How to pick a pumpkin that lasts

A ripe pumpkin, kept cool and dry, can stay firm for two months or more. Carved, it lasts about a week, and less in a warm house. Most of that comes down to what you pick in the patch.

In the patch

• Look for even colour all over. Green patches mean it was picked early, and it won't keep as long.
• Knock on it. A ripe pumpkin sounds hollow, and the rind is hard enough that a thumbnail doesn't dent it.
• Check the stem. You want a dry, firm stem a few centimetres long. A pumpkin with no stem rots faster.
• Turn it over. Skip any with soft spots, cracks or mould underneath.
• Set it down. If you plan to carve it, make sure it sits flat.

Getting it home

Carry it from underneath, never by the stem, which snaps off easily. Most patches have wagons or wheelbarrows for the walk back to the car. Wipe off the mud before it goes in the trunk, and wedge it so it can't roll.

Keeping it

Keep it somewhere cool and dry, out of direct sun and off cold, damp concrete. A garage shelf or a covered porch works well until the nights drop below freezing. Bring it inside or cover it on frosty nights: a pumpkin that freezes turns soft once it thaws.

Carve it no more than a few days before Halloween. Once it's cut, it starts to soften.

After Halloween

An uncarved pumpkin still makes good soup, and the small pie pumpkins some farms sell are sweeter than carving pumpkins. Check your municipality's green bin rules for the rest, and take out any candles first.

Most patches close after Halloween, so check what's in season in October before you go.