How long can you keep a pumpkin after Halloween?

Ever wondered how long a pumpkin can last after Halloween? Last year I decided to find out. I got two pumpkins last Halloween, around October 2007. One big and one tiny. The big one survived till this September - about 11 months - before collapsing from within. Apparently, it started rotting slowly, until gradually the outer skin became too weak to hold back the guts and one fine day I was greeted by the sight of it half collapsed in on itself - like a building that's been brought down by a controlled detonation.



The above pic shows the tiny pumpkin. This one survived till October 2008 - about 12 months. You can see the little patches of white on the outside. That's fungus. Surprisingly, the pumpkin felt quite solid to the touch. Then, I took a little kitchen knife and this is what happened:




The inside looked a bit empty. I guess that's how they go. For purposes of scientific disclosure, the pumpkins were never harmed, fed, genetically modified, or otherwise altered after they were bought. The big pumpkin was always kept outside, where temperatures ranged from 32F to 100F during the year. The little one was always inside - pretty much between 68-78F.



Happy Halloween.