The hard-barked pumpkin varieties are the first to ripen; the fruits can be harvested from the garden in late August - early September. Their maturity is indicated by such signs as woodiness of the stalk and a change in the color of the skin of the pumpkins: it becomes more saturated in color, for example, dark orange. The fruits of these varieties are not intended for long storage and they need to be used within the next two months.
Muscat and large-fruited varieties pumpkins can be stored before the onset of frost (mid or late September), but after harvesting the fruits must be allowed to ripen at room temperature for two to three weeks, then they can be put away in a cool place. The shelf life of pumpkin of these varieties is up to six months, and after this time their taste is noticeably reduced, the pulp becomes tasteless.
In general, the first signs that a pumpkin can be harvested are the drying out of the plant foliage, a change in the color of the stalk from green to gray and its subsequent woodiness and hardening of the shell. When cutting a pumpkin, you must remember that you need to leave a stalk at least five centimeters long, since if you try to get rid of it altogether, there is a possibility that the integrity of the fruit will be damaged and it will no longer be possible to store it.
When can you harvest pumpkins in the Moscow region?
The Moscow region is central Russia; in this area, when harvesting a garden crop such as pumpkin, you need to take into account the main criterion - frost. Under no circumstances should fruits be kept in the garden during frosts, which can be observed as early as mid-September. To prevent fruits from freezing, it is best to cut them at the beginning of September and let them ripen at home, and in the daytime they can be taken outside, especially in sunny weather.
When can you harvest pumpkins in Siberia?
Siberia is quite vast, so the harvest time is in different regions are different. In this case, fruit harvest must be calculated according to planting dates. In general, pumpkin varieties are most often grown in Siberia, the ripening period of which is up to 100 days; such fruits can be collected after 75-80 days from the date of planting the seeds. The fruits will ripen at home at room temperature within two to three weeks.
Autumn is the traditional time for harvesting. The beautiful pumpkin is often called the vegetable queen of autumn. It’s not surprising how you always get a lot of positive feedback from it, because it looks great, is tasty, and healthy. Of course, many summer residents have a question: when and how to properly collect pumpkin in order to enjoy this wonderful vegetable until the summer?
When to Harvest Pumpkin
Naturally, the pumpkin crop needs to be harvested on time. It is quite difficult to name the exact time when you should start cleaning the orange beauty. As a rule, this is the month of September-October. A more specific time can be determined based on the following factors:
- ripening time of this variety;
- external signs;
- weather.
Important! If you don’t remove the pumpkin on time and it gets stale, it can easily become a treat for garden pests, for example.
Ripening time depending on variety
Note! Let's say that in mid-May, based on the variety, namely the timing of its technical ripeness, we will try to calculate the approximate time of harvesting.
According to the ripening period, pumpkins can be divided into the following varieties:
- Early ripening (90-105 days). That is, they need to be removed from the garden in August-early September. It is worth noting that such varieties are not suitable for long-term storage.
- Mid-season (105-120 days). Harvest dates are September-early October.
- Late ripening (120-140 days or more). The approximate time for harvesting from the garden is September-October (before frost).
Of course, your place of residence, namely climate and weather conditions, can and will definitely affect the planting time, which means the harvesting time will also be postponed. In cooler regions, e.g. Leningrad region, in the Urals and Siberia, as well as in middle lane In Russia, you won’t be able to keep a vegetable in the garden for too long. But in the south, frosts usually come very late.
Advice! Approximate harvest dates are always on the back of the seed package, where the instructions are.
External signs of maturation
The biological ripeness of a pumpkin can be judged by the following signs that appear in the appearance of the vegetable:
Advice! If you still have a package of seeds (or you can find an image by the name of the variety on the Internet), then you can easily compare appearance your pumpkin with an exemplary one.
- The skin of the fruit (its shell) has become noticeably harder.
By the way! You can determine the degree of ripeness of a pumpkin very in a simple way. Try to lightly press the vegetable with your fingernail: if it doesn’t go in or is difficult to do, it means that the fruit is ready for storage.
- Some people are able to determine ripeness by tapping the bark: if there is a dull sound, then the vegetable is ripe.
Note! The degree of maturity must be assessed based on the entire set of characteristics, that is, comprehensively, and not based on just one.
Weather
Harvesting is best done on a dry, clear (fine) day. If the weather is cloudy or there has been rain recently, then the vegetable must be thoroughly dried in the sun before storing.
Advice! To prevent the pumpkin from rotting due to excess moisture (autumn rains), during the ripening period it is recommended to place something under each fruit so that it does not come into contact with the ground, for example, a board or a piece of plastic.
It is very important to monitor the weather forecast. If frost is suddenly expected, then the pumpkin must be promptly removed from the garden, even if the fruit is not ripe (let it ripen at home), because if frost sets in, the vegetable will not only not be able to be stored, but will also lose all its beneficial features.
Important! Some gardeners advise harvesting when the night temperature drops to +4-5 degrees.
However, if the harvest is not quite ready yet, then you can try covering the pumpkin patch with plastic wrap.
Video: when to harvest a pumpkin
Thus, now you can easily understand when the crop is ripe and that it is time to put it away for winter storage. But how to properly collect and prepare the pumpkins themselves for winter?
How to harvest pumpkin and prepare it for storage
When you cut a pumpkin from the stalk, you must leave a 4-7 centimeter tail on the fruit, this way it will be stored better and longer. It is better to do this clean and sharp knife or pruning shears. The cut itself must be smooth, otherwise bacteria can get there and rotting will begin.
You cannot carry large fruits by the stalk; it may break off, so it is better to hold it from below.
Now you need to look through the harvest, select all the healthiest and smoothest fruits, set aside injured and deformed specimens separately, it is better to eat them first.
Advice! If you damage the top shell during cleaning or storage, you can try to lubricate the damaged area with brilliant green or even apply a bactericidal patch.
Video: how to harvest pumpkins
Preparing for storage
Before storing the pumpkin, harvested should be kept for 2-3 weeks in light (but not under direct sun rays) and a warm room at a temperature of +20 degrees. It was at this time the process is underway accumulation of vitamins in the vegetable, and the pulp becomes sweeter and more aromatic. Moreover, in such conditions the fruits will definitely ripen.
Video: tips for harvesting and storing pumpkins
By the way! Unlike melons, pumpkin can be stored much longer (of course, if you do not violate the storage rules), without losing its beneficial properties and can be eaten until the next summer season.
Pumpkin is a symbol of autumn, that time of year when we expect and receive the best from nature: excellent and quality harvest. In order to effectively harvest and preserve the pumpkin harvest, it is worth taking many things seriously: the timing of ripening, external signs of fruit readiness, weather conditions. In addition, it is extremely important to focus your efforts on preparing the pumpkin for storage.
Video: harvesting and storage
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The most wonderful time for any gardener is harvest time. And if beautiful pumpkins are filling up in your area under the rays of the sun, then everyone can’t wait to harvest them - to evaluate the result of the work, enjoy the delicious fruits, and cook great amount different dishes. How do you know when to remove pumpkin from the garden? How do you know when a vegetable is ripe and it’s time to harvest? The questions are not idle, since a pumpkin harvested on time will be better stored, its pulp will not lose its properties and taste, and the gardener’s work will not be in vain.
Features of harvesting
Like many other crops, pumpkins are harvested in late summer or early fall. You can determine whether a pumpkin is ripe both by external signs and by the characteristics of the variety. But other factors must be taken into account:
- climatic conditions the region in which the area where the pumpkin grows is located;
- weather of a particular year (hot or rainy summer, early cold snaps, etc.);
- agricultural technology.
In the southern regions, gardeners are in no hurry to remove pumpkins from the garden, since there is no threat of early frosts and even the late-ripening varieties can ripen on the bushes. Pumpkin season starts later there.
In the conditions of Siberia, the Urals, and the regions of the North-West of the country, the situation is different; pumpkin ripens slowly, sometimes you have to remove the unripe vegetable, and then ripen it in the pantry.
Pumpkins must be harvested before frost, otherwise the fruits will not store well.
In such regions, as well as in the middle zone, pumpkin is usually grown through seedlings, therefore, when calculating the time to collect pumpkin, they take into account both the seedling period and the growing season of the crop in open ground.
Pumpkin ripening time: understanding the varieties
When selecting pumpkin varieties for cultivation, gardeners should always pay attention to the ripening time. And it is advisable not to throw away the packages with the characteristics of the variety after sowing, but to store them, so that later you do not have to look for information about how many days this pumpkin ripens.
So, there are early-ripening varieties, medium-ripening varieties, and those that require a long time - late-ripening. On a daily basis it will look like this:
- in the first group there are varieties and hybrids of pumpkins that ripen in approximately 90-105 days (Volzhskaya gray, Rossiyanka, Vesnushka, Sugar mace, Medicinal and others);
- in the second group there are pumpkins that require a little more time - from 105 to 120 days (Autumn Pie, Graceful, Zorka, Children's Delicacy, Honey Tale);
- the latest varieties - from 125 to 180 days (Gribovskaya winter, Mramornaya, Stofuntovaya, Vitaminnaya, Atlant, Vita).
The dates stated by pumpkin seed manufacturers are a good clue for determining the time of harvesting the crop in open ground.
When to harvest pumpkin in Siberia, the Urals, and regions of the European North? Growing pumpkins in these areas is a lot of work. Early ripening varieties are most often cultivated here. Summer there is short; cold snaps and frosts can begin at the end of August, and therefore the harvesting season will always begin earlier.
Early ripening varieties ripen in about three months, that is, from about August 15, you can harvest. They are usually of little use for lying down, so they try to use them as quickly as possible.
ON A NOTE!
Even if the weather is warm, the fruits of early-ripening pumpkin varieties should not be left in the garden. Overripe pumpkins become tasteless and their flesh becomes coarse.
Mid-season pumpkins ripen longer - up to 4-4.5 months, but their flesh is sweeter and their skin is denser. These varieties are suitable for more long-term storage, and this is precisely why gardeners prefer to grow them.
When to harvest pumpkins in the Moscow region, middle zone? Usually the harvesting period occurs in the first ten days of September, but again, you need to be guided by the weather. If frosts are coming, it is recommended to remove unripe pumpkins so that they can then ripen at home.
Late-ripening pumpkins, the majority of which are nutmeg varieties, take the longest to bask in the open ground. They are distinguished by their tender, juicy and delicious pulp, dense shell, and richly colored skin. These are some of the the best varieties pumpkins, but, unfortunately, they can only ripen in the garden in the south of the country.
When to pick late varieties of pumpkin? Harvesting time is the end of September, or even the beginning of October, and for most of the territory of Russia this is the time of the onset of real autumn with sub-zero temperatures, rain, bad weather.
Therefore, most often such pumpkins are harvested unripe in order to be stored for ripening and storage. It happens that it takes up to a month and a half for the vegetable to ripen and for its flesh to become juicy, aromatic and sweet.
A little about the beauty or external signs of pumpkin ripeness
Having dealt with the timing, we will try to determine the ripeness of sunny beauties by external signs. For those who have been growing pumpkins in open ground for several years now, this will not be difficult, but for beginners the information will be useful.
ON A NOTE!
You should not focus only on external signs and always wait for ripening. If the weather worsens and it gets colder, the pumpkin will have to be removed.
So, how to determine the ripeness of a pumpkin in the garden?
- If the pumpkin has taken off its nondescript “outfit”, and the color of its skin has become bright, saturated, acquiring a color characteristic of a particular variety, the pumpkin is ripe. The color of the fruit can be different, not just orange: gray, greenish, yellow. The skin may have spots, mesh, stripes, specks, and patterns. If pumpkin fruits have segmentation, then when ripe the relief becomes more pronounced (see photo).
- An indicator that the pumpkin is ripe will be the plant itself. Most of the lashes and leaves of the bush turn yellow and dry out. The ripening fruit takes all the nutrients from the plant, and it dies.
- The stalk, which was previously green and soft, begins to acquire a darker, richer color, becomes lignified, and becomes hard.
- You can determine the ripeness of a pumpkin by the skin: it hardens, the fruit, as they say, “rings.”
- In many varieties, the fruits are covered with a characteristic matte coating (in some pumpkins it is pronounced, in others less so).
If such signs appear, then it’s time to remove the pumpkin from the garden. If there are no signs, but in favorable and warm weather, you can leave the vegetable in the garden to ripen.
Pumpkin harvesting
Both ripe and unripe pumpkins in open ground must be removed, observing certain rules. Often, even experienced gardeners make mistakes and then wonder why the harvested fruits were not ripe or were poorly stored.
- To harvest pumpkins, choose only a clear, sunny day. If it starts to rain, it's better to wait it out. If there is no time, then the fruits picked in the rain will need to be dried, and only then figure out where to put them - for ripening, for cooking or storage.
- For cutting, use pruning shears or a sharp knife. Do not twist the stem or pick the pumpkin! It is necessary to cut carefully, always leaving a stump of up to 4-5 cm. It is also not allowed to carry pumpkins from the beds under a canopy or to the cellar, holding them by the stalk. Firstly, it is too unreliable; the fruit can be dropped and damage the skin of the pumpkin. Secondly, the stalk itself may come off, then this cut pumpkin will be unsuitable for storage.
- When harvesting, you must try to prevent damage to the fruit, the appearance of dents, scratches, and cracks on them. If there is already one, then these fruits are the first to be processed; they are not suitable for storage.
- Cut fruits must be very carefully cleaned of soil and debris, and if the weather permits, lightly dry them. fresh air. You can spread a thick cloth on the garden bed and place pumpkins on it.
- After this, the pumpkins are carefully sorted and removed for ripening and storage. Everything that cannot be stored goes to the kitchen.
ON A NOTE!
It is advisable to immediately process all damaged pumpkins - for stews, side dishes, bake, stew. They can only be stored for a few days, then the pulp will begin to deteriorate.
When sorting pumpkins, take into account varietal characteristics, since some copies can be stored for a month or a month and a half, while others when created optimal conditions will last until spring.
How to Preserve a Pumpkin
So, the fruits have been collected and now we need to send them for storage. The pumpkin should be stored for storage only if the fruit is fully ripe: with a dense and intact skin, with a long, rigid stalk, without deformations and without cracks. Unripe pumpkins are ripened at a temperature of +25-30ºC, in a dark and dry place. Ideal - shelves in dry pantries or in the room, under the bed.
A room where the air temperature will be in the range of +13-15 ºC, with a humidity level of 60-65% and no more, is suitable for storing pumpkins. It is convenient to store pumpkins on shelves so that the fruits do not touch each other.
ON A NOTE!
Quinces or apples should not be near pumpkins, as these fruits emit substances during storage that are harmful to the pumpkin.
The room must be dry and ventilated. It is important that condensation does not form, otherwise the fruits will rot. It is also necessary to protect the storage from rodents, who always know and find where they can profit.
Often the pumpkin harvest is stored in cellars and basements, but it can be very difficult to ensure a normal microclimate there. In such rooms it is usually observed high humidity, and this is detrimental to vegetables.
Therefore, if there is no cellar or suitable basement or dry pantry, it is recommended to store the pumpkin at home (in the hallway, corridor, kitchen). The main thing is that it is not too hot and there is no daylight.
During storage, it is necessary to periodically check the condition of the pumpkins, promptly removing those that begin to deteriorate. And again, do not forget about the shelf life of certain varieties, first of all, when using early and mid-ripening pumpkin for food.
We must try to use the fruits according to their shelf life, since further the pumpkin’s taste may deteriorate, the pulp will become coarser, acquire an earthy taste, and the seeds may germinate.
Correctly chosen timing of pumpkin harvesting will not only allow you to get a high harvest, but also preserve tasty fruits throughout the winter.
To determine the ripeness of a pumpkin, first of all you need to look at its color: the fact is that when ripe, these vegetables sharply change their color, for example, green fruits become bright yellow, bluish fruits become pink-yellow. It is important to note that the color of mature pumpkins is exceptionally rich.
How to properly care for a pumpkin before harvesting?
Regardless of the size of the fruit and the timing of harvesting, there are rules that will help protect the fruit in the garden from rotting and pests. Lying constantly on its side, in contact with the ground, in wet weather a huge berry can rot and become unusable. Those who try to process a pumpkin with a rotten side are doing it wrong. Before the fruit receives visible damage, changes have already occurred in the core, and it should not be eaten.
The pumpkin should be placed on a hillock or a specially constructed mound, a wooden or plywood board should be placed down, and covered with film on top during autumn rains. IN last month When the pumpkin gains sweetness, watering should be stopped. The length of the roots, which go down to a depth of three meters, is enough to provide the required amount of water.
Indicates that the pumpkin harvest time has arrived, the first cold snap, since even a slight frost makes the fruit unsuitable for storage. You can also keep the fruit in the garden in dry weather, protecting it from cool nights.
When can you pick a pumpkin?
You can get a fully ripened pumpkin from the field only in hot regions, when the fruits naturally ripen in the field for more than 4 months. But the good thing about pumpkin is that in addition to its long shelf life of several months, it still continues to ripen.
Therefore, you can find out whether the pumpkin is ripe and how long it can lie on the ridge by knowing main signs that a vegetable is ready for harvesting:
The leaves of the bush withered, changed their color to yellow, and dried out. If before this there were no signs of anthracosis disease, then the natural death of healthy foliage serves as a sure sign of the end of the growing season.
The stalk becomes stiff, upper layer corked, it becomes woody simultaneously with the stem supplying food. It is no longer possible to rearrange the pumpkin in any other way without compromising the integrity of the liner.
The color of the pumpkin, whatever it is, from gray to yellow, becomes brighter, the pattern is more noticeable.
There should be no traces left on the crust from scratching it with a fingernail. The cover hardens and does not spring back when pressed with fingers. A ripe pumpkin responds to cotton with a ringing sound. A ripe pumpkin becomes covered with a matte coating, the stalk is easily separated.
When harvesting a pumpkin, you need to treat it with care, trying not to scratch it. If trouble occurs, seal the damaged area with a bactericidal plaster or do not leave the damaged vegetable for storage.
Early ripening varieties are harvested at the end of August and grown as seedlings. These varieties include the common Gribovskaya bush, Vesnushka, Golosemyannaya. They have a thin crust and can be stored for up to a month.
Medium-ripening pumpkin varieties - Ulybka, Lechebnaya, Rossiyanka - will ripen in 4 months. Harvest in September, but before the first frost. Frozen fruits are not suitable for storage. Varieties of these pumpkins last up to two months after ripeness.
The most valuable fruits are late-ripening varieties grown under the southern sun. These include Vitamin, Muscat, Pearl. These pumpkins have a thick, hard rind and sweet flesh that is added raw to salads. Late varieties Stored in a cool room for up to six months. They are harvested late, but even in the south ripeness occurs in a month or two.
The ripening times indicated on the seed packet are for ideal conditions. The weather makes its own adjustments. Therefore, you need to navigate when to harvest a pumpkin based on the weather, the condition of the plant and the biological maturation of the variety.
When storing any pumpkin, it is important that the integrity of the fit of the tail to the womb is not compromised. If there is a gap in this place, an infection will set in and the fruit will rot.
Harvesting rules
Harvesting is carried out in dry weather, after the lashes have dried well from the morning moisture. If bad weather strikes, you will have to harvest the crop in wet weather; such fruits need to be dried well. At the same time, separate damaged specimens. In dry, warm weather, root crops cut off from the main stem can still be kept in the melon patch, under the rays of the sun.
When determining the ripeness of pumpkins, you need not only to look at their peel, but also to touch it with your hands: unripe fruits bend easily when pressed, and the peel is so tender that it can be easily pierced with a fingernail. The skin of a ripe pumpkin is matte and has a pattern characteristic of this variety (usually when purchasing seeds, the label contains a photo of ripe fruits with a characteristic pattern). Many varieties of pumpkins, when ripe, become covered with a coating that easily rubs off when touched.
You can also determine the ripeness of a pumpkin by its sound: ripe vegetables make a sound when tapped. ringing sound, unripe - deaf.
In general, most varieties of pumpkin ripen in September, so it is worth considering that by the end of September the pumpkin is ready for harvest.
If all the signs described above indicate the ripeness of the fruit, then the last thing you should pay attention to when determining the ripeness of a pumpkin is the stalk. In unripe vegetables it is light and strong.
If you pick a pumpkin and don’t know whether it is ripe or not, then you can determine its ripeness by the seeds. To do this, cut the fruit and look at the seeds, try to separate them from the pulp: in a ripe vegetable, the seeds are dense and round, they are easily separated from the fibers. Remember, pumpkin has one wonderful property - to ripen.
Picked pumpkin can ripen for about a month in a dark, cool, dry place.
You can store the fruit in such conditions for a long time, allowing you to use it fresh during the winter. useful product.
Pumpkin is very unpretentious melon culture, which has the most valuable nutritional and healing properties, the cultivation of which requires little care. That is why it is in great demand among Russians, and the topic of ripening, harvesting and storage rules is relevant.
Timely harvesting and proper storage of it in bins is the key not only to long-term shelf life, but also to the preservation of all vitamins and microelements.
Pumpkin ripening and harvesting times
A high yield of pumpkin can be obtained without much effort, and unlike other melons (watermelons, melons), it lasts much longer. Moreover, its taste even improves over time. The question is how long will these nutritional and healing properties, directly depends on the timeliness of harvesting the crop from the beds, since even minor frostbite makes it unsuitable for storage.
Certainly, ideal option it would be to collect the fruits ripened in the garden bed. They are maximally saturated with nutrients, therefore they fully comply with the declared varietal properties. Unfortunately, the harsh climatic conditions of most regions of Russia do not allow this. You have to rely on the weather forecast and remove unripe vegetables before the first frost, and then lay them out in a dry, warm room to ripen.
The timing is as follows:
- early September in Siberia and the Urals;
- the second ten days of the first autumn month in the Moscow region and the Middle Zone;
- early October in the south.
They are also adjusted according to the vegetative development time of the grown pumpkin:
- It is the shortest for hard-bark varieties - 90-120 days after germination they are ready for consumption and they begin to collect them from mid-August.
- Large-fruited fruits ripen within 110-130 days, so in regions with short summers they are harvested immature.
- Sweet and aromatic pumpkins, which include nutmeg types, will be completely ready for harvesting only after 130-150 days. Only gardeners in the southern regions can afford such a “luxury”. In the rest, they are forced to cut before frost sets in. In autumn, the hottest time of the year comes for everyone, when one day feeds the whole winter.
The ripeness of a crop can be determined by visual signs that are common to all varieties:
- yellowing and drying of foliage;
- woodiness of the stalk;
- compaction and hardening of the peel and saturation of its color to bright.
If August turns out to be inclement, then in order to get large pumpkins and speed up their ripening, you can help the plant. To do this, the roots need to be covered with black film and watered only with warm water. During the day, when the air has already warmed up, these procedures will significantly enhance biological processes and fruit development.
Decorative varieties used in kitchen decor are harvested later than others as they are technically ready.
The final decision on the harvest date should be made after checking with lunar calendar gardener The influence of the night beauty on all life on Earth is undeniable, so how long its location on that day is favorable for this procedure determines how long the vegetables will retain their beneficial properties.
Vegetable storage conditions
The shelf life is affected not only by the degree of maturity of the crop. In addition to the fact that it is necessary to harvest the pumpkin in a timely manner, a number of technical procedures, which will increase the keeping quality of the fruit.
Cleaning Features
It is preferable to harvest a ripe crop in dry weather - it will be stored better than one harvested in cloudy weather or in the rain. Before storing, wet pumpkins must be dried for 10-15 days in a dry, warm room on a bed of sawdust or straw. On a sunny day, they are left to dry in the garden bed until the evening.
Fruits should be cut with garden pruners or a sharp knife and only with a stalk 5-10 cm long - this is a kind of protective plug against the penetration of putrefactive microflora into the pulp. When carrying, you should not handle it (especially large-fruited ones), since even the slightest tear leads to a decrease in keeping quality. Vegetables with the tail torn off should be set aside for current consumption. Minor scratches and dents on the bark can be smeared with brilliant green or sealed with a bactericidal plaster.
The pumpkin should be handled very carefully; any damage can become a source of putrefactive formations, and therefore shorten the shelf life.
In case of forced harvesting before the first frost, the crop is laid out for ripening for 1-2 months in a dry, warm room at a temperature of +25-27°C and a humidity of 8-5%. Pumpkins forcibly brought to maturity are not stored for a long time, so they must be immediately processed.
Shelf life
Optimal conditions for preservation are: darkness, ventilated room, temperature +10-15°C, humidity 70-75%. A basement or cellar is ideal for this. But even in a city apartment (for example, under a bed or sofa), pumpkins are also preserved well if it is not above +20°C.
The fruits are laid out on the floor or shelves covered with sawdust, chaff or permeable fabric so that they do not touch each other. They should not be placed next to other vegetables and fruits, especially apples and pears, which emit ethylene, which accelerates ripening and reduces shelf life. When the weather gets colder, they are additionally covered with hay or straw.
For more information on how to properly harvest a pumpkin, watch the video:
Large-fruited varieties of crops that have ripened on the vine are best stored. They contain a lot of starch, which hydrolyzes over time into soluble sugars, making the fruits sweet and increasing shelf life. Such vegetables can retain their nutritional and healing properties for up to six months, then the pulp begins to dry out, become fibrous and lose its taste.
Butternut squash last somewhat worse - up to 4 months.
These indicators are even lower for early-ripening, hard-barked vegetables – no more than 1 month. Their pulp is thin and fibrous, so it dries quickly, and the seeds begin to germinate. The fruits of these varieties themselves are not sweet, but the seeds (with or without thin skin) have an amazing taste and are very healthy.
If there is no way to preserve the pumpkin in fresh You can make excellent preparations from it - jam, candied fruits, dried and frozen vegetables.
Timely harvesting and strict adherence to storage rules can provide any summer resident with a fresh, tasty and very healthy product throughout the long Russian winter.