How and where to store pumpkin correctly?

Cellars and cellars are ideal places to store pumpkins. At home, the fruits retain their freshness for a long time only if all the necessary recommendations and rules are followed. It is impossible to place the pumpkin in the open rays of the sun or near heating appliances. Its surface will quickly begin to become wrinkled, and the flesh will lose its juiciness.

Nuances of storing pumpkin at home and basic rules:

• for storing pumpkin, a dark room is needed, which is regularly ventilated, and the air humidity does not exceed 80%;
• the pumpkin is quite unpretentious to storage places (it can be placed in the garage, closet, on the balcony, even under the bed);
• when placing the pumpkin for long-term storage, it is necessary to exclude the likelihood of the fruit coming into contact with each other (in the places of contact, bacteria can quickly form, accelerating the decay process);
• if the pumpkin is stored in a basement, cellar, garage or on the balcony, then to improve its safety, you can make a bed of dry grass;
• ideal for long-term storage of pumpkins with stalks, on the surface of which there is not the slightest mechanical damage;
• the length of the pumpkin stalk should be at least 5 cm (the shorter the stalk, the less the pumpkin will be stored even when the ideal temperature conditions are created);
• pumpkins affected by diseases or insects cannot be stored;
• pumpkins without stalks are recommended to be eaten as soon as possible (such fruits are not prone to long-term storage);
• before placing it in a dark place, it is recommended to hold the pumpkin in the light for 10-12 hours so that some of the moisture evaporates from it, then the fruits will be stored longer and remain juicy;
• during storage, the pumpkin must be placed with the stalk up;
• you can store the pumpkin in dried form (for this, the pulp is cut into slices and dried in the oven for several hours, and then sorted into containers with tight-fitting lids, you can store the blanks in the pantry or in the refrigerator);
• during storage, you can wrap each pumpkin with paper (this method will not allow moisture to evaporate ahead of time);
• you can freeze the pumpkin in the form of mashed potatoes (the pulp must be chopped in a blender or grated, and then packaged in bags or containers);
• it is better to store the cut pumpkin in the refrigerator in foil (foil will better preserve the juiciness of the pulp than polyethylene);
• if you grease the flesh of a cut pumpkin with vegetable oil, then it will retain its juiciness and freshness longer.

You can store pumpkin on the balcony only if it is glazed. In winter, even covering the fruits with a cloth or dry grass, it will not be possible to create the necessary temperature conditions. Under the influence of the cold, the pumpkin will quickly deteriorate.

How much and at what temperature to store pumpkin

The pumpkin should be stored at temperatures ranging from +3 to +15 degrees. If the air humidity exceeds 80%, then the shelf life of the fruits will be reduced by several months. The standard storage period for pumpkin is one year.

Pumpkin cannot be stored at low temperatures, so it is not worth placing it in the refrigerator. Subzero temperature conditions make the pulp of the fruit watery and fibrous, and the taste is significantly impaired. A small whole pumpkin stored in the refrigerator will retain its taste characteristics for an average of no longer than 1-1,5 months.

Frozen pumpkin can be stored in the freezer for 7-10 months… The fruits are pre-peeled and cut into small slices. You can pack pumpkin for freezing in containers, foil, plastic bags or cling film.

If the cut pumpkin is wrapped with cling film and placed in the refrigerator, then the fruit will be able to keep its freshness only for two weeks. It is recommended not to store pumpkin in this way for more than 10 days. After this period, it is better to eat the fruits or freeze them in pieces or puree.