The best ways to pick your Halloween pumpkin. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.
Pumpkins, which are members of the squash family, produce fruits in all shapes, sizes, and colors.
You could pick a pumpkin from the grocery store, but you’ll get a fresher and more interesting selection at a pumpkin farm. Many farms grow different types of heirlooms, which are older varieties that have unique characteristics such as deep ribs, bumpy skin, and all sorts of colors.
Look for a firm, dark green stem and avoid those that look brownish, mushy, or dried out. Make sure your pumpkins sound hollow. To test for a good one, hold the pumpkin with one hand, place your ear next to the pumpkin, and knock on its side with the knuckles of your other hand. If you hear an echoing, hollow sound, it’s a good one. The louder the sound, the better the pumpkin.
Pass on pumpkins with open cuts. Those wounds are prone to infection and will cause the whole thing to rot faster. Even if your pumpkins appear unblemished, you can reduce rotting by washing the outside with a diluted bleach solution.
Listen to Cathy Isom’s This Land of Ours program here.