"Des Higgins" wrote
"vsop" wrote:
I've never grown these before and I just bunged them in and let them go
rampant.
So I was pleasantly surprised today when parting the undergrowth that I
have
seven (at least) quite big fruits....a couple are very big....when
compared
with the average supermarket types.
Now I hadn't thought of it before, but how do I tell when they are ripe
for
picking? They are all very very pale greeny-yellow.......not the
creamy/buff shade of shop specimens. So what's the test of ripe-ready ?


Bob Hobden is the expert and he seems to grow them every year. From
my experience with normal pumpkins, if you want to eat them now, then
just pick them when you want as long as they are more or less fully
grown. If you want to store them (they can keep for months if stored
well), then they like to be left in the sun for a bit to go hard. The
skin should be good and tough. I have no real method other than wait
till they look like they have stopped growing, let them get direct sun
for a few days or more and pick when they seem hard. Bob will have
better advice I guess. I have kept pumpkins for 4 or 5 months after
picking and they were perfect for eating.

I think your description of me as an expert in these matters very
flattering Des, but OTT. :-)

I've always waited until they change to something near the supermarket
cream/buff colour before picking. That signifies the skin has hardened so
they will store.

Personally I think they taste much better after being stored somewhere cool
and dry with good air circulation for a couple of months. Seems to
concentrate the flavour as it does with most cucurbits.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
just W. of London