Cooking Pumpkin Decor

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-10 08:43

Many gardeners grow pumpkins not only for food, but also for beauty, decoration of premises, various crafts, and so on. Special decorative varieties are especially good for such purposes. Products made from such pumpkins look very original, cute and cheerful. But before you create them, it's important to properly prepare and dry these vegetables

People have known about pumpkins for over 8000 years. They were used both for food and for making household utensils, various tools, decorations, etc. Today, pumpkins are also actively used to create all kinds of decor items: from famous Halloween attributes to unique birdhouses and candlesticks. But crafts made from decorative pumpkins, which are just beginning to gain popularity in Russia, look the most original. As a rule, there are two types of decorative squash pumpkins - Cucurbita and Lagenaria. Their main difference is the thickness of the outer shell: the first type has a soft crust, and the second has a hard one.

Small, colorful and multi-colored (green, gold, orange) Cucurbita fruits come in quite interesting shapes. Although in general they resemble regular pumpkins. As an autumn decor, Kukurbata look very harmonious and fun. But you can not only admire them - they come out with cute lanterns, flower pots, dishes and bottles. However, without proper treatment, after a few months, these pumpkins dry out and lose their original color.

Lagenaria is slightly larger than Cucurbita, and due to the thickness of the bark, it is more practical. It is perfect for making bottles and birdhouses, buckets and other containers. On the vine, the bark of the fruit is green. After drying, it takes on a yellowish brown or brown color. Lagenaria is also interesting for the fact that it prefers to bloom at night, when, like her other relatives, they do it during the day.

Whichever type of pumpkin belongs, they must be harvested when their stalk turns brown and dries up. Cut off the fruit so that a few centimeters of the stalk remain.

Pumpkins must be harvested before frost. Despite the fact that it will not work to keep unripe fruits for a long time. Even a slight frost can impair the vegetable's ability to dry and negatively affect the color. Damaged fruits, like spoiled ones, are not suitable for drying, because during storage they will definitely start to rot.

It takes a long time for the pumpkins to dry and harden. You won't be able to dry them out quickly. If someone decides to use a microwave oven, don't. She can ruin everything. Initially, the shell of the fruit should dry out, and completely. After that, the pulp of the vegetable gradually begins to harden and dry. Due to its small size, Cucurbita dries up twice as fast as Lagenaria.

After making sure that the pumpkin is completely dry, you can prepare it for crafts, observing the following recommendations:

1. The surface of the pumpkins should first be cleaned using soapy water. Then let them dry and rub with alcohol, making sure that the shell is dry.

2. Place the pumpkins in a place where there is good ventilation and no direct sunlight. Let them sit there for about a week. After this time, the surface of the pumpkins will dry well. Gradually, their shell will change color and harden.

3. Then they will need a dark place where they will lie for about 6 months. Ventilation should also be good there. Pumpkins are arranged in one layer, without touching each other. So that the air can freely walk around the fruits, it is convenient to place pumpkins on shields or use surfaces with holes. Try hanging large fruit to dry.

4. It is necessary to check the integrity of your pumpkins daily, removing spoiled (soft, wrinkled, started to rot). Noticing the appearance of mold on the fruits, it is removed with a dry cloth, moistened with bleach. If the fruit is hard to the touch, then everything is in order with it.

5. Pumpkins should be turned over periodically (every 2 weeks) to prevent rotting.

6. Pumpkins can be considered dried when they acquire lightness and hardness, and when shaken, the sound of thundering seeds will be heard. Now the fruits can be painted, waxed or varnished. If the pumpkins seem rough or have started to flake off, fine sandpaper will help to give them a smooth finish. Such things have no expiration date.

Growing decorative pumpkins is almost as easy as growing ordinary pumpkins. Moreover, some of the types of such vegetables can be eaten at a young age. And products made from them are able to add zest to any interior and become an original gift.