Pumpkins

[dreamflower]

I had to run out to the store this afternoon to pick up a few items, and Walmart had their big pumpkins on sale for .01!!!!!!!!!! That's right: one cent!

I picked up 5 of them. I'm planning to use them for Thanksgiving decorating, but I'd rather not waste them. I know you can freeze pumpkin, but I've never done that before.

Has anyone put up fresh pumpkin in the freezer? What's the best way to do that? Will they be all right uncut on the porch for a couple of weeks?

Comments

[the-winterwitch.livejournal.com]

I know my sister froze uncooked pulp for baby food, and as far as I remember simply cut in pieces, but I don't know for sure and how she prepared them afterwards. You could try with a part of one of them, use the rest for current cooking, and prepare the others likewise if it comes out as desired.
A pumpking which doesn't have any bad places and is unblemished keeps well in a cool, airy space, but it mustn't freeze or it completely disintegrates soon. I usually have my autumnal pumpkin sitting on the basement stairs until I have time to pickle it. Once I did this in May... and last year I didn't pay attention, it had a bad part I didn't see, and it was spoilt four weeks later.

Edit: I usually keep parts of Hokkaido in the fridge when I don't use it all, with the seeds and soft parts carefully scratched out, any bad spot cut away, and loosely wrapped in tinfoil or with the cut side on a dish. But I check every two days if it's all right and, if necessary, cut away a thin slice if this is getting soft.

[shirebound]

One cent! Who could resist?

[dreamflower]

I know! I saw one lady going out of there with two buggies full--she must have had 30 of them. I am guessing her freezer is bigger than mine.

And my son's girlfriend who works there told me she'd just called him to come pick some up to use as targets for shooting practice! I mean at a penny apiece it's hard to beat.

It was funny; when I got to the check-out, the lady was going to ring them up at .25--apparently the price had only just been changed a couple of minutes before I got to the store! Talk about falling prices!

[stageira.livejournal.com]

I usually do that with pumpkins! Freeze them I mean. Greece does not have a production of them, so whenever my parents harvest some of our own I clean them, cut them to pieces or simply grate them and freeze them like that. When you take them out they don't need any special preparation, they are just like frozen peas or something.

Granted I hate cleaning and cutting the pumpkins, but yeah I like using them from time to time.

As for leaving them uncut, nothing will happen to them in a shaded and cool place, unless they are over-ripe.

[dreamflower]

Thanks! I'll keep it in mind.

[dreamflower]

Thank you!

[claudia603.livejournal.com]

wow, 1 cent! That's pretty awesome! Too bad they won't keep till next Halloween!