The pumpkin harvest was bigger than expected this year? No problem! If you keep a few things in mind, the pumpkin can be stored for a certain amount of time.
The pumpkin has made a real comeback in the kitchen in recent years. Above all, the pumpkin soup is now more popular than ever. No wonder, then, that many are now growing pumpkins themselves again. This is not really difficult and also very profitable. Sometimes it can even happen that the harvest is so plentiful that you cannot always process and prepare all the vegetables in the same way. It's good to know that pumpkins can be stored well for some time if you keep a few important points in mind.
How to store pumpkins correctly
➤ Preparation for Storage:
For storage, it is important that the pumpkins are he althy and intact. After the pumpkin harvest, you should first check them for damage. The handle has to stay on anyway. However, you should trim it down to about an inch after harvest. However, you must never wash the skin of the pumpkins!
It is also very important for storage that the pumpkins are ripe. The large varieties in particular should be left to mature completely in a warm place for about two weeks after harvesting. The shell should then be so hard that you can no longer scratch it with your fingernail.
Hint:
If a pumpkin has already been cut, you should wrap it in foil. Then you can store it in the fridge for another two days.
➤ Storage temperature:
First and foremost, pumpkins need a cool place to store them. The ideal storage temperature is between 10 and 14 degrees. In this way you can keep the vegetables for a few months, some specimens even up to eight months.
➤ Location:
But pumpkins not only need to be kept cool, they also need to be kept dry and with adequate ventilation. The cellar or a cool pantry is therefore the most suitable place for storage. It would be ideal if you could hang the pumpkins up in a net so that they were airy, because that way they can even last the whole winter.
Hint:
If it is not so warm in one place in the house, you can squash untilCan also be used for decoration.
Our tip: Freeze pumpkins
If you have no way of storing the whole pumpkins optimally, you should cut them into slices, blanch them briefly and then freeze them. If you want to make a soup out of the pumpkin pieces later, you can puree them before freezing and then freeze the whole thing as a mush.
By the way: the pumpkin does not lose its valuable ingredients during storage. It is therefore an important supplier of vitamins and nutrients in winter.