Long Island cheese pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) looks like an artisan cheese wheel and has this particular name. This variety of pumpkins grows to weigh between 6 and 10 pounds (2.8 to 4.5 kg). Long Island Cheese pumpkin days to maturity are about 100 to 110 days from planting the seeds, depending on the growing conditions. However, you should not count days to maturity to know when to harvest the long island cheese pumpkin. In this article, I explain how and when to harvest long island cheese pumpkin for a great harvest.
Long Island cheese pumpkin is also known as “Cinderella Pumpkin”. This pumpkin has a very tasty deep orange flesh. A wide variety of dishes can be prepared. Like almost all pumpkins, the long island cheese pumpkin is rich in vitamins A, C, and potassium.
Long Island cheese pumpkin lost popularity in the 1970s to other cultivars that were easier to process and can in the industry. Long Island locals came together to create the Long Island Cheese Pumpkin Project and not lose this variety of pumpkins. Continue reading to find out how and when to harvest long island cheese pumpkin.
When to Harvest Long Island Cheese Pumpkin
When to Harvest Long Island Cheese Pumpkin? Long Island cheese pumpkin takes about 100 days to mature. But you don’t have to count ripening days to know when to harvest the long island cheese pumpkin. Once the leaves of the long island cheese pumpkin begin to wilt, that’s a good sign that the pumpkin is reaching maturity.
Also, you can press with your fingernail on the skin of the long island cheese pumpkin. If you press on the pumpkin’s skin, there is a mark that it is not ripe yet. A ripe long island cheese pumpkin will have hard skin.
When ripe, a Long Island Cheese pumpkin weigh between 6 and 10 pounds (2.8 to 4.5 kg). So, to know when to harvest long island cheese pumpkin, you should observe the hardness of the skin, the vine leaves, and the ripening days which are approximately 100 days. Following these tips, you can harvest the long island cheese pumpkin correctly and then store it for a long time.
How to Harvest Long Island Cheese Pumpkin
How to Harvest Long Island Cheese Pumpkin? Harvesting long island cheese pumpkin is very simple. You will only need a knife or pruning shears to cut the stems. Disinfect your tools before harvesting long island cheese pumpkin. Not all long island cheese pumpkins will ripen at the same time. Only harvest the pumpkins that you observe ripely.
Leave a small 1” to 2” (2.5 to 5 cm) stem on the long island cheese pumpkin for better storage and preservation. Never pull on the vine to harvest long island cheese pumpkin because it could damage the plant.
Be sure to harvest all long island cheese pumpkins before frost begins, or the cold will damage the pumpkins. Once harvested, the long island cheese pumpkins must be cured for proper storage.
How to Store Long Island Cheese Pumpkin
How to Store Long Island Cheese Pumpkin? Curing must first be done to consume and store the long island cheese pumpkin. Choose a place with good ventilation and where the pumpkins are protected from rain. Place the pumpkins (not stacked) for 10 to 14 days for curing to complete. The ideal curing temperature for long island cheese pumpkin is between 80 and 85 °F (27 to 29 °C).
Once the curing process is done, you can store the long island cheese pumpkin for several months. Usually, I store my long island cheese pumpkins for up to six months, but I know people who successfully store them for up to a year. You can store long island cheese pumpkin in a garage with a temperature of 50 and 55 °F (10 to 13 °C).
The long island cheese pumpkin has no strings, making it unique for cooking and preparing a variety of dishes such as pumpkin pie or soups.
Final Conclusions about Long Island Cheese Pumpkin
Long Island cheese pumpkin is one of my favorite pumpkins because, as the pulp is without strings, it is ideal for preparing a pumpkin pie or an exquisite soup. Also, you can prepare delicious pumpkin ravioli.
I hope you find this article about how and when to harvest long island cheese pumpkins useful and have an excellent harvest. I recommend our articles about how often to water pumpkins and how long does it take for pumpkins to grow.
