How to make your pumpkins last (almost) forever

For a few years I have been devising a method to preserve pumpkins all the way through the winter. They add much color to the seasons gloomiest days. Last year was a good pumpkin year, I grew 11 nice cinderellas. This year not so much, in fact I grew none at all. It was all vines no fruit. But, believe it or not I still have a pumpkin left from 'the great harvest of 2010', perfectly sound, sitting there on my shelf by the wood stove no less. (The shiny one just under the blanket).

This is how I do it in a few illustrated steps:

Supplies:

Fresh pumpkins (method tested on Cinderellas)

bleach

small adhesive pads.

 

1. Wash your pumpkins thoroughly.

2. spray bleach directly on the entire surface of the pumpkins. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes.

Rinse and dry well.

3. place pads under the pumpkins, testing often to make sure absolutely no part of the pumpkin touches the flat surface underneath.

Your pumpkins should last for months, the dry air indoors in the winter helps a great deal. If they make it to Christmas, almost a given, you could spray paint them gold or silver. That will probably destroy the "preserving powers" of the fruit but they would be twice used so maybe it's worth it.