{"product_id":"pumpkin-long-island-cheese","title":"Pumpkin Long Island Cheese","description":"\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePumpkin Long Island Cheese is a heirloom American pumpkin of remarkable heritage, producing flattened, deeply ribbed, buff-orange fruit that genuinely resembles a wheel of cheese sitting in the garden, which is exactly how it earned its name.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBeneath that distinctive shape is dense, sweet, deeply coloured flesh that makes this variety exceptional for pies, soups and roasting. It is the kind of pumpkin that home cooks who care about flavour, not just size, tend to seek out, since the quality of the flesh is genuinely a step up from many modern hybrids grown purely for yield.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBeing a heirloom variety with real history behind it, Long Island Cheese also offers the option of saving your own seed from the best fruit each season, letting you build a connection to a variety that has been grown and passed down for generations of American gardeners.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLike most pumpkins, it needs a full, warm growing season and plenty of space to spread its vines, so it suits gardens with room to spare. What you get in return is a crop that stores beautifully for months, giving you a genuine supply of home-grown pumpkin to see you well into the cooler part of the year.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSowing and Growing Pumpkin Long Island Cheese\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSow indoors or under cover from September to November, keeping the temperature between 20-30°C for germination, which typically takes 5-10 days. Once frosts have passed and seedlings are well established, transplant into a warm, sunny position with fertile, well-drained soil, spacing plants 100cm apart within the row and 200cm between rows.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePROTECT FRUIT\u003cbr\u003eThe bottom of the pumpkin can be susceptible to rot where the fruit sits on the ground. It can be beneficial to place something under the fruit for protection such as a piece of cardboard, lid or \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ewool mulch mats are great for this.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHARVEST\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePumpkins can be harvested approx 120 days from transplant, when the skin is hard and the stem is drying off. The stem is also known as the wick. The wick drying off is an indication of maturity. When the wick dries off there is no more moisture going to the fruit, so the fruit will not continue to grow. The foliage will also be dying off and you should be able to see your crop. Another tip is to use the thumbnail test - it is ready when it resists puncture by a thumbnail.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRemove the pumpkin from the vine with a sharp knife or pair of secateurs, leaving a good wick on. This aids the curing process and treating the wick with care will help to increase the storage life of your pumpkin. Picking your pumpkin up by the wick is not a good idea as it may damage the skin, allowing rot to set in.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHANDLING\u003cbr\u003eWhen harvesting pumpkin, it is important to handle the fruit with care to avoid bruising or cutting the skin. Despite its tough appearance fruit is easily damaged allowing entry points for decay organisms. Pressure bruises can reduce storage life, so avoid rough handling, tight packing or piling fruit too high.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDISINFECTION\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWiping fruit with a cloth soaked in apple cider vinegar or diluted bleach to disinfect the skin of the fruit once harvested can assist with storability. This should kill any spoilage causing bacteria or fungi that may be present on the skin of the fruit.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCURING\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAll pumpkins will improve immensely in flavour and sweetness when left for around 2 weeks to cure after harvesting. The curing process also allows the skin to harden, harvest wounds to heal and immature fruit to ripen further, thereby enhancing storage times. Place pumpkins in a warm, dry area with good air circulation.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSTORAGE\u003cbr\u003eAfter curing, move pumpkins to a dry, well-ventilated storage area. Fruit temperature should be kept as close to the temperature of the air as possible to avoid condensation, which can lead to rot. Ideally, the storage environment should be kept at 13-16\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Aptos',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;\"\u003e°\u003c\/span\u003eC with a relative humidity of 50-70%. Chilling injury from very low temperatures will cause fruit to break down over time.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCHECK\u003cbr\u003eCheck your fruit regulalry to identify any early signs of decay. Eat fruit that has been damaged or showing early signs of decay first. Gently flip fruit from time to time to ensure aeration around the whole fruit.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSHELF LIFE\u003cbr\u003ePumpkins that have been allowed to mature and cure should last 3-6 months in storage.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kings Seeds NZ","offers":[{"title":"20 seeds","offer_id":49212441887028,"sku":"V8442.pkt","price":5.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true},{"title":"100 seed","offer_id":49212441919796,"sku":"V8442.100sdsW","price":19.45,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true},{"title":"250 seeds","offer_id":49212441952564,"sku":"V8442.250sdsW","price":43.8,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true},{"title":"500 seeds","offer_id":49212441985332,"sku":"V8442.500sdsW","price":74.45,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true},{"title":"1000 seeds","offer_id":49212442018100,"sku":"V8442.1000sdsW","price":119.15,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0729\/0555\/6276\/files\/V8442-W.png?v=1784972245","url":"https:\/\/www.kingsseeds.co.nz\/products\/pumpkin-long-island-cheese","provider":"Kings Seeds NZ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}