Harvest & storage
Cure and store pumpkins and winter squash
Check variety maturity: the rind should be developed and firm and the stalk beginning to dry.
When to do it
When storage varieties are mature, before damaging frost or prolonged wet conditions.
What you need
- Clean secateurs
- Dry airy curing spot
- Shelf or rack
How to do it
- Check variety maturity: the rind should be developed and firm and the stalk beginning to dry. Immature summer squash is for fresh use, not long storage.
- Cut with a generous length of stalk and support the fruit underneath. Never carry it by the stalk.
- Keep sound fruit in a warm, dry, airy position to finish hardening the rind, protected from rain and excessive sun. Follow variety guidance; not every squash stores equally well.
- Move to a dry, ventilated, frost-free store with space between fruits. Avoid cold damp ground or a sealed container.
- Inspect regularly and use sound short-keeping fruit first. Discard rotting fruit and do not eat unusually bitter cucurbits.
What success looks like
- Rinds are firm and fruits remain dry and free of soft spots.
Watch out for
- Storing bruised or frost-damaged pumpkins for months.
- Assuming curing repairs rot.
Plant guides using this technique
Related help
Harvest fruiting vegetables without damaging the plant
Check the plant guide: tomatoes colour at ripeness, while zucchini, cucumbers and many eggplants are usually picked immature and tender.
Handle and store a fresh garden harvest
Use clean hands and containers; keep produce away from soil, animals and garden chemicals.
Sources and review
Checked 24 September 2026. Source-checked editorial guidance; not field-tested or independently reviewed by a horticulturist.