In the fall season, pumpkin becomes a frequent “guest” at our tables. Bright, healthy, aromatic, it is suitable for cooking dozens of different dishes - cereals, side dishes, soups and even desserts. How to store a pumpkin for a long time so that it does not lose its unique beneficial properties and taste?
Material Content:
How to store pumpkin at home in the refrigerator
To save a pumpkin for a long time, three basic conditions must be met:
- stable temperature;
- lack of sunshine;
- exclusion of contact of fruits.
The critical temperature limit for storing vegetables is + 2ºС and below.
The upper permissible temperature limit is + 20ºС. Therefore, the apartment is an ideal and always affordable place to save pumpkins - this is a household refrigerator.
How and how much to store pumpkin in the refrigerator
Of course, a pumpkin of impressive size can not be comfortably placed just on the shelf of the refrigerator, especially if a rich harvest is gathered. In this case, you can stack the vegetables on a glazed loggia. But if the pumpkin has already been cut, then it can be stored in the refrigerator fresh without damage for quality.
For proper storage, wash the pumpkin and remove seeds from it. They are removed completely together with the near-seed pulp. Pumpkin is cut into pieces convenient for storage.
Those parts that will not be used in the near future for food do not peel - so the pumpkin will retain its freshness longer.
Then the pieces of the vegetable are wrapped in cling film or foil. You can also fold the pumpkin into hermetically sealed food containers.In this form, cut and peeled vegetables are stored for two weeks on the lower shelf in the refrigerator or in a container for vegetables.
Can vegetables be stored in the freezer
It is permissible to store the pumpkin not only fresh in the refrigerator, but also to freeze it. So the vegetable will not lose its properties throughout the year. The optimum storage temperature is -18ºС.
If the pumpkin is ripped off at its site, then before freezing it should lie down for three to four days.
To put a pumpkin in the freezer, you need to wash, cut, remove seeds and near-seed pulp. The pumpkin must be peeled. Then the fruit is cut into small pieces, which are laid out in bags. Do not put all the chopped pumpkin in one, it is more practical to divide it into portions that are necessary for preparing the dish.
Also in the freezer you can store grated pumpkin, which is very convenient for making mashed potatoes or soups.
Optimum storage conditions for pumpkins at home
Having collected a generous harvest, I want not to lose it, but to preserve it over the long winter. At home, pumpkin is stored very well and for a long time, but subject to certain requirements.
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In cut form
Not everyone knows how to store a cut pumpkin in a city apartment so that it keeps fresh longer.
If the whole fruit is not used, then it must be washed and cleaned of seeds. Those parts that remain after cooking do not need to be peeled. They are wrapped in plastic film or foil and stored in any suitable cool place. In the apartment it can be a glazed loggia or vestibule.
Whole fruits
How and how much can a whole pumpkin be stored? The ideal temperature for preserving the vegetable as a whole is from +5 to +10 degrees. In a city apartment, such conditions can be created in the vestibule, in the pantry, in the porch, or on a glazed balcony.
The room must have good ventilation and humidity not exceeding 80%. The ideal place should be dry and dark.
- When storing the crop for storage, it is necessary to ensure that the fruits do not touch, otherwise spoilage and rot may appear on them.
- You can not stack a pumpkin in direct sunlight.
- It is also necessary to exclude any ingress of moisture.
In such conditions, the pumpkin will overwinter safely and even by the beginning of spring will not lose its excellent taste.
If the apartment does not have a balcony or a vestibule, then the pumpkin can be folded into wooden boxes. It is clear that with such storage contact of the fruits is inevitable, which will reduce their shelf life. Therefore, vegetables will need to be regularly inspected for damage. The box can be kept in a dark pantry.
How to keep a pumpkin in a cellar or basement
The cellar or basement in which the crop will be stored must be properly prepared.
For this:
- They carry out cleaning of the room and its disinfection.
- The cellar should be dry and clean.
- Indoors ensure the maintenance of stable air temperature.
- It’s great if there are wooden shelves in the cellar or basement on which the fruits can be freely laid out.
Pumpkin for storage can be laid next to other vegetables. It should not be cut or washed before storing it.
The state of the crop must be constantly monitored. For this, once a month, vegetables are inspected, discarded spoiled so that they do not infect healthy fruits.
Usually, under suitable conditions, this vegetable is stored in the cellar for about 6 months without loss of taste.
Proper storage of pumpkin seeds
When the pumpkin is cut for cooking, seeds remain. Many people like pumpkin seeds, which contain a huge amount of vitamins and many trace elements. They can also be stored throughout the winter or used for sowing.
- Seeds that have been selected from the pumpkin are placed in a colander and washed.
- Then they are poured with cold water and left in it for about 2 hours.
- The washed seeds are laid out in a thin layer on the film and allowed to dry.
- Raw materials can be stored in cloth bags or in glass containers. You can use plastic containers.
- You can save the material at positive temperature in a dark and necessarily dry place. So the seeds will remain edible for a long time and will not deteriorate during the cold weather.
If the seeds go as a planting material, then the best and largest specimens are selected from the dried raw materials. They must have the correct shape and be uniform in color. Seeds are dried in a warm room for four weeks, but not longer, since they will become unsuitable for sowing. Then planting material is folded into fabric bags and stored at room temperature in a dark and dry place.
