the last halloween pumpkin!

[hermitjohn]

Ok, last year must been great production in the commercial pumpkin patches. Cause I ended up buying one super cheap post Halloween. A big one. Ran across it the other day and its still SOLID. Amazing for any pumpkin, doubly amazing for commercial produce that its lucky if it stays intact for couple weeks after purchase.

I had intended to chop it into chunks and put it in freezer raw. Mentioned this to friend yesterday and she said I should cook it first, but think she had idea of me using it in breads, cakes, pies, etc. My notion was to just throw a chunk occasionally into my veggie soup. Squash soup is actually pretty good.

So can I just freeze chunks raw pumpkin? Or does it need to be cooked first for some reason? I figure if I have to cook it before freezing, just as well can it and save space in my little freezer.

[Melissa]

Yes, you can freeze them raw. Also it sounds like those would be good seeds to save and plant this year.

[hermitjohn]

Thanks, I will dismember and freeze the Great Pumpkin's corpse this rainy blustery day! And save seeds.

Though I have had luck with some smaller winter squash here, big squash like this pumpkin tend not to do well. They need long growing season with plenty moisture and summers here are very hot and dry most years. My well dries up during annual summer drought, and too much to haul water other than for basic household uses.