Depending on what you want to use your pumpkins forcarvingoreatingyou may want to look for slightly different things.
Here’s your guide to pumpkin picking.
That doesn’t mean they were all harvested when they should have been or that they’re all perfect.
Avoid patchy pumpkins or ones with multiple colors and shades visible.
Go for a solidly filled-in one.
Look for dry, withered stems to ensure this puppy isn’t too wet.
Black or dark green colors on the stems are best.
You want it rigid and almost dead-looking.
If there are vines attached, ensure any leaves arealsocrispy.
Even with a long stem, though, avoid picking the pumpkin up that way.
Always cradle it and support it from the bottom.
The exterior of the pumpkins should also be hard.
You shouldn’t be able to squish it or dent it with your hands.
Try tapping on the rind and listening for a hollow sound.
You don’t want a lot of mush anywhere, from the stem to the exterior to the inside.
Soft spots on any part of the pumpkin mean that pumpkin is not for you.
The best pumpkins for decorating and eating
There are a few different varieties of pumpkin available.
They’re stringy inside and less desirable for eating.
Aim for 10 to 14 pounds if you plan on carving.
For baking, you might see signs that say “sugar pumpkins” or “Dickenson pumpkins.”
Your patch may even label “pie pumpkins.”
Even without labels, you’ll know them by their size.
Look for small, squat pumpkins around four pounds or so in weight.
Bear in mind these are all suggestionsall pumpkins are good pumpkins.
I regularly bake with the guts from my carving pumpkins and get no complaints.
If your grocery store has limited options, don’t freak out.
Just do the best you’re free to.
