My pumpkin patch.

Hi everyone, so happy to be part of like-minded people. This is my first post and my question is about pumpkins. I have a small and wonderful pumpkin patch but I'm not sure how to tell when they're ripe. I had the same issue with my watermelons. I don't know what type of pumpkins they are, they're roundish, they start off green and then turn the color of a butternut squash. I've pulled two off the vine when they seem like the color is no longer changing, and they've both been delicious. I just don't trust my method of no more color changes. My concern is what if I leave them on the vine too long. Will they rot and am I better off taking them off the vine and keeping them indoors until I can find a new recipe (my family will be sick of pumpkin soup before too long). But, If anyone wants a fantastic pumpkin soup recipe, let me know.

Happy Gardening