# pumpkins



## Queen Bee (Apr 7, 2004)

What is a reasonable length of time a pumpkins will keep in a root cellar type place or is it best to process them quuckly?


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## Ellendra (Jul 31, 2013)

Like with so many things, it depends.

If the pumpkin is undamaged, try to keep them at least a month. The flavor changes, they get better the longer they're stored. After a month, the flavor will be drastically improved from when they were first picked.

Check them every day that first month. Look for "sawdust" that indicates insect damage, press on the blossom ends to check for early softening, monitor for bruises or discolored spots. If you find these, process that pumpkin right away. You can usually salvage the majority of it if you catch it fast enough.

After the first month most of the ones that are damaged will have shown themselves. Now, it's down to the variety. Some varieties will keep a whole year, most will start to go before then. Check them once or twice a week, again pressing on the blossom scars to feel for softening. It shows there first.

Once you've grown your preferred variety a few years, you'll get a feel for how long it keeps.


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## Queen Bee (Apr 7, 2004)

Thank you.


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## Abe R Crombie (Mar 13, 2005)

Mine keep in the root cellar for about 4 months.I wash the pumpkins in some bleach and water to kill as much of the spoilage spores as possible.Good aeration is best as well.Baking,pureeing and freezing work very well also.


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## tom j (Apr 3, 2009)

After a month just make a good batch of wine and. Age it a year and enjoy ,,, just kidding, but next year I am going to make some to see how it would taste


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## Scape (Jan 23, 2017)

I grow pumpkins/squash for my three head of cattle. I love to experiment with different varieties for storage and taste and size. Do you just want an orange pumpkin? or would a hubbard work? or a beautiful Boston Marrow? We are just feeding the last of them and usually go until February. They do need to be fully matured with no injuries to last that long. Some could keep longer but the cows love them....


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

I keep mine and all our squash in the hay stall in the barn, let them cure good, check good, then bury in the loose hay. Layer of hay on a wood floor then covered with more hay. They keep until March. Any that start to spoil get thrown in the goat yard for the goats and chickens. They do get sweeter the longer they keep. I wash them with bleach water too. It is damp here in the winter, we have a nice root cellar but it is too damp, better for fruit. Squash and pumpkins like dryer, cool, like onions. I just put one in the oven of the wood cookstove, remove what we want and feed some to the chickens mixed in with the other warmed up food scraps, milk products and grains, the carcass goes to the goat pen, chickens finish it....James


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