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Halloween is just around the corner, and Kansas State University horticulture expert Cynthia Domenghini offers tips on choosing and preserving pumpkins. She said choosing fully ripened pumpkins helps them last longer. “Pumpkins harvested before they’re fully mature will rot more quickly,” Domenghini explained.

To spot a ripe pumpkin:
• The rind should be hard and evenly colored.
• It should sound hollow when tapped.
• A waxy coating often indicates maturity and helps prevent drying.

Once harvested, store pumpkins in a cool, shaded area to extend their lifespan.

Domenghini said that carved pumpkins, however, have a much shorter life, usually lasting only a few days to a week.

To help them last longer:
• Clean out all seeds and strings.
• Soak the pumpkin in a 10% bleach-water solution for several hours.
• Use battery-powered lights instead of candles.
• Bring pumpkins indoors before a freeze.

For more tips, check out K-State’s Department of Horticulture and Natural Resources weekly newsletter.