The pumpkin harvest begins in late summer, and if you want to harvest, ripen and store every pumpkin, here's a guide!
To help you harvest a pumpkin and know when it is ripe and ready to pick, there are a few factors you should consider. Depending on the variety, the harvest time can vary, but this usually lasts from the end of August to the end of October. This can also be determined depending on the ripening period and appearance of the plant when the stems become dry and woody. In addition, there are several ways to store pumpkins in the fall and winter without losing flavor or quality. Below you will find some useful information and tips that can help you avoid any mistakes.
What should you look for when harvesting a pumpkin?
When it comes to pumpkins, we usually speak of early, medium and late ripening varieties. They are one of the last crops to be harvested, and this should be done before the first frosts arrive. It is therefore also important to care for the pumpkins and afterharveststore in a dry and cool place. If storage conditions are optimal, you can enjoy their taste throughout the winter. The rule of thumb is to pick the fruits in good time, to separate those of the highest quality and to prepare them correctly. Even if thatHumidity in the room, or if the storage area is properly ventilated, they can even remain tasty until spring.
In addition, medium-sized varieties are particularly suitable for ripening and storage if, for exampleHokkaido or ButternutHarvest pumpkin. The worsening weather can accordingly also worsen the condition of the pumpkins. It would therefore make sense to look for certain characteristics in order to be able to pick them in good time. Two of them are, of course, the saturated color and the hollow sound when you tap on it. In this regard, you should also pay attention to any damage when picking, as this can accelerate the rotting process. Here are some more features to consider in butternut squash.
How can you recognize ripe pumpkins?
In hot summer, you can be guided by the characteristics of the variety in terms of plant maturity. If the summer season was rather rainy and cool, it would make sense to determine the actual ripeness using external indicators. This can usually be recognized by the leaves and stems. You can pick early-ripening varieties in August or until mid-September, and late-ripening varieties before the first frost. Also try to use the former varieties no later than 2-3 months after harvesting so that their pulp does not become tasteless and the seeds do not begin to germinate. You can recognize ripe pumpkins by the following signs:
- Rich color – As varieties like butternut ripen, they change color and can go from green to beige to deep brown or orange. The pumpkins should no longer have any green stripes.
- Skin Hardness – You can also use your nails to test the skin before harvesting a pumpkin to determine ripeness. If this leaves traces such as scratches, the shell still needs to harden, although it does not have to be shiny. When it comes to hardy ones, their shell may even have dark red or bright orange stripes. White and gray-skinned pumpkins do not change color as they ripen. Therefore, the level of their maturity is determined by the remaining characters.
- Dry and graying stems and foliage – Other signs of maturity include shrunken vines, leaves, and woody and dried-out stems. These should also have a gray to yellowish discoloration so that you can harvest a butternut pumpkin, for example. If the foliage is still green or looks lively, the fruit is most likely not ripe yet. The stem should be hard, dry and a uniform brown color.
- Recognize maturity by sound – Also pay attention to the specific sound when you tap it with your knuckles.
What is the best way to harvest a pumpkin?
Make sure pumpkin harvesting occurs in dry weather. Otherwise, if it rains, you can wipe the fruit and let it dry before storing. Typically, you should harvest a ripe pumpkin by cutting it off along with its stem. You can do one for thatwell-sharpened secateursor use knife. Even after harvesting, try to sort the pumpkins by size and quality. If they are damaged, you should eat the fruit, although there are numerous recipes for Hokkaido or butternut squash. Pumpkins intended for long-term storage can be left to ripen in the sun for 8 to 10 days. Otherwise, the steps described below should be taken when harvesting pumpkin:
- Try to maintain about 5 to a maximum of 7 cm of soil when harvesting your pumpkin with the garden tool. This can significantly extend its shelf life. To do this, simply lift the fruit and cut the stem where you want it.
- Wipe wet fruit with a clean cloth to prevent possible mold and rot. Otherwise, they will probably rot in a month or less.
- Also check each fruit for pests, damaged areas or fungal infections, ideally immediately after picking.
- It is important to leave the pumpkins in the sun for a while before storing them. Therefore, try to expose the fruits to high temperatures and humidity for at least a day. This allows the shell to harden, although you should be careful not to break the stem. With broken stems, a pumpkin becomes more susceptible to disease and pests when stored.
- In order for your pumpkins to continue to ripen, it is best to store them in a warm and ventilated place for 2 to 3 weeks.
What should you consider when storing pumpkins?
If you store the fruits on the balcony or in cellars, garden sheds and other storage rooms, there should be a gap between them. To save space, you can separate each pumpkin with newspaper or other waste paper. It is also important that there are no other fruits such as apples or pears nearby. These release a specific gas that can significantly shorten the shelf life of the pumpkins. Otherwise, you can take the following steps if you want to harvest each pumpkin and store it after any ripening:
- For optimal storage in winter, the temperature should not be below 5 nor above 15 degrees Celsius. The humidity should not exceed 60%.
- Most varieties can be stored in a similar manner, with cured and ripened pumpkins being able to be eaten until spring.
- Also try to store the pumpkins in low direct sunlight.
- In freezing temperatures or frost, make sure you protect the fruit from the cold by throwing a tarp or blanket over it.
Hopefully now, with this quick guide, you have a better idea of how to harvest and properly store a pumpkin. Try to take the factors described above into account so that you can look forward to your pumpkin harvest longer even in home conditions.
Also read: “HALLOWEEN PUMPKIN MOLDS: HOW TO PREVENT MISTAKES WHEN CARVING & KEEP DECORATIONS MOLD FREE?”
