The Patches Are Opening! Pick The Best Pumpkin

Two girls picking pumpkins in a field.

Fall is here and that means it’s time to find the most perfect pumpkin to carve! Going to a pumpkin patch, your local store, and even your garden, to find a pumpkin to carve can be challenging. It feels like you can spend forever looking for that one carving pumpkin that the rest of the neighborhood will be jealous of. Check out these tips to help you find the best pumpkin to carve. Most places will have these labeled so you don’t have to guess.

Pumpkins 101

Did you know there are two types of pumpkins? Pie pumpkins and carving pumpkins are the two types you should know about before you decide which one you will carve. If you didn’t guess this already, carving pumpkins are the ones you want to carve and leave on your doorstep. These are the thinner pumpkins that also have fewer guts on the inside. Cleaning will be so much easier with these. On the flip, pie pumpkins are the ones you want to eat. These are typically very round, small, and much easier to bake.

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How To Pick

There are a few great tips for choosing the best pumpkin to carve. Now that you know what type of pumpkins there are, you can search for the perfect one to carve. The first thing you’ll want to do is pick up the pumpkin. This may seem silly, but this is a very important part of finding the best for carving. You want the most sturdy pumpkin and when you tap it, it should sound hollow. Check the color next. Of course, you want the most orange pumpkin. Finding a nice ripe pumpkin will make carving so much easier and it will look great. Always check for dark spots on your pumpkin, and try to avoid any with scratches, dark spots, and bruises. Next, you will want to apply pressure. Can’t stand fast-rotting jack-o-lanterns? Flip the pumpkin upside down and apply pressure to it. If it is nice and sturdy that means the pumpkin will last a while and make a great carved decoration. Then, set the pumpkin down on the ground and make sure it sits flat. You don’t want a crooked one after spending all that time carving your masterpiece. Last but not least, pick it up from the bottom, not the stem. The pumpkin can easily become unattached giving you a squashed pumpkin instead of a beautifully carved one. Now njoy your masterpiece!

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