Here in the western Finger Lakes of N.Y. we've had repeated frosts by now.We still have some pumpkins that are green on the outside.I've brought them indoors to avoid rodent damage.Will they ripen indoors?, what's the then typical storage life of them?Thanks,Karl

-- Karl P.Bechler (kbechler@frontiernet.net), November 13, 1999

Answers

Karl maybe you will have better luck than I did, but I never could get one to ripen, and they were picked before heavy frost. I stored both my ripe and unripe ones, along with the winter squash, in an unused room that was cool and dry. The unripe pumpkin never did change, just eventually deteoriated. The ripe ones kept for about 4-6 weeks.

-- Marci (ajourend@libby.org), November 13, 1999.

Storing the unripe pumkin with apples may cause them to ripen. The apples give off ethylene gas that cause many fruit to ripen. Cover the apples and pumkins together with brown paper or something to help keep the gas in contact with the pumkin.

I must tell you that I have never tried this with pumkins, works great for bannanas, pears, and peppers,and pimentos.

Good Luck!

-- Rich (pntbeldyk@wirefire.com), November 16, 1999.