Content
- How to Recognize Mature Hokkaido Pumpkin
- Knocking test gives certainty
- Harvest Hokkaido pumpkin properly
- How to store Hokkaido pumpkin correctly:
- Freeze Hokkaido pumpkin
- Tips & Tricks
How to Recognize Mature Hokkaido Pumpkin
The up to two kilograms of fruit are truly magnificent to look at: their bright orange-red color makes at the mere sight of good mood and makes your mouth water. But how do you know when your self-made Hokkaido pumpkins are really ripe?
Knocking test gives certainty
Ripe fruits have a rich, orange-red color, with no green spots anywhere. However, there are also Hokkaido varieties of green color, which is why this external feature can not always be used for maturity determination. More meaningful, however, is the knock test: Knock gently with the knuckle against the bowl, so the ripe pumpkin should sound dull and hollow. The peduncle also indicates the maturity of the fruit: it should be dry, possibly already dried and brownish discolored.
Harvest Hokkaido pumpkin properly
Once the pumpkin is ripe, you can reap it. Be careful not to break the stem. Otherwise, the Hokkaido pumpkin would no longer be storable and would rot quickly. Cut the fruit with a sharp knife or a pair of secateurs at least an inch above the stalk.
How to store Hokkaido pumpkin correctly:
Hokkaido pumpkins are usually storable for about three to four months. While many guidebooks say this pumpkin lasts up to six or even eight months, experience has shown that its quality begins to suffer in as little as three to four months. If you do not have a cool, dry storage room (a basement or pantry would be ideal), you can also freeze the Hokkaido pumpkin.
Freeze Hokkaido pumpkin
You can also freeze the Hokkaido pumpkin as a ready-to-cook mus, so you can process it into soup or baby mush more quickly. Cut the fruits into small pieces and allow to steam for 20 minutes in a little water. Once the pumpkin is soft, drain the water and crush the pulp into a coarse nutmeg.
Tips & Tricks
Hokkaido pumpkins should be harvested even better before the first frost. Even otherwise, the fruits can quickly take damage in a lot of moisture and cold. In such a case, harvest the fruit immature and let it ripen for another week or two in a warm place.