How to store Pumpkins for winter use

[Amy]

Maggie I think has mentioned pumpkin being good food for winter and the seeds being a natural dewormer.
My questions are:
1. Can I cut up the pumpkin and freeze it? I ask b/c these pumpkins will start rotting soon as it's been so wet this fall.
2. How much do I feed, just a little piece? (assuming I've slowly introduced them to it)
3. For the seeds, do I bake them as for people food? Or give them raw?
I will probably want to freeze them too if fed raw.

I picked up some free pumpkins at a local food stand, and am excited to use them for feeding the rabbits--only thing is I'm sure they aren't organic.

 

[MaggieJ]

Yes, you can freeze pumpkin. It will come out kind of mushy but the rabbits shouldn't care. My rabbits prefer their pumpkin cooked... I just put the pieces on a plate and nuke them. My rabbits are well accustomed to fresh foods, so I don't worry too much about the amount, but maybe start them with a small piece. The seeds should be fed raw and yes you can freeze them that way.

 

[Amy]

Oh good, now I don't have to worry about them getting rotten. Do they eat the rind/skin?

 

[MaggieJ]

Yes, they will eat the skin as well.

Some people find that the rabbits don't like pumpkin. Mine don't have it at the top of their list but they will eat it. They love the seeds.

You could also dehydrate slices of the flesh. I've never done it, but there is no reason why it wouldn't work.

 

[GBov]

I hit upon a windfall of pumpkins last year and stored them under cover on my porch on a layer of hay with hay stuffed between each pumpkin, with a good covering of hay and then another layer of pumpkins well stuffed with hay like the first layer and the entire pile well covered with more hay.

Then I checked each one about every three days when I took out a new one for the pigs. Start to finish I was feeding (and eating) pumpkin for almost five months until it got so hot the last three rotted on me between pumpkin checking days.

Wish I had known to cook them for the buns, they HATED them raw :roll:

 

[akane]

Around here you just leave it outside. Frozen pumpkin by dec.

 

[SarahMelisse]

Around here you just leave it outside. Frozen pumpkin by dec.

:rotfl: Same here!

 

[curlysue]

I stored some in my basement and they lasted almost all winter.

 

[ZRabbits]

Interesting, didn't know you could freeze pumpkins. And can you also freeze watermelon?

Karen

 

[Amy]

We get a lot of freeze/thaw temp. fluctuations, so our pumpkins rot pretty quickly outside.
My buns didn't care for the dried strips of pumpkin I gave them, but one of them liked it fresh (my lil' piggy of a buck), but none of them liked the seeds. I'll try cooking them next. Can you cook/dry the seeds and still get the benefit of them? I might try that too.