Single hen

[ubereglu]

Well, I picked my pumpkins today! They were nice and ripe and sounded hollow and the nights are getting a lot colder so I took the plunge! They are all sat in a tubtrug in the shed, but how exactly should I store them?

[Tara.F]

you need to cure them first

bring them into the warm house for four days. This will toughen the skins.

Then check them over carefully and sort those with blemishes or little digs in the skin into one pile and make sure you use those first as they won't last as long.

 

They can then be stored in a frost free shed or garage for the winter.

Make it a habit to check over them every couple of weeks for any sign of decay as if one turns it can affect the others and if you leave a 'wrongun' too long they can even explode (it's never happened to mine and is quite a rare occurance)

A good tip to save space is to use one of those childrens toy hammocks suspended from the roof beam. This allows maximum air circulation and keeps them even longer.