Before storage, pumpkins should be dried in the sun. This will allow their outer skin to dry out and any small wounds on it will have time to close up during this time. After the pumpkin has dried, you can store it for winter.
Where to store pumpkin
The place to store the pumpkin must meet certain conditions to ensure the safety of this vegetable until spring:
- The room where the pumpkin will be stored must be dry and dark;
- The optimal storage temperature is between +5° and +10°C;
- There must be good ventilation.
If at least one of these conditions is not observed, the shelf life of the pumpkin is significantly reduced. For example, high humidity reduces this period by 2 or even 3 months.
The best place to store a pumpkin is a basement or cellar. It is there that it is easiest to create suitable conditions. You can equip racks or make shelves. It is also possible to put them on pallets.
The main thing is not to place them directly on the ground or floor. It is also advisable to arrange the pumpkins with the stems facing away, so that they do not touch. In winter, the cellar should be periodically checked and all rotten pumpkins should be removed.
Not everyone has the opportunity to use the basement for storing pumpkins for winter. For these purposes, city dwellers can use a dark and cool place in the apartment, for example, a closet. Pumpkins are arranged there in the same way as when they are stored in the cellar. In the absence of a closet, you can use any dark place, as far as possible from heat sources. For example, a place under the bed is very good for these purposes.
If there is no possibility to store pumpkins in the apartment, then a closed balcony can be used for these purposes. You need to wrap the pumpkins with a dark opaque cloth. In severe cold, the pumpkin should be covered additionally, as it is easily damaged even by light frosts.
How to store sliced pumpkin
Pumpkin fruit are very large, so it is simply impossible to use them all at once. Cut pumpkins can be stored quite successfully in the refrigerator.
To do this, they must be cut into separate sections, peeled and cut into cubes. They are then placed in a plastic bag in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator.
In this form, they can be stored for up to 10 days.
If the pumpkin needs to be stored for a longer time, the plastic bag is replaced with foil. In this form, pumpkin can be stored without losing its qualities for up to 1 month.
You can also preserve them in a different way or dry pumpkins for the winter.
With the preserved pumpkin, you will be able to prepare your favorite pumpkin soups and pumpkin cakes all winter long.
