We have 5 nice Halloween-sized carving pumpkins in our garden, but the
associated vines are just about dried up and I don't want the pumpkins
to rot on the ground or in our garage, at least not until after
Halloween. What is the best way to preserve them for a month until we
carve them up. Chicago area, so no frost yet.

hr(bob) wrote:
We have 5 nice Halloween-sized carving pumpkins in our garden, but the
associated vines are just about dried up and I don't want the pumpkins
to rot on the ground or in our garage, at least not until after
Halloween. What is the best way to preserve them for a month until we
carve them up. Chicago area, so no frost yet.

You could refrigerate them. It depends on the cultivar but if they are not
damaged they ought to last a month in a cool dry place not refrigerated. I
have some that were cut last May stored that way, a few have rotted but
many lasted.

David

hrbob said:

We have 5 nice Halloween-sized carving pumpkins in our garden, but the
associated vines are just about dried up and I don't want the pumpkins
to rot on the ground or in our garage, at least not until after
Halloween. What is the best way to preserve them for a month until we
carve them up. Chicago area, so no frost yet.

Don't refrigerate them. Don't leave them out where they will be subject
to temperatures under 40 degree F (and unheated garage).

Wash them in a mild bleach solution, dry them off and set them in the
coolest part of your house. Keep them separated so air can circulate
around them. They should last several months even at room temperature,
more than long enough to get to Halloween.

--
Pat in Plymouth MI

"Vegetables are like bombs packed tight with all kinds of important
nutrients..." --Largo Potter, Valkyria Chronicles

email valid but not regularly monitored

hrbob said:

We have 5 nice Halloween-sized carving pumpkins in our garden, but the
associated vines are just about dried up and I don't want the pumpkins
to rot on the ground or in our garage, at least not until after
Halloween. What is the best way to preserve them for a month until we
carve them up. Chicago area, so no frost yet.

Cut from the vine with a sharp knife leaving 3-4 inches of stem, do
not lift by stem... breaking off the stem will prevent moisture from
escaping and the pumpkin will rot. So long as there is no hard frost
storing in a *dark* garage is good but not on the floor, place on a
board... or store in a dry basement, again not directly on the floor.
The biggest risk to storing pumpkins is their being eaten by critters;
squirrels, mice, birds, and others. I place the nicest pumpkins on my
front steps for holiday decor but I also place a few sacrificial
pumpkins out on the sides of the house up against a tree trunk.

On Sep 26, 7:51*am, Brooklyn1 Gravesend1 wrote:
hrbob said:



We have 5 nice Halloween-sized carving pumpkins in our garden, but the
associated vines are just about dried up and I don't want the pumpkins
to rot on the ground or in our garage, at least not until after
Halloween. *What is the best way to preserve them for a month until we
carve them up. *Chicago area, so no frost yet.

Cut from the vine with a sharp knife leaving 3-4 inches of stem, do
not lift by stem... breaking off the stem will prevent moisture from
escaping and the pumpkin will rot. *So long as there is no hard frost
storing in a *dark* garage is good but not on the floor, place on a
board... or store in a dry basement, again not directly on the floor.
The biggest risk to storing pumpkins is their being eaten by critters;
squirrels, mice, birds, and others. *I place the nicest pumpkins on my
front steps for holiday decor but I also place a few sacrificial
pumpkins out on the sides of the house up against a tree trunk.

Yeah, critters have alreeady eaten one that ripened about a month
ago. Did leave a few seeds on the ground, otherwise no traces left.
Did know to leave a hunk of umbilical cord on each pumpkin, storage
will be in our garage for the next few weeks.

Thanx for the reply.