Picking the Perfect Pumpkin

It’s that time of year when hay bells, scarecrows, and of course pumpkins start donning displays across the area.

The search for the perfect pumpkin is easier some years than others. The hot dry weather the area has been experiencing the last couple months may make the effort just a little harder than most years.

The rain in the spring time may have impacted some crops, but pumpkin crops do not get planted until June. The scorching heat in July and August did not help the pumpkins out.

Charlie Simpson of Echo Valley Farm, one of the areas premier farmers, offers some advice on picking the perfect pumpkin.

“The weather has hammered us this year” says Simpson “we’ve been effected by a lack of a crop, about one fifth of what we normally would get, and they are not as large this year.”

It will be a daunting task to find the “perfect pumpkin” but not impossible.

“When checking out the pumpkin, look at the stem, make sure it’s strong as sturdy. Make sure there’s no worm holes and look for discoloring due to sunburn. It will be lighter in spots”.

When the perfect pumpkin is found, making sure that it’s taken care of is essential to making sure that it lasts all season.

“I recommend washing it in bleach, and I would shellac it to make a good seal”

The most essential part of picking a pumpkin is if it is to be local, go as soon as they are available. Gather up the family and make a fall adventure.

Source: Angie Stanley, Jefferson County Post Staff Writer