How to store pumpkin at home in an apartment: creating optimal conditions and keeping the vegetable fresh for the winter

Pumpkin is a universal product on the housewife's table. First and second courses, desserts, juices and mousses, jams and candied fruits are prepared from this vegetable. Due to the minimal amount of calories, it is recognized as a dietary product. It contains many useful substances - vitamins, amino acids, minerals and fiber.

Unfortunately, the vegetable does not grow all year round, so you should know how to store pumpkin at home in the apartment.

Varieties suitable for long-term storage

To make preparations for the winter, first of all you need to know which variety is more suitable for storage.. There are a large number of pumpkin varieties, but late-ripening ones are suitable for long-term storage. They have a thick and elastic peel, which preserves the integrity of the product for a long time without loss of beneficial vitamins and microelements.

In addition, pumpkin is divided into large-fruited and small-fruited varieties. Large-fruited ones have a longer shelf life - up to 8 months.

Small-fruited ones are less resistant – they are stored for 3-4 months. However, with a shorter shelf life, small-fruited varieties have a richer and more pleasant taste.

The following varieties of pumpkin are best stored:

1. Kherson - large-fruited variety. The weight of the fruit varies between 3–6 kg. Has a delicate sweet taste.
2. Zhdana - large-fruited variety. The weight of one fruit reaches 6–8 kg.The flesh is rich orange in color and has a sweet taste.
3. Slavuta - also a large-fruited pumpkin, ripening towards the end of the summer season. The fruit is small in size - only 3–3.5 kg. The pulp is rich orange in color, loose in structure, and has a sweet, delicate taste.
4. Mozoleevskaya-15 is a hard-barked variety that belongs to the mid-season species. The weight of one fruit reaches 8 kg. The pulp is bright yellow, firm, and has a rich sweet taste.
5. Arbatskaya – late-ripening nutmeg pumpkin. The fruits are large, reaching 5–9 kg. The pulp is reddish-orange, crispy, juicy.
6. Hylea – refers to nutmeg pumpkin varieties. The fruits are large, weighing at least 9 kg. The pulp is bright in color, firm, crispy, juicy, sweet.
7. Polyanin - another nutmeg variety that has an oblong shape. The weight of the fetus reaches 4 kg. The pulp is firm and juicy in taste.
8. Ioannina – nutmeg mid-season variety. The average weight of one fruit is 6.5 kg. The pulp is juicy and sweet.

Choosing the right fruits

You should choose fruits for home storage for the winter from late-ripening varieties, as they last longer. The fruit should be deep orange in color and have a firm surface without scratches or dents.

How to store pumpkin in an apartment

Unfortunately, not everyone has the opportunity to store fruits in a basement or cellar. People living in an apartment rather than a private house often face the problem of preserving fruits and vegetables. However, with proper preparation, it is possible to preserve pumpkin until spring even in apartment conditions.

Fruit preparation

A necessary point in storing pumpkin is the product preparation stage. Therefore, you should take harvesting or buying fruits from the market seriously.When choosing a fruit for long-term storage, pay attention to the presence of a tail - without it, the pumpkin will quickly begin to rot.

It is necessary that the tail be dry and without signs of beginning rotting. Its length should be 5–7 mm. It is important to choose a ripe fruit, without damage, removed from the garden on time (before frost).

Attention! It is necessary to remove the pumpkin from the garden at a temperature not lower than -5 °C.

If you do not adhere to these rules, the winter preparation will quickly deteriorate and will be unsuitable for consumption.

To preserve the product for the winter, the pumpkin skin must be thoroughly dried. Therefore, the harvested crop should be placed for a week in a sufficiently sunny and ventilated place.

Creating suitable storage conditions

When creating conditions for storing pumpkins, it is worth considering the following factors:

1. Lighting. For long-term storage, pumpkin fruits must be protected from direct sunlight and bright light.
2. Temperature. Favorable temperature conditions for storage are within 8–10 °C.
3. Humidity. To store pumpkins, an air humidity of 70–80% is required.

Where to store

There are two ways to store pumpkin in your apartment:

• at room temperature;
• in a refrigerator.

At room temperature

In apartment conditions, it is more correct to store the pumpkin not in the room, but on a glazed balcony, since the required temperature of 8–10 °C is reached there. However, to store pumpkin on the balcony, you should first prepare the room, that is, darken the glass to avoid direct sunlight on the product.

If you have a large number of pumpkins, make a storage rack.Cover it with cardboard or thick paper and fold the vegetables so that they do not touch each other. Rot quickly forms in places of contact.

Another place suitable for storing pumpkins in an apartment in winter is the pantry. However, in this room the temperature exceeds favorable values, thereby reducing the shelf life of the product.

In a refrigerator

The size of the pumpkin often exceeds the portion that a family can use to prepare a dish. This means that there will be part of the fruit that needs to be preserved. A refrigerator will help with this.

To store in the refrigerator, spread the remaining part of the pumpkin on the cut with a thin layer of refined oil and wrap in cling film. In this form, place the workpiece in the refrigerator in the vegetable storage compartment.

What is the best way to store it?

There are different storage methods for different uses of pumpkin. It is common to store it whole at room temperature and cut in the refrigerator. In addition to these methods, there are also freezing and drying of the product. Let's look at the common types.

Overall

Storing the product as a whole allows you to preserve all its beneficial substances and microelements longer. If the necessary conditions are met, the vegetable can be preserved until spring without loss of taste and quality.

Cut

When cut into pieces, the fruit can only be stored in a refrigerator or freezer.

This method is convenient because you don’t have to throw away the unused product or prepare an excessively large amount of the pumpkin dish. It is recommended to wrap the unused part of the fruit in cling film and place it in the refrigerator in the vegetable storage compartment.

Freezing is also an option.To do this, the remaining pumpkin should be cut into pieces and placed in the freezer. The disadvantage of freezing is that such a product cannot be cooked pumpkin juice.

How long does pumpkin last?

The shelf life of vegetables varies from 2 weeks to 1 year. The difference in terms is due to the storage method.

Storage in its entirety at room temperature is considered longer. Such vegetables are stored until spring.

Shelf life up to 1 year is ensured in the freezer. Pumpkin cut into pieces and packaged in bags will diversify the diet until the next harvest.

Life hacks to extend shelf life

We offer a few more educational life hacks that allow you to preserve the product at home:

1. If it so happens that the specimen that you prepared for storage was scratched, treat these areas of the fruit with a solution of potassium permanganate or brilliant green. This procedure will destroy pathogenic microflora and extend the shelf life of the pumpkin.
2. To store large quantities of pumpkin fruit, prepare wooden racks with holes for air circulation. A ventilated vegetable is not so susceptible to rotting.
3. Do not try to store pumpkin near fruit until spring, as ripe fruit releases ethylene, which contributes to ripening and further rotting of the product.
4. To avoid rotting, do not wash the pumpkin before storing it. However, if lumps of dirt remain on the peel, they should be carefully brushed off with a brush or wipe the fruit with a dry cloth.
5. Don't forget about your preparations until spring. Check its integrity once a week to prevent the onset of rotting.

Conclusion

To preserve healthy and tasty pumpkin for the winter, it is important to choose the right variety of fruit.Pumpkin is stored in its entirety under appropriate conditions: temperature no higher than 8–10 °C, air humidity 70–80% and no direct sunlight. Another way to preserve the product without losing its beneficial properties is to freeze it.

By following simple tips, you will provide yourself and your family with healthy vegetables containing large amounts of vitamins throughout the winter.