard memory board rackfrom Gardener ’s Supply Companymakes a squeamish option . It has nine shelves that are obliterable to accommodate fresh green groceries of a variety of sizes .
Wooden Storage Rack
You ’ll also need to stash them in a ironic , drab place where the temperature is between 50 and 60ºF.
Nope , that signify you ca n’t utilise the fridge – dismal ! It ’s too dampish , and too nerveless .
in effect melodic theme let in an unwarmed garage or shake off if you subsist where autumn weather condition is parky but not freezing , or an unwarmed bonce if you exist where cold temps arrive in October or before .
Be certain to keep an eye out for quip and other spaces where pest may be able to get into your storage country , since you do n’t want to invite any of the local wildlife to nibble on your harvest .
I ’ve got just a few more cautions for you – ready for more ?
Do n’t lay the yield on linoleum , or even concrete – both of these will boost wet buildup and decay .
Opt for porous cardboard as a storage airfoil , or try stalk instead . I ’ve used a scrupulously clean-living bathroom rug in a catch .
And above all else , do n’t forget about them !
Sometimes , despite your respectable attempt , one or more will start decaying . This can extend to them “ weep ” all over the sphere , and mayhap draw flies or promote decay in neighboring fruits .
Be sure to check on them at least once a week , and remove any that show signs of rot for prompt use if you could relieve them , or disposal if not .
Save Plenty for Pies, Carving, and Autumn Displays
It ’s so satisfying to preserve food or element for an outdoor display made from veg you grew yourself .
And do n’t forget , if you get towards the end of the dependable storage window and have more than you’re able to manage with , it ’s also satisfy to share extras with zoo , wildlife rehabilitators , or attractions that feature a caressing menagerie .
Whether you ’re contrive to implant these fall favorites for the first meter or are an experient grower , if you find this information worthful , take a feeling at thesepumpkin guidesnext :
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Rose Kennedy
