How to store pumpkin

In this article, we will talk in detail about how to store pumpkin, starting from the correct harvest, optimal conditions for storing it, ending directly storage methods... Storing pumpkin is possible in numerous ways - you will learn about all this later.

How to harvest correctly

Pumpkin is an incredible vegetable in its taste and useful properties. Children are allowed to eat it starting from 6 months of age, in the form of puree, if there are no prohibitions. This vegetable grows remarkably in all regions of Russia.

A correctly selected variety for your region, creating the most favorable conditions for its cultivation, as well as proper care is the key to a large, beautiful, tasty harvest. But then the question arises, how should it be stored at home, or rather in an apartment, so that it pleases the owners for a long time with its amazing qualities? The answer to this and other questions is disclosed in this article.

If you have a burial pit or a basement - there are absolutely no problems - the pumpkin is stored there, but what about those who live in an apartment in which there are no utility rooms?

Storing your pumpkin will be more successful if it is harvested on time. Subject to certain rules. Harvesting times can vary, influenced by how the summer was.

It is worth noting that the main landmark is the stalk, when it changed color from green to gray, and became dry - it's time to harvest.

In the process of harvesting a pumpkin crop, a number of important rules must be followed:

- the stalk must remain intact and unharmed, while its separation from the pumpkin is not allowed. To do this, you need to lift the pumpkin to loosen the tension, and carefully cut the stalk at a distance of at least five centimeters from the fruit.

- pumpkin must be sent for storage dry. Only in this way will you protect your precious harvest from possible rot and mold, which, by the way, in a short time spread to all fruits and can ruin the harvest in a couple of weeks, and, by the way, this can affect not only pumpkin.

- if the weather is rainy, dry, sunny weather is not promised in the coming days, and harvesting is already necessary, then in this case, after harvesting, the pumpkin is not sent immediately for storage. First, the fruits must be thoroughly dried in a good room with good air circulation for at least one and a half weeks - which will have a very positive effect on the safety of the pumpkin in the future.

- before storage, it is recommended to sort the crop, for this we inspect each pumpkin for possible defects, damage, rot, mold, choosing only healthy fruits for long-term storage. All defective crops should be processed or consumed in the near future.

- each pumpkin sent for long-term storage is recommended to be wiped with a dry cloth.

Ideal storage conditions for pumpkin

When storing pumpkin in an apartment and in the absence of utility rooms, be sure to unconditionally observe the following important rules:

- maintain a stable air temperature at the place where the crop is stored;

- the crop should not be exposed to direct sunlight, it is better to choose a dark place for storage;

- pumpkin fruits should not come into contact with each other.

The temperature regime for storing the pumpkin harvest is sufficient with a wide range. The lower mark should not go below +2 degrees, and the maximum value of the air temperature during storage of the pumpkin is +22 degrees.A decrease in temperature less than two degrees and an increase in excess of twenty-two - directly affects the sudden spoilage of the crop.

In addition to changing the temperature regime, the change in humidity in the room also negatively affects.

Whole pumpkin

Gardeners most often want to keep the pumpkin in its original form - that is, whole fruits. In apartments, without burial pits and basements, this is also quite possible. There are two most common ways to do this:

1. Storage of pumpkin fruits on a glazed balcony (or loggia), while certain conditions must be met:

- the threshold of the minimum temperature regime should not drop below + 2 degrees;

- so that the sun's rays do not fall on the fruits, they must be wrapped in a breathable cloth;

- it is recommended to store pumpkin in containers (boxes, baskets, boxes and other containers), but if this is not possible, make sure that there is no contact with cement screed, linoleum or plastic;

- under the fruits it would be most likely to put plywood, boards, fabric, many even put newspapers;

- if frosts come, then be sure to cover the crop with warm material, it can be a blanket or any other insulation.

Since balconies are also not in every apartment, and someone has no place on it for storing pumpkins, in this case the second method is used.

2. Storing pumpkin in the apartment.

If you plan to store fruits for a long time, then make sure that the place is with the lowest temperature - the floor is ideal (warm floor is not suitable, on the contrary, it will speed up the process of spoiling vegetables), in this case, the fruits must be isolated from each other - they cannot be in contact. The second method is also considered very reliable and allows you to store the crop for a long time.

When storing pumpkin in an apartment, each of these methods has its pros and cons, and there is also a danger of damage to the crop.

If you store the crop on the loggia, it is imperative to periodically examine each fruit for mold and rot, since in these rooms, as a rule, there is high humidity - which is dangerous for the pumpkin.

If the pumpkin is stored in a room, in this case it is necessary to ensure that the fruits do not dry out; for this, ventilate the room as much as possible, and preferably use a humidifier.

Cut pumpkin

If it is impossible to store the whole fruit, no matter how much you want it, orange vegetable lovers resort to storing in the refrigerator, cut in parts. As a rule, the pumpkin has rather large fruits, which are not possible to consume at one time, in this case, refrigeration is recommended - a great way to preserve the rest.

So that the fruits do not lose their taste and useful characteristics, when storing them cut in the refrigerator, you must follow a number of rules and recommendations:

- for a start, the pumpkin is washed well and cut into such pieces as is more convenient for you for further use;

- the seeds and the perisomed part of the pulp are removed from the whole vegetable;

- if you do not plan to immediately consume the pumpkin, then you do not need to remove the peel, since it helps to preserve the juiciness of the fruit;

- then the cut parts are wrapped in cling film (it is possible in specialized bags for storing vegetables) and put into the refrigerator on any shelf.

As such, an orange vegetable can be stored for a week and a half.

If you plan to divide the pumpkin into several dishes at once, which you will not cook immediately, then the pumpkin must be thoroughly washed, peeled, seeds and peri-seed pulp removed, put into bags and stored in the refrigerator on the upper shelf. Thus, the vegetable is stored for about three days, while maintaining its original taste and quality characteristics. But this storage is not suitable for pumpkin, from which it is planned to make juice.

What other storage methods are there

If the above storage methods for one reason or another are not suitable, then the most popular way is to help - freezing the vegetable.

To freeze pumpkin, follow these guidelines:

- carefully wash the fruits;

- peel the pumpkin;

- seeds and pulp near the seeds are removed;

- the peeled fruits are cut into the optimal size for you or grated;

- we wrap it in cling film, put it in special bags for freezing or put it in storage containers;

- put in the freezer.

Thus, the pumpkin is stored for a very long time, while retaining all its useful characteristics. But for making juice, such a pumpkin is not suitable.

Pumpkin fruits can also be dried or dried.

When you cleanse the pumpkin from seeds, before storing, do not rush to throw them away, because they are very useful. Collect all the seeds and put them in a plastic container, after which they must be dried - this is done in a natural way - on a battery. After two to three days, the seeds are ready and can be consumed. If necessary, they can be fried, but keep in mind that with any heat treatment, useful properties have the ability to be lost.

A variety of dishes, useful properties, taste characteristics, and much more related to pumpkin, prompts gardeners to grow and subsequently store this bright vegetable. Pumpkin is completely unpretentious to grow, and following the recommendations given in this article will help you keep the crop until spring, which will certainly delight your household