Experts advise harvesting the pumpkin when the skin hardens. A sign of pumpkin ripeness is a shrunken stalk. But if you want to preserve the pumpkin for as long as possible, pick the fruits a little unripe. Then they will ripen and accumulate sweetness during storage. Pumpkin can be stored for months without cellars or refrigerators. Butternut squashes last the longest; hard-skinned squashes last a little shorter, and they don’t require any special conditions. A dry room with a temperature of 18-20 degrees is quite suitable.