The Perfect Pumpkin

Searching for the perfect pumpkin for your frightful jack-o-lantern this Halloween? Go right to the source this fall and visit a pumpkin patch. A trip to a pick-your-own patch is a pleasant way to enjoy a spectacular autumn afternoon. Come October, farms across Ontario open their doors to the public for pumpkin picking and so much more. Meet the animals that live there, play a game of pumpkin bowling or survey the fields on a hayride.

Decorating

Sculpt a spooky pumpkin by chosing a large, heavy, well-rounded pumpkin with a flat bottom. Ideally, try to find one that is free from cuts, soft spots and bruises. The flesh should feel hard and not give easily. Also, make sure the stem is attached.

Store it carefully, especially if you pick it from the vine yourself, and keep it in a dry, cool, place (e.g. basement).

Tip: If you like roasted or baked pumpkin seeds, you can save the seeds from any pumpkin.

Cooking

For cooking, look for small sugar pumpkins rather than the larger ones used for jack-o-lanterns. The smaller varieties are sweeter, fleshier, and less watery. Usually you can get these at the grocery store, and some of the pumpkin patches and farm stands have them.  Be sure to tell them that you intend to use it for a pumpkin pie. Again, look for a firm pumpkin, with no soft spots or signs of any rot.

Did you know?

Pumpkins are very healthy. They are full of vitamin C, vitamin A, fibre, minerals and carotenoids (a type of antioxidant that protects against cancer and heart disease).

Varieties of Pumpkins

• Sugar – excellent for baking
• Jack O’Lantern – most common for carving
• White Lumina – unusual, medium-sized white pumpkin
• Mini – great for decoration
• Gourds – many varieties, used for decorations