When I had posted a picture of this pumpkin while it was growing in the vegetable garden Skeeter remarked she did not know pumpkins start out green. It seems like everything starts out green then changes to another color. Even the fall leaves. I never really thought about this fact and find it interesting so I thought I'd try to show the changes in the pumpkin. I did not however anticipate the vine this pumpkin was growing on would dry up and wither and die.
So I cut the pumpkin off from the vine. I never pick them or pull them off from the vine. The stems can be quite long and need to be cut. The pumpkin was still completely green when I cut it off the vine. I then placed the pumpkin on a table on my deck outside. It has slowly turned to a bright orange and I'm happy to report it is completely orange now. I had no idea if it would continue to ripen after being picked but was simply delighted it did. Some vegetables you must pick when ripe-for instance cantaloupes. Others you can pick when they are green and they'll change to the ripe color. Some examples include tomatoes. If you live in Middle Tennessee you might be doing what I am doing with my tomatoes. Pick all of the green ones off from the plants and store them in a double paper bag in a cool dry area like an unheated garage. The green tomatoes will slowly ripen and you could conceiveably be eating ripe tomatoes from your garden in January! I've done it before and it is a treat. But for now Skeeter, enjoy the orange pumpkin....
in the garden....
I received my new camera this Wednesday. This last picture is taken with the new camera. So far I am liking the quality but not the learning curve on how to manage the pictures. The software is extremely difficult to use and it is driving me crazy. Any suggestions on good software for Nikon pictures?
Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden
Interesting information and photos on growing pumpkins. And what to do with green tomatoes is just in time for me - green tomatoes still on the vine and low tonight of 35 degrees! My question is: do you close the top of the paper bag or leave it open? And how many tomatoes in a bag? Is it Ok for them to touch each other, or should each tomato have its own space? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteGood morning Lea, I for sure close my paperbags (double bagged). I just fold it down. I usually fill a bag to about 6-8" deep. The tomatoes can touch each other no problem. Check them every few days for ripening and/or rotting tomatoes. Most all green tomatoes on the vine right now should ripen up but if they don't at least you have more than if you did not pick them and bring them in. Another way to ripen tomatoes is to hang up the whole plant in a garage or basement. I find that way too difficult and messy though. Any dry area like an unheated garage or basement that stays above freezing (probably around 45-55 is perfect for this method of storing tomatoes. Good luck! Frost expected here too (of course I think you are close by) so I must endeavor to get mine in. Even if I don't the frost shouldn't hurt the tomatoes-just the vines. I think its time to get to work but I'm shocked it is raining this morning.
ReplyDeleteHow interestng. I learn so much from garden blogs. Love the green pumpkins but the orange is the best for this Tennessee gal, Go vols Hee hee. Now you need to put a face on that pumpkin girl.
ReplyDeleteI was putting some scraps in the compost pile the other day and found a lot of bright red Roma tomoatoes. They had fallen off the plants I had put in there a few weeks earlier! I just left them so i am sure tomatos slips will be growing in the compost pile next spring. Maybe if I am lucky, they will be in an area where I can let them be when composting and I will have free saplings in spring...
And yes, what is going on with this rain? Me thought I would get to enjoy a partly sunny day today. Rain Rain go away...
Skeeter
Your post made me chuckle a bit because just yesterday we were up visiting my Gram at her nursing home and she was painting one of those little pumpkins green. I asked her why and she said it wasn't ripe yet. ;)
ReplyDeleteGreat photo. It is so clear. You'll get the hang of the new camera. Glad the pumpkin continued to change colors. I didn't know that either.
ReplyDeleteWe have one sad little pumpkin on our vine and it's very slowly turning green, doubt it'll be orange by Halloween.
ReplyDeleteMy husband picked tons of green tomatoes a couple of weeks ago. I'm surprised at how nice they are looking as the ripen. We have so many it's hard to know what to do with them.
Tina I think it was the year we picked all our tomatoes in snow and with a flashlight in the dark of night that we hung a tomatoes plant upside down in our basement when you were a teenager and we had tomatoes for months. Usually regular tomatoes are too bid and heavy for that but the cherrys work. I also leave some in the daylight cause they ripen slower that way and you will have them longer. This is the first year I will not have pumpkins. Got them in the ground to late (July) but I did have a lot of flowers. Oh well, next year!! A gardeners famous last words!!!
ReplyDeleteLove your pumpkin and your photo with your new camera! If you find out what software to use, let me know. I am still trying to find one. Have a great fall weekend! Carla
ReplyDeleteOoh, nice! I love the pic with your new camera too. I love the play of colours... so vivid against the browns.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your experience. I am always worried whether it ok to pick half-ripen pumpkin and let it ripen by itself.
ReplyDeleteCool about the pumpkin. Its information that's good to know even though my season is too short to grow them, infact it is too short to ripen a lot of things. By the end of September my kitchen is usually full of green tomatoes hopefully ripening.
ReplyDeletegreat pics, great info to learn about and think about. I wonder whether you can get help in learning to use the Nikon software? Or - it just takes time, as gardener from sherlock street said.
ReplyDeleteI wish that pumpkin was in my yard instead of all the snow. October is too early for a blizzard.
ReplyDeleteI shoot RAW images with my Nikon D80 and use Photoshop Lightroom to edit the images.
Sorry to be so late to visit - busy week and a weekend spent preparing the yard and house for the storm.
I am always excited to find other Tennessee bloggers! We live in the Nashville area and are big gardeners ourselves!I just picked the rest of our green tomatoes the other day before we had the frost. You are so right it is wonderful to be eating ripe tomatoes from the garden in the winter months.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the helpful info, Tina. Every year I plan to pick my green tomatoes and try your method of preserving them, but once again this year I waited too long and the frost took them.
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of camera did you buy? The photos look great.