Have you harvested your pumpkins yet? There’s no need to rush—in fact, don’t pick ‘em until they’ve reached the rich color you prefer. Once they’re off the vine, their color stops developing. So here’s how to make sure you’re pickin’ positively perfect pumpkins!
· Gently rotate your pumpkins once more to keep ‘em nice and symmetrical.
· If they’re not sitting on boards, cardboard, or plastic by now, carefully set something under them to keep them from rotting.
· Give ‘em lots of water until they’re ready to be picked.
· When you’re ready to harvest, cut the stem free with a sharp knife, and carry the orange orb in your hands—not the stem.
· To store pumpkins, wash ‘em in a solution of 1 cup of chlorine per gallon of water. After they’re dry, store them in a cool, dry, dark place on a board or piece of Styrofoam. Hot and humid areas are no good—and neither is a cement floor.
Then, come Jack-o-lantern carving time, haul your pumpkins out of storage. You’ll have the most ghoulishly delightful decorations on the block!
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