University of Wisconsin - Extension

Wondering what to do with all those pumpkins and winter squash as you clear your garden for winter? Home storage is an excellent, inexpensive way to keep many vegetables.

Fresh vegetables keep most of their food value and original flavor when stored properly. Successful storage depends on careful harvest and preparation, and maintaining the right temperature and humidity during storage. Store only mature, good quality vegetables. Use small, cut, bruised or broken produce in early fall or preserve them by freezing or canning.

Pumpkins and winter squash should be mature when harvested. Harvest them before frost and cure them in a warm, well-ventilated location for 10 days before they are placed in storage. "Cure" by exposing the produce to temperatures of 80 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 days to toughen or suberize the skin before long-term storage.

Winter squash and pumpkins can tolerate some frost before harvest without harming their quality. If they are both stored at 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit and at a relative humidity of 70-75 percent, they should keep for 2 to 3 months.

Wash and dry produce gently before storing it. Be gentle, as handling can abrade the skin and open it up to bacterial or fungal infection.

To prevent rot, leave part of the stem on each fruit. All immature pumpkins and squash or those damaged by light frost should be eaten soon after harvest or cooked and frozen.

Watch stored vegetables carefully to avoid losses from decay, growth or excessive shriveling. Remove decaying vegetables at once to prevent rot from spreading. If vegetables start to grow, the temperature is too high. If they shrivel excessively, the air is too dry. Ensure adequate air circulation with a fan or outside vent.

For more information on harvest and storage of vegetable crops, talk to your Cooperative Extension county specialist. Ask for Extension publication "Storing Vegetables at Home" (A1135), which can also be viewed on the Cooperative Extension Publications website at http://www1.uwex.edu/ces/pubs/index.cfm. Publications are available describing harvest and storage of the full range of home garden produce.