Here’s to a long (shelf) life
Fresh food storage is a tricky business; what’s good for the potato and parsnip gets a pshaw from the pumpkin and pepper. And while I know better, for some odd reason (like expediency, or distraction by something shiny), I stored some pumpkins last fall in my root cellar, a cool, damp gallows of place that sentenced my winter squash to a slow rotting death. (Conversely, my Makah Ozette spuds were happy as buried clams.)
Even in decay, nature is art. (Blossom-end of a poorly stored pumpkin.)
I’m here to spread the word, pumpkins and winter squash like it high and dry with temperatures ranging between 50-55 degrees Fahrenheit and relative humidity between 50 and 75 percent. Each pumpkin stored in my kitchen pantry is as good as the day I picked it, which was close to five months ago. (Sweet Meat squash and Queensland Blue are my best keepers.) The squash I mistakenly relegated to an unheated, moisture-retentive cellar are now moldy messes, suitable for burial in the compost heap or chicken yard.
Fresh from the pantry, the sugar pie and green Turkish pumpkins enjoy greater longevity than their surrounding cellar-kept cousins.
As a walking human furnace, I set my home’s thermostat for 60 degrees during the day and 50 degrees at night–temperatures warm enough and cool enough to keep me, pumpkins, and bulldogs happy (Drop-ins are another story.)
And what do the experts have to say about the proper storage of pumpkins? University researchers are my go-to guys and gals when I seek answers to life’s growing questions. Their findings don’t disappoint.
Tips for Storing Pumpkins and Winter Squash from North Carolina University Extension
Steps to Minimize Squash and Pumpkin Rots
- Maintain a good fungicide- and insecticide-spray program during the growing season to minimize foliar diseases (leaf spots and blights and insect problems.
- Avoid blossom-end rot of fruit by fertilizing and liming fields according to recommendations from soil test reports and by irrigating when needed.
- Avoid injuring fruit while on the vine.
- Harvest fruits when they are mature and the rind is hard, but before night temperatures are below 40oF and well before a frost or a hard freeze.
- Do not harvest or handle wet fruit. Do not let harvested fruit get wet.
- Harvest fruit by cutting the peduncle (stem) with pruning shears to leave a 3- to 4-inch handle for pumpkins and about a 1-inch stump for squash.
- Harvest, pack, handle, and store fruit carefully to avoid injuries.
- Discard all fruit that are immature, injured, or have rot or blemishes. These fruit should not be harvested or stored.
- Do not pick up freshly harvested fruit by the peduncle, because it may separate from the fruit and provide easy access for rot organisms.
- Do not stack the fruit higher than 3 ft.
- Do not permit harvested or stored fruit to get wet.
- Washing is usually not desirable, but if washing is necessary, be sure the water is chlorinated (at least 50 ppm, approximately one part 5.25% liquid bleach to 999 parts water). Prepare fresh wash solution when the water becomes cloudy and chlorine cannot be detected. Dry thoroughly.
- For better keeping, some growers cure pumpkins for 10 to 20 days at 80 to 85oF with good ventilation (e.g. four air exchanges per day).
- Harvested fruit should be stored with good ventilation (at least one air exchange per day) at 50 to 55oF and 50 to 75% relative humidity. Standard refrigeration temperatures (35 to 45oF) may cause chilling injuries and shorten shelf life. Storage at high temperature may result in excessive loss of weight, color, and culinary qualities, while high humidity may promote rots.
- Storage life is typically 2 to 3 months without significant loss in quality.
Related links:
- Harvesting and Storing Pumpkins, Winter Squash, and Gourds
- Storing Pumpkin and Winter Squash at Home
- Growing pumpkins
- Home preserving pumpkins
If all else fails, start with Plan B: Roasted pumpkin puree freezes nicely. (Halibut on the left, blackberries on the right: a Pacific Northwest freezer indeed.)
The more pumpkins, the more pies.
Mold can be beautiful. I wish I had winter squash to store. 🙂
Good tips! You should see my office floor though 😉 We chose to keep our winter squash in the house this year, as it’s the only area we can really control climate, and have the space. Kitchen counters, dining table, office, anywhere there’s room. I need to make a belated resolution to use at least 2 squash a week though so I can find the floor again! We leave handles on all our squashes, and cure outside, as it’s usually hot enough at the end of the season. So far we haven’t lost one, well, except for the Galeux that our dog chewed the warts off of, but I have a LOT of cooking to do!
My mudroom is the perfect place here–and yep-it’s in the 50’s . It’s hard to find the storage areas that things are happiest with, but once located-WONDERFUL!
Beautiful pie crust. I wish I could crimp like that!
Love your crust. I have a couple of them in the cold room. Hoping they will keep awhile longer.
Good tips…but I must say, I’m glad to hear there are other hot-blooded people out there! Similarly, my house guests often leave their coats on during visits 😉
I baked the first of my pumpkins on Christmas eve day and the first thing I made was pumpkin-gingerbread doggie cookies. The chickens loved the seeds.
Dear Tom, afew days ago I made some kibbeh, recipe from,http://www.tasteofbeirut.com/2012/01/pumpkin-kibbeh-balls-kibbeh-lateen/.
They were stunning.
You could see any other balls on
http://www.tuzekmek.com/tak-sepeti-koluna-adana-2012/
Thank for tips for saving them.
See you again.
Thanks Sare, I have a question for you. I have a beautiful pumpkin or squash that someone gave me and he called it a Turkish pumpkin. The vine is large and the pumpkin a green, grey on the outside. Do you know what it’s real name is?
Great tips Tom and a gorgeous pie! As for your inner thermostat – you and the Big Guy have a lot in common. I on the other hand have more fleece in my wardrobe than I ever had when I lived in Canada. LOL
we have a dandy looking sweet meat vine/squashes growing now in Gold Hill Oregon…can’t wait for the pie! I said to my husband (before seeing your info) that you were interesting and possibly a writer…oh my! YOU ARE! Your pictures were beautiful. I enjoy bird/nature photography along the Rogue River. Happy summer! regards, Sharon
Thanks for the visit Sharon and kind words! I love the Rogue River, and Oregon for that matter.
Thank you for all your expert information and tips. The best info. is learned from experience I always say. I’m baking the last of my pumpkins as we speak, sugar pies. They’ve been sitting on my kitchen counter since October and I was afraid they would spoil if I waited any longer. Then I found your site and was pleased to hear all your tips. Next year. Next year I’ll plant a little earlier and try to find some seed from those varieties you listed. Any suggestions where I should look? The sweet meats sound interesting as I do a lot of baking. Thanks again and have a wonderful New Year!
Hi Chris, I really like the following seed companies listed in this write-up: http://tallcloverfarm.com/929/do-i-have-some-seed-catalogs-for-you
Sweet meat is pretty common these days and easy to find. It’s so good and from Oregon originally and grows well in cooler temperatures. I also like galeux d’eysines, winter luxury pumpkin pie, candy roaster, and long pie pumpkin. Good luck my fellow baker!
My first georgia candy squash season, thanks for the harvest tips, and I will roast one whole as you did because it looks delicious!
Thanks River, hope you enjoy that wonderful bounty, out of the garden and on to the table.