GARDEN CAPSULE

The challenge: You need to know when to harvest pumpkins and winter squash and how to store them.

The solution: Look for big, fully colored fruits with skins that are dull, not shiny. Check with the thumbnail test: The skin of mature fruits should show little or no pressure mark.

Bring in all mature fruits before heavy frost. Harvest with pruners or a sharp knife, leaving an intact stem several inches long. Do not use the stems as handles.

To cure, store the harvest in a warm, dry spot indoors for a week or two. After that, move the fruits to the coolest indoor spot you have (perhaps a basement closet?) and spread them out in a single layer for long-term storage.

There is one exception: acorn squash. Curing isn’t recommended for this type of winter squash and it also isn’t an exceptionally good keeper, so plan to consume any acorn squash first.

Pluses: Pumpkins and winter squash allowed to fully mature in the garden taste better and are much better keepers. Although a light frost will kill the vines, it usually doesn’t harm the fruits.

Both pumpkin and squash seeds make good snacks: Toast them in a 350-degree oven until golden brown.

Minuses: A heavy frost will trigger rot in a pumpkin or squash, turning it to mush. If the stem accidentally breaks off, you’ll have to use that fruit right away; it won’t keep without a stem.

Sources: For more information, see “Growing Pumpkins and Other Vine Crops in Wisconsin” at learning store.uwex.edu/assets/pdfs/A3688.pdf.