Hardening off Pumpkins

[Jessiebean]

I have been hardening off my pumpkins, we have had two frosts and I noticed that yesterdays pumpkin was much more golden and sweet than the previous ones which were "underripe" and starchy and pale. Is this a coincidence or does the hardening off help the sugars even though the pumpkins are no longer on the vine?

[Odsox]

Yes you are correct, pumpkins and winter squash do sweeten and improve in flavour in storage, the carbohydrates get converted into sugars.
What they really need is hot sunshine to do that, so if you have a sunny north facing window sill, they would benefit from a bit of basking for a few weeks. That hardens the skin, prevents water loss and stops them from rotting over the winter.

[Jessiebean]

ooh goody- I have mine sitting next to the shed and I thought I was just being lazy and should move them inside-now I will leave them there for a real reason!

[Millymollymandy]

The last two years mine have rotted on the windowsill by late autumn yet the years before they stayed good all winter. Don't you mean a south facing windowsill though Odsox? Anyway that's where I put mine, on the south facing living room windowsill to get the sunshine and the first year they stayed there all winter with the heat of the wood burner as well and never rotted!

[Millymollymandy]

Or is this something to do with southern hemisphere? I'm really confused now.....

[Odsox]

Or is this something to do with southern hemisphere? I'm really confused now.....

Err, yes, in Tasmania the sun will always be in the northern sky, as will everywhere south of the equator during "our" summer.
During "our" winter, the sun is still in the northern sky if you are south of the Tropic of Capricorn, which all of the southern half of Australia is.
Lesson over for the day.

[Millymollymandy]

I've never ever thought (about the fact) that the sun would come from the north if you live in the southern hemisphere!!!!! Funny isn't it, I know about the seasons being the opposite and the water going down the drain the opposite way, but I hadn't thought about where the sun came from.