Shop bought Pumpkins and Squash

[cambourne7]

Hi All,

Question as i dont have any pumpkins of my own this year i wondered how long the shop bought pumpkins might last??

I was thinking of stocking up after bonfire night or going to local farm and getting a few :)

Cam

[cambourne7]

[manicscousers]

I'd wait until bonfire night or just after, Cam, they sell them off cheap, we bought butternuts a couple of years ago and will have to this year, they lasted 4 months from when we bought them, don't know how much longer thay would've lasted, we ate them all  ;D

[galina]

I have seen Kabocha on offer in supermarkets at Christmas time last year.  They should store for months, if they weren't bruised.  I have seen organic Uchiki Kuri aka onion squash grown in Britain and that should also store for several months.

Pumpkins are very cheap after bonfire night and you should be able to get large ones for a pound when they want to get rid of them.  But they won't last as long as the winter squash varieties.

[Morris]

I wouldn't bother with the supermarket pumpkins intended for Halloween. I used to buy those for the children, (sigh we are past that stage now  :'( ) as I only grow squash we like to eat; I am too tight for space to grow decorative ones. Supermarket pumpkins don't last at all well, and also have a pretty rubbish flavour, only OK for soup or pie with lots of other seasonings - and if you have a waste not want not mentality like me!

Other squash like butternuts should be fine, if you see them on offer.  If your farm shop has them that would be great, wish we had a farm shop like that.

Waitrose do a good variety of squashes, but they aren't cheap.

[grannyjanny]

There's a food co operative on the way to Manchester, it's vegan & mainly organic. I shall be purchasing some from there to store as I had a rubbish year, in fact a zero year. The food from there is cheaper than supermarkets.

[Kleftiwallah]

I shall soon have to extricate the four pumpkins that are taking over growing from seedlings I planted in amongst the toms in the greenhouse.  I couldn't bring myself to chuck 'em on the heap' ! ! !    Cheers,     Tony.

[GrannieAnnie]

We still have butternuts from last years' crop hanging in the basement. They were washed in bleach solution, dried and hung separately which has probably helped their survival for over a year now. I don't know if pumpkins treated similarly would last longer or not.  Worth a try if they're good eatin'.

[cambourne7]

Yes was planning on waiting and defiantly not going to buy the ones for jack o lantern making as there tasteless.

I was going to hit the local farms which are doing pumpkins this year and pick up some that way hoping i can pick up a few boxes prep some for the freezer in read to oven back packs and leave the rest for the months ahead.

Our local supermarket is waitrose, mondays dinner is a onion squash risotto the pumpkins perfect size and cost £1.50 i know the manager so i will ask them to call me if they have a glut left over after bonfire night :)

hehe i have set myself a challange of getting the most i can for £10 :)

[pumkinlover]

We still have butternuts from last years' crop hanging in the basement. They were washed in bleach solution, dried and hung separately which has probably helped their survival for over a year now. I don't know if pumpkins treated similarly would last longer or not.  Worth a try if they're good eatin'.

Does the taste change?, must remember the bleach tip. not that I will have enough to worry this year. how has the squash crop fared over there GrannieAnnie?

[GrannieAnnie]

We still have butternuts from last years' crop hanging in the basement. They were washed in bleach solution, dried and hung separately which has probably helped their survival for over a year now. I don't know if pumpkins treated similarly would last longer or not.  Worth a try if they're good eatin'.

Does the taste change?, must remember the bleach tip. not that I will have enough to worry this year. how has the squash crop fared over there GrannieAnnie?

They lose water over time which makes them easier and easier to cut open. Taste the same.

This year we have too many hanging up again...maybe 64 new ones hanging...or 84?...I lost track counting (I give lots away anyway) and a chairful of Pennsylvania Crooknecks (seed from Jeannine) which are too heavy to hang (8-9 lb babies). Haven't tasted the latter yet but also grew Confection Winter Squash again even though we have borer problems with them but their taste and texture is excellent to my way of thinking- very much like sweet potatoes. I'd grow them instead of butternuts if it weren't for the pests. Well, actually they don't store as long as butternuts either so maybe not.
I'm really eager to taste the Penna. Crooknecks to compare. I grew some other varieties but had rot problems with heavy rains here. Maybe just as well since it took a whole day plus some to harvest,, wash, drill and hang the others.