Curing Squash

A couple of people on the plot asked what we were doing to cure our pumpkins, as a result of my last post. The thing is, we don’t have anywhere that we can easily and securely cure pumpkins so we have to take them off site.

‘Curing’ a pumpkin begins with harvesting – pumpkins and gourds should not be picked while they are still soft. Green or immature fruits only keep for a few weeks before they begin to shrivel. They should be bright in whatever if their normal colour – orange for pumpkins, anything from pure white to deep yellow for various other forms of squash and gourd and – most crucially – have a fairly hard rind.

So harvesting should be done after the vines have withered and the stems have actually turned brown and begun to dry – of course if your weather turns inclement (for which read rainy) you may have to harvest early and know that your pumpkins won’t lass as long.

Use a sharp knife or pruning shears to cut the fruit from the vine. Wash the fruits in warm, soapy water to remove any traces of soil. After wiping off any excess moisture, spread the fruit out on layers of newspaper in a place that offers good air circulation and a temperature of at least 21 degrees C – much warmer than most people think is necessary! Leave them for a week or two to toughen their skin and heal surface cuts, making them impervious to outside infection, rot or damage, then you can store them in whatever place you have that is dry , has good circulation of air, and doesn’t drop below 7 degrees C. Alternatively – make lots of pumpkin soup in the days after you harvest and freeze it for the months ahead!

Labels: allotment-gourds, allotment-harvest, allotment-pumpkins

Amazing, isn’t it? I couldn’t do it in a million years myself!

In fact, pumpkin carving in our house is done by my other half – all I do is use the flesh to make meals, and recipes will have to wait for next time. Here, as the day approaches, are a few tips and hints on pumpkin carving, assuming you want to make the more traditional grinning head:

1. Use specialist pumpkin carving tools (available in kitchen shops or on the net) or linoleum cutters rather than ordinary knives

2. Draw an outline in washable marker so you can change it if you’re not happy with it, or even (apparently) prick the outline with a pin … (I think life’s too short, personally)

3. Assuming you’re making Cut through the stem end of the pumpkin with a sharp knife or pumpkin-carving tool. Use a back-and-forth slicing motion to cut through the thick, tough skin and cut at an angle so that the lid will remain in place even when the inner flesh shrinks

4. Remove the stem end, which becomes the cap, making sure you scrape off any seeds or pulp

5. Use a large spoon to scoop out the seeds and pulp from inside the pumpkin

6. Push the cut-outs gently from the inside of the pumpkin to remove them

7. Put a candle inside the pumpkin to create an eerie glow.

Tips:

Coat the cut edges with vaseline to keep your pumpkin fresh longer
Avoid leaving burning candles unattended and if you have pets or small children, consider using a glowstick to provide the light instead – much safer all round!


Pumpkin photograph by ValentinaPowers, used under a creative commons attribution licence.

Labels: allotment-crops, allotment-pumpkins