Want a better pumpkin this Halloween? Here are some tips
…
• Perfect isn’t always preferable. A few years ago, a virus
disfigured many of the pumpkins at Uesugi Farms’ Pumpkin Patch.
Want a better pumpkin this Halloween? Here are some tips …
• Perfect isn’t always preferable. A few years ago, a virus disfigured many of the pumpkins at Uesugi Farms’ Pumpkin Patch. According to Pumpkin Patch Coordinator Linda Hammond, people couldn’t get enough of the oddly shaped pumpkins … because they made especially spooky Jack-o-Lanterns. Don’t count on a virus this year – Hammond says the farmers don’t particularly like them, even if the public does – but that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to find a funky, misshapen pumpkin to go along with your round one.
• Halloween pumpkins make for great decorations, but if you’re looking for good eating, ask the folks at the patch about sugar pie pumpkins. They’re the type used in pumpkin pie. Of course, it’d be a shame if you let the seeds from your Jack-o-Lantern go to waste – roast ’em with a bit of salt for a tasty treat. Try garlic salt for a twist on an old favorite.
• Pumpkins don’t ripen off the vine. What you see at the patch is what you’re going to get, so pick carefully.
• Tapping on pumpkins to gauge how thick they are is an inexact science – “Pumpkins can be deceiving,” says Hammond. Of course, she probably just wants you to buy more than one … just in case!
• Want to get fancy? Use a fish-fileting knife for more intricate design – the slim blade is good for carving curves. And use a small nail to make guide holes. It’s a little more precise than hacking away willy-nilly at your pumpkin.
• Here’s a tip you doubtless already know, but it’s worth repeating anyway. When you carve the top off your Jack-o’-Lantern, do it at an inward-facing angle, so the top doesn’t fall into the emptied-out pumpkin when you put it back on.
