ABOUT PUMPKINS
(Page 6 of 7)
To prevent anthracnose (a soil-borne fungus which shows up
on leaves as hollow, water-soaked spots that become large
and turn brown) and downy mildew (irregular yellow or
purplish spots on leaves, which later curl up and die),
plant a resistant variety of pumpkin and practice crop
rotation on a three- or four-year basis. And while you're
at it, eliminate perennial weeds around your plot, so downy
mildew will have no place to overwinter.
RELATED CONTENT
How to Harvest and Store
A few weeks before the first fall frost, cut the tips off
the plants and pick any small fruits to encourage the
growth of the remaining pumpkins. The pumpkins are mature
when you can't pierce the skins easily with a fingernail.
Another sign is that the vines of ripe pumpkins usually
begin to wither and the stems become dry. Cut the stems a
few inches from the fruit with a sharp knife, and cure the
pumpkins in the sun for a few weeks. As the stems dry, they
form a barrier to the bacteria and molds that cause
pumpkins to rot. Be sure that those you intend to store are
harvested before the first frost, to prevent the
shells from growing soft. Store them in a dry (60% to 75%
humidity) basement, storage room, shed or attic at about
50° to 55°F, and they will keep from three to six
months.
You can preserve your pumpkin harvest for longer periods by
canning, freezing or drying the meat. To can or freeze it,
wash the whole pumpkin, cut it into pieces, and cook it
until tender in boiling water, steam, the oven or a
pressure cooker. Scoop the pulp from the skin (removing
seeds and strings), and mash it or press it through a
ricer, sieve or food mill. For canned pumpkin, place the
mashed pulp in clean jars topped with canning lids, and
process them — 65 minutes for pints and 80 for quarts
— at 10 pounds of pressure. The results will be a bit
mushy, and frozen pumpkin is more like fresh. To freeze,
completely cool the cooked meat by stirring it in a
saucepan or bowl set in ice water. Pack the pumpkin in
containers, leaving about 1/4 inch of head space for pints
and a good 1/2 inch for quarts. Seal, label and freeze.
To dry pumpkin, select only those fruits that are mature
and firm. Cut them into chunks, scrape out the seeds and
strings, peel, and carve into thin, one-inch-wide slices.
Blanch these in boiling water for about one minute or in
steam for two-and-a-half to three minutes. After draining
and patting dry with paper towels, place the slices in a
single, even layer on cookie sheets or on racks. Dry these
in the sun, over a woodstove, in a dehydrator or in a low
oven from four to 12 hours until no moisture remains.
(Thinner slices may be brittle.) Store them in a dry place
or airtight container. Rehydrate each cup of pumpkin in
three cups of boiling water for about one hour.
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