Picking The Perfect Pumpkin
It’s not too early to be thinking about Halloween and Jack-O-Lanterns. So, are you are wondering how to leave the pumpkin patch this year with the very best pumpkin for carving? Well, you’ve come to the right place.
There is a way to select the best pumpkin for creating that scary face and long lasting jack-o-lantern of your dreams. An article recently published by The Kitchen, outlines 6 easy steps to ensure you pick the “perfect pumpkin”!
- Pick
It Up And Tap It: It should feel sturdy and when you tap it, you should hear a hollow sound. Check the bottom and press with your thumbs, if it gives a little, the pumpkin isn’t fresh.
- Check The Coloring: Choose one that has consistent coloring throughout. Pumpkins continue to ripen and will get more orange after they’ve been picked. A lighter pumpkin will get more orange as it gets closer to Halloween.
- Look For Bad Spots: Try to choose a pumpkin without any scratches, bruises, or dark spots.
- Apply Pressure: Flip the pumpkin upside down and apply pressure with your thumbs. If it’s not completely sturdy, the pumpkin isn’t fresh and will rot quickly.
- Set It Down: Make sure it sits flat! (Unless you want your jack-o’-lantern to sit a little crooked.) Also look for one that has a stem intact. A dark green stem is a sign it was recently picked, compared to a brown stem.
- Carry It From The Bottom: Don’t carry a pumpkin by the stem — instead, cradle it from the bottom or tote it home in a bag.
The Kitchen site also lists information on various kinds of pumpkins for both carving and cooking. For more information click HERE.
Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. Probably because of the excess candy. I still like to decorate the house and look forward to giving the neighborhood kids a good scare when the come trick or treating. Hope to see some of you out this year. Stop by the house… we always give out family-sized Snickers and Baby Ruth bars.
Happy Halloween!