GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post - How to preserve some pumpkins for a month until Halloween

Brooklyn1 · 26-09-2010, 01:51 PM posted to rec.gardens

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.