By Wayne McLaurin
University of
Georgia
Pumpkins are one of the fun crops in the vegetable garden. They
make delicious desserts and great fall decorations and can be
painted or carved into jack-o’-lanterns. But to make the best use
of them, you need to harvest and store them properly.
Pick pumpkins when they develop a deep, uniform, orange color
and, like any fall squash, a hard rind. The vines are usually
dying back at this time.
Avoid harvesting when the fruit is wet, as this will encourage
decay. Pick a sunny, dry day.
When harvesting pumpkins, handle them carefully to avoid cuts and
bruises. Halloween pumpkins are most attractive when a stem or
“handle” is carefully allowed to remain.
Leave the stems
Pumpkins with stems are less likely to rot, too. So, cut the
fruit from the vine with sharp pruning shears, leaving a 4- to
5-inch “handle.”
Don’t, however, carry pumpkins by their stems. They’re not really
handles. Always pick up your pumpkin from the bottom. The stem
may not be able to support the weight of the fruit and may break
off, leaving it vulnerable to microorganisms that cause rot.
Pumpkins can remain in the garden through a light, vine-killing
frost. A light frost won’t damage the pumpkins themselves.
However, all mature pumpkins should be harvested before
temperatures drop into the mid to low 30s. Green, immature
pumpkins won’t turn orange after a frost.
Cure pumpkins
After the harvest, cure your pumpkins at 80 to 85 degrees
Fahrenheit and 80 percent relative humidity for 10 days. Curing
helps harden their skins and heal any cuts and scratches.
After curing, store the pumpkins in a cool, dry place (50 to 55
degrees). When storing pumpkins, place them in a single layer
where they don’t touch one another. Good air circulation helps
prevent moisture from forming on the surfaces of the fruit and
retards the growth of decay fungi and bacteria.
Placing the pumpkins in piles generates unwanted heat which may
result in the rotting of some fruit. Promptly remove and discard
any pumpkins that show signs of decay.
Properly harvested, cured and stored, pumpkins should be in
excellent condition for Halloween painting or carving in late
October to ensure a happy haunting.
