Pumpkins aren't as cool as a cucumber, but they come from the same family; both are members of the Cucurbita family of plants. Similar to cucumbers, pumpkins are made up of mostly water – up to 90 per cent. They're also full of potassium and vitamin A.
Here are some tips for harvesting your pumpkins:
• Look at the colour and rind. Pumpkins are ready to harvest when their colour is uniform and the rind, or skin, is firm.
• Always harvest pumpkins before a hard frost. Temperatures below -5°C will damage the rind and shorten a pumpkin's shelf life.
• Cut pumpkins from the vine. Use a sharp knife or pruning shears to remove the pumpkin, leaving enough of the vine to form a handle (20 to 30 centimetres long).
• Avoid carrying by the handle.
• Don't store pumpkins near ripe fruit. The ethylene released by the fruit will cause your pumpkins to rot faster.
• Avoid storing pumpkins in piles. This will create and trap unwanted heat, which stimulates rotting. A pumpkin that is harvested and stored properly can easily last up to two months.
Best of the bunch
If you don't grow your own and are heading out to the pumpkin patch, look for fresh pumpkins that don't have any cracks, signs of decay or soft, mushy sections.
The rind should be firm to the touch and consistent in colour. For carving, the larger the pumpkin the better. However, large pumpkins aren't the best for cooking because they tend to be tough and stringy.
My favourite choice for pumpkin carving is a short, stout pumpkin with a good handle. Once you've picked your pumpkin, go online to find an array of carving templates. One great site with free templates is pumpkinpatterns.ca.
Page 1 of 2 -- Discover fun pumpkin facts and Frankie's favourite pumpkin varieties on page 2
