3rd October

Last week we started cutting the pumpkins and lying them out.

Pumpkins cut straight of the plant are usually green, and if you are wanting them to eat and not carve, they wouldn’t be the best, better waiting till they have matured and orange.

Ninety percent of our Pumpkins at the moment are still green, there are a few that are orange, and that is because the plant has completely died of.

But at this time of the year most of the crop is now starting to die of now, with mildew on the leaves.

Usually at this stage when the plant is dying off the pumpkins will start to turn orange on their own.

But by cutting them and putting them on pallets, it helps to cure and mature them, and then they will start to turn orange.

We leave about two inches of a stalk on the pumpkins, and after the stalk has been cut, the cut part goes nice and hard, then the Pumpkin will start to mature and turn Orange.

In an ideal world you would turn your pumpkin while it is maturing, but with as many as we have, that’s an impossible task.

Pumpkins cut and stored in a correct environment, can last for over four months.

Ideally after they are cut, they like to be stored, stalk down, and in a cool dark spot with temperatures between 50 and 60 degrees.

If you are not wanting a pumpkin for carving, there are a lot of recopies out there.

One of the most popular  is Pumpkin curry,  with pumpkin pie a close second.

And yes, you can freeze raw or cooked pumpkin for up to three months.

Dice raw pumpkin and store it in the freezer in containers or bags.

Cooked pumpkin can be frozen in pieces or pureed, Add thawed cooked pumpkin to soups and salads, and thawed raw to casseroles and bakes.

With our pumpkin selling day at the farm fast approaching Erin and Calum have started drawing out their signs and painting them.

This year we are getting four made.

One for the end of the road with the dates and times.

Erin is doing a very elaborate one for car parking.

Calum a scary one pointing where to go.

And finally a happy pumpkin pointing to where they are.

We will be having Pumpkins at the markets for sale if you need any extra.

Markets in October are.

Perth – Sat 1st South inch carpark

Glasgow – Sat 9th Mansfield park

Edinburgh – Sat 16th Castle terrace

Glasgow – Sat 23rd Mansfield park