This is my first year growing pumpkins, and they are already orange. I always associated pumpkins with Halloween, but that is still 2 1/2 months away. How do I harvest and keep pumpkins, so they stay through Halloween?

hope someone else can help you here. I harvest them before 10/31 and can my pumpkin mix. what variety are you growing? I have found Connecticut field to be my favorite for both Halloween and canning.
CD

Harvest them with the stem intact - don't let it break off flush with the pumpkin. This will prevent fungus from entering the pumpkin and spoiling it - plus, you need the handle for the jack-o-lantern lid! If you have a cool, dry, dark place to store them, do so. They should make it until Halloween.

How long ago did they turn orange? You can let them grow on the vine after they have turned orange - we have done this in the past. Just make sure you make sure they don't get touched by a frost since that will spoil them for sure! There is nothing better than carving your own pumpkin on Halloween!

Well. I finally have time to reply.

The variety pumpkin I am growing is Howden. I really didn't know the difference, so I just chose one at random.

My pumpkins have been turning orange for quite some time now. About half of them are bright, deep orange on dying vines. Yes. The vines look like they are all spent out. The leaves that are still there are all covered with white.

I'm a little wary on saving pumpkins for cooking (every time I have ever cooked a pumpkin pie it was a disaster). However, if there is a way to cook them, I'd also like to know if there is a way to freeze them. (I've tried canning pumpkins. Don't think it's coming out right)
My original thought was having pumpkins for Halloween (I have a 3 year old daughter). Now I don't know if I'll even get that. If there is a way to store and use them for later cooking attempts :O , I'm willing to try.

I wonder if the vines are dying off or if they are diseased. Either way, I would pick them now and store them for later use. If you store them correctly you have a chance at having them for Halloween and for freezing.

My mother used to cook and freeze the jack-o-lanterns after Halloween was over - provided they didn't get smashed before we took them in. Just slice them into wedges and place them in a 9" X 13" pan with about 1" - 2" of water in the bottom and bake at 375 until they are soft. Let them cool, scoop out the flesh, mash them, and freeze.

You can do this with any pumpkin or squash. When you thaw, you will usually have a layer of water on the top - you may want to pour that off depending on what you are making. I use heavy cream and an additional egg yolk in my pumpkin pie recipe so it tends to be thick and set up solid no matter how watery the pumpkin.

One of my favorite sayings:

"I'd rather sit alone on a pumpkin than crowded on a velvet cushion" -- Henry David Thoreau

One year we saved a big pumpkin until Christmas, and carved Christmas trees in it, a sleigh, and a Santa face, and lit it on Christmas Eve, it was really fun.

How can I store them correctly, so I can have them for Halloween?

Check out my first post on this thread...and I think you have a good chance!

You should do a Google search on this one, as there are so many opinions on the matter. I've always harvested after the vines are wilted (yours sound like they have powdery mildew). We used to just leave them in the field, but now it seems they want us to cure them and wash them with a mild bleach solution then store them in a cool dry place. (I've been looking for a cool, dry place for years, but it always comes down to "stick them in the barn....")

Cook a pumpkin as you would any winter squash. Howden is good for that, as is Conn. field, and any of the smaller so-called "sugar" pumpkins.

I found a need trick for preserving Pumpkin for anyone interested. Dehydrate it. Cut the pumpkin up like you would to cook it only cut the pieces down to as small as you can handle. then dehydrate. When it dries out, pulverize it by putting the pieces in a plastic zipper bag and use a rolling pin on it. You now have instant pumpkin mix. BTW, to make the best pumpkin pie, you need to use some butternut (or similar) squash in the mix. Check the label on most pumpkin pie mix and you will see squash in the ingredients.

To complete the pie, add your "instant mix" to boiling water. reduce it to the consistance of the store mixes, add spicing and pour into the shell. Bake and voila.