Harvesting & Storing Pumpkins

The humble pumpkin, Cucurbita pepo, has been a staple of autumnal harvests throughout the United States for centuries, with its roots in Mexico. Well before European colonization, Native American tribes grew this cheerful orange squash and prepared it in a number of ways. Today, we know it as the puréed titular ingredient of pumpkin pie.

The pumpkin’s vibrant color comes from nutritious carotenes, which provide vitamin A, and the seeds, flowers and leaves can also be consumed by people and animals alike. The pumpkin is also carved out for Halloween jack o' lanterns and has even been merrily flung through the air via cannons or trebuchets for fun. It’s hard to imagine a fall without this fruit!

Now that the fall is upon us, many farmers are harvesting their pumpkin crops and seeking ways to store what they don’t sell over the winter. Central Arkansas Mahindra is your Little Rock tractor and farm equipment dealer. We know how important a profitable and productive harvest season is for all of our customers, so here are some of our tips on how to successfully harvest and store your pumpkins this fall.

When To Harvest

Pumpkins may be harvested when fully mature, which may occur anywhere between September and November in most of the United States. Their color should be a rich, deep orange throughout (some varieties may be different colors when ripe, like white or yellow, but orange is predominant) and when the pumpkin is tapped or thumped, its rind should feel hard and sound hollow.

When you attempt to press the skin with your fingernail, the rind should be tough enough to resist puncture. The plants themselves will have likely died back by this stage. You’ll want to make sure that you harvest your pumpkins before the first cold snap, as allowing the fruits to freeze and thaw will result in fast rotting.

How To Harvest

Carefully cut the pumpkin from its vine using pruners or a very sharp knife—don’t try to rip the fruit off by hand! Leave a three- to four-inch stem to improve the pumpkin’s longevity and help it keep for longer. Handle your pumpkins gently so that they don’t bruise, as this will lead to rot very quickly. Also, do not use the stems to carry your pumpkins, as they are liable to snap off; carry the fruits from the base with both hands to a cart, wagon or wheelbarrow for easy transport. You may wish to line the cart with some straw or soft materials to prevent damage.

Curing Your Pumpkins

If you take the time to cure your pumpkins in the sun for a week or two, this process will toughen them up and make it so that they last for a long time when stored. First, wipe each pumpkin down with a 10% bleach solution to prevent rot. The bleach will evaporate and become harmless, so don’t worry about residue. Then, set them out in single rows in the sun for approximately 10 days, give or take; you’ll want to make sure that the weather remains dry for this process. The skin should be tough after this and even more durable than before.

Storing Your Harvest

Keep your cured pumpkins in a cool, dry room such as a root cellar, bedroom or basement at around 55°F. Pumpkins should be stored in a single layer on cardboard, wood shelves or bales of hay; concrete floors will lead to rot. You should check your fruits for soft spots or bruises periodically and compost any that are blemished. You may also be able to cut out the soft spot and preserve the fruit immediately. A well-cured pumpkin may last for three to seven months!

Preserving Pumpkins

If you prefer to preserve your pumpkins so that they’re ready to cook, you have a few different choices: drying, freezing or canning.

Drying pumpkins is an older method of preservation as it’s reasonably simple and low-tech. Slice pumpkins into rounds about a quarter of an inch thick, removing seeds, rinds and fibers. Cut up the slices into 1” pieces and either blanch them or soak them in lime juice to prevent oxidation. If the weather is hot enough (over 80°F), you may dry them in the sun for five to seven days, or use a food dehydrator or oven.

Freezing involves cutting open your pumpkins to remove the seeds and fibers. Cut the fruit into pieces and boil it or steam it until it has softened enough to remove the rind and mash the flesh. Then store the mash in containers in your freezer.

Canning your pumpkins involves cubing and peeling the pumpkin into 1” cubes, then covering the pieces in water and boiling them for about two minutes. You may then hot-pack the chunks into sterilized jars with the boiling liquid poured on top. Leave 1” of space at the top. Do not mash or purée the pumpkin before canning; the mash may be processed further at the time of usage.

We hope this guide helps you with your pumpkin harvest this year! Looking to acquire some new machinery for your farm? Visit our dealership in Little Rock to check out our full inventory of new and used tractors and other farm equipment for sale. Central Arkansas Mahindra proudly serves the cities of Conway, Hot Springs and Sherwood, Arkansas.