Written by Jerad Bryant Horticulture review by Sarah Jay Last updated: September 19, 2025 | 4 min read

Pumpkins are a sure sign of autumn. They fill motifs of the harvest season, and they’re iconic symbols of Halloween. Kids, teens, and adult gardeners take knives to the fruits to carve faces in them. 

This longtime tradition originates from the story of an Irishman named Jack, who asked the Devil to live on after death. The Devil agreed and let him live. However, God would not let Jack enter heaven after his death. He was cast into the dark with a single burning coal to light his way. 

Jack put the coal into a turnip he was eating, and created a lantern—a jack-o’-lantern! When Irish immigrants came to America, they found pumpkins worked well for carving and lantern-making. And thus, the tradition was born. 

Honor the legacy of Irish Americans, and commemorate the day the spirits rise from the earth by carving a jack-o’-lantern. Whether you buy a pumpkin at the store or you grow one yourself, these techniques will help you store pumpkins until Halloween arrives.

Epic Organic Garden Straw

Spookie Pumpkin

Jack O’Lantern Pumpkin Seeds

Harvest While It’s Warm

Firm skins show the fruit has fully matured.

Begin the picking process by checking your vines from midsummer onwards. You want to harvest before temperatures drop below 50°F (10°C). Cold, chilly weather can harm the pumpkins and cause them to rot in storage. 

Though the first frost date may be weeks away, cold temperatures are steadily arriving. Cool mornings and evenings coupled with ample moisture create the ideal conditions for rot. The pumpkins will fare better if you harvest them now. They’ll be more likely to last through Halloween.

You’ll know a pumpkin is ready when its shell hardens completely. Try to nick the skin with your fingernail—it’s ready if the skin doesn’t budge. If you leave an indent, it’s not ready. 

Harvest pumpkins by pruning them from the vines. Leave about two inches of the stem attached to the top of each pumpkin. Use pruners or a sharp knife to do the job. 

Use Damaged Pumpkins

Freezer storage keeps sliced flesh fresh for many months.

Damaged, bruised, or broken pumpkin fruits will not keep well. It’s best to use them quickly after the harvest to ensure they don’t spoil. You don’t have to eat them after harvesting, but you do have to prepare them for storage.

You’ve got a few options when it comes to storing damaged pumpkins. Start by cutting off the top, then remove the seeds and guts from the inside. Roast the seeds for eating, or set them aside for seed starting next year. Slice off any damaged portions, and set the edible parts aside.

Chop the pumpkin flesh into pieces, and place them in a container. They’ll keep for a few days in the fridge, and they’ll store for a year in the freezer. You may also blend the flesh into a paste and store it in ice-cube trays in the freezer.

There are other methods for storing fresh pumpkins for eating. Freeze-dry, dehydrate, or dry the flesh. Drying or dehydrating is perfect if you want to grind them into a spice. 

Cure the Harvest

Airy spaces keep curing fruits dry and healthy.

Curing is the key. It helps you store pumpkins so they last, as it hardens their skin and boosts their keeping qualities. A well-cured pumpkin can sit in a cool room for two to three months before it starts to rot or turn mushy. 

To cure your pumpkins, gather them together immediately after the harvest. Set them in a sunny, warm, and dry location where there is good airflow. They need warm temperatures between 80-85°F (27-29°C) to cure well. 

After a week or two, the curing process should cause the skin to harden and any cracks or wounds to seal. Your pumpkins should be ready to store until Halloween. 

If you notice any mushy pumpkins after the curing phase, cut them open and see if they’re rotting. Remove the rotten portions and keep the rest of the flesh in the fridge or freezer. 

Store the Crops

A dry shelf helps fruits last through autumn.

After curing, pumpkins are ready to store! Find a spot where they can sit for weeks to months. You want a room that’s cool, dark, and dry. Room temperature is too warm, and it’ll cause the pumpkins to overripen.

Aim to store the pumpkins above 50°F (10°C). Temperatures below this threshold are too cold. A pantry works well, and so does a garage or basement. As long as the room is cool and there’s regular air circulation, your pumpkins will store well. 

Store your pumpkins far away from ethylene-producing fruits and veggies, like apples, tomatoes, and pears. Ethylene is a naturally occurring gas that promotes fruit ripening. It’ll cause the pumpkin harvest to spoil before Halloween. 

When storing the pumpkins, keep them off the ground and away from wet things. Place them on a wooden shelf. If you want to set them on something, set them on a bed of straw. Don’t place them in paper or plastic bags, as they can trap moisture and cause spoilage. 

Use Pumpkins

Carved decorations last about two weeks outside safely.

Check on your pumpkin harvest once or twice a week to make sure it’s in good condition. Then, when Halloween rolls around, take it out for jack-o’-lantern carving! Once carved, each pumpkin will last for a week or two before it begins to turn mushy. 

Start carving a week or two before the Halloween holiday. If a frost is in the forecast, move the carved jack-o’-lanterns inside for the night. Then, place them back outside in the morning when it’s cool but not freezing. 

Key Takeaways

• Before you store pumpkins, cure them. Curing hardens the skin and helps the pumpkin last a long time in storage.
• Don’t store damaged crops with whole ones. A rotting pumpkin can cause the rest to spoil.
• If there’s one temperature you remember, remember 50°F (10°C). Harvest before it goes below the temperature, and store the harvest in a room that stays above the temperature. 
• Use your crop within two to three months after harvesting.