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It’s October again and you know what that means — witches, black cats and most importantly, pumpkins! Over 1.5 billion pounds of pumpkins are produced each year in the United States, with Illinois among the top states for production. Whether you are harvesting and cooking a pumpkin or simply carving a jack-o-lantern for Halloween, here is what to look for in a high-
quality gourd.
When assessing ripeness, look at the color of the pumpkin first. It is safe to say a pumpkin is ripe if it is orange throughout, but some pumpkins can be ripe when they are still completely green. Look for a pumpkin with a hard stem and hard skin that dents but does not puncture when gently prodded by a fingernail. Also, give the pumpkin a good thump or slap, and listen for a hollow sound to be sure a pumpkin is ready to be picked.
To harvest a pumpkin, use a sharp knife or shears to avoid leaving a jagged cut on its stem. Several inches of stem should be left attached to the pumpkin and it should be disinfected with a 10 percent bleach solution as efforts to slow the rotting process. The bleach solution will evaporate within a few hours of application and will leave the pumpkin safe for consumption. If you do not plan to cook and eat the pumpkin immediately after harvest, store it out of direct sunlight.
When you do get around to cooking your gourd, almost every part is edible. Boiling, baking, steaming or roasting a pumpkin allows for the use of its flesh in soups, purées and pies. Pumpkin flesh can also be mashed or used as stuffing for pasta dishes such as ravioli. Pumpkin baked goods are a favorite of many, as are pumpkin flavored coffees and alcoholic drinks. Pumpkin seeds can be roasted and provide a good source of magnesium, manganese, phosphorus and phytosterols.
If eating pumpkin is not your thing, try carving one into a jack-o-lantern or participating in a pumpkin chucking contest. In such contests, catapults, air cannons, trebuchets and the like are used to throw pumpkins as far as possible. Other pumpkin games include competitive growing; the world’s largest pumpkin, a whopping 1536.5 lbs, was unveiled at the Elk Grove, CA Pumpkin Festival of 2008.
» Pumpkins are being sold at Schnucks for $5 a piece.
» Meijer has the gourds for $4.49.
» Wal-Mart sells large pumpkins for $4 each and small pumpkins for $0.50/lb.
Sound Off
Last post: Oct. 15, 2009 at 10:10 am
Nikki (Nikki Blight) said on Oct. 15, 2009 at 10:10 am:
County Market on Kirby had pumpkins 2 for $5 over the weekend. Not sure if that's still the price, but they're regularly 2 for $7, so they're still cheaper than most places. I bought six of them on Saturday. :)