Behold the Great Pumpkin

We’re all about family traditions, and one of our favourites is the annual pumpkin picking expedition. Sure, you can pick one up while you’re child-free at the grocery store or at the farmer’s market, but it’s a lot more fun when you include the kids and make an adventure out of it.

There is some great pumpkin picking to be had around Ottawa, including old faves like Saunders Farm out in Munster and Proulx Sugarbush in Cumberland. Both make great day trips if you’re craving the whole Halloween experience (think hay bale jumping and mazes and ghoulish fun!) but sometimes we like to keep it simple and do it old school.

We have a soft spot for a sweet little place called Foster’s. It’s a roadside stand attached to a pumpkin patch in the west end. No frills. No pony rides. No debit. There may not be much in the way of bells and whistles (think Portapotty), but it does have everything we need for the season: small pumpkins (50 cents) to giant ones (50-pounders for $9.00), pie pumpkins, straw bales, corn stalks, baskets of apples and jars of fresh honey. But the best thing about Foster’s is that the kids can wade into the field and choose their own pumpkins.

Before you go, heed some tips!

Pumpkin Picking

• Avoid a meltdown and set a limit to the number of pumpkins you will be bringing home with you before you arrive
• Pumpkin patches can be muddy places, so wear boots and bring extra socks
• Check for soft spots and mold. A healthy pumpkin has a hard shell and can’t easily be dented with your fingernail.
• Got your eye on a big ‘un? Your mother was right: lift with your legs, and not with your back. (Foster’s provides little wagons so you can easily get your pumpkins to the car, so save your back and use one!)
• Don’t lift the pumpkin by the stem, lest it stays in your hand and the pumpkin ends up on your big toe
• Don’t forget your camera!

Pumpkin Carving

• Give smaller kids stickers, paint, or markers to decorate their own pumpkins
• If you’re carving, draw the design on the pumpkin first with a water-based marker. Check out this site for some good designs
• Use an ice-cream scoop to clean out the pumpkin
• Buy a pumpkin carving kit, or two. The small flexible metal saws are a safer alternative to knives and allow younger children to get in on the action.
• Cut the lid at an angle, not straight up and down. This prevents the top from falling into the pumpkin when it’s lit.
• Did you cut too far? Use a toothpick to reattach anything that was removed by accident.
• Coat the cut surfaces with petroleum jelly immediately after cutting. It will seal in moisture and prevent rot.
• Don’t take a chance and leave it on your front step before Halloween—the squirrels might have a nibble!

When you’re all done, take a photo of your masterpiece and roast some pumpkin seeds.

You see, Halloween isn’t just about the candy.

Happy Halloween!

Saunders Farm
www.saundersfarm.com
7893 Bleeks Rd.
Munster

Proulx Sugarbush and Berry Farm
www.proulxberryfarm.com
1865 O’Toole Road
Cumberland

Foster’s
333 Cedarview Road, south of Bruce Pit
Ottawa
(West on Baseline Rd. to Cedarview Rd., then south on Cedarview. It will be on your left between Baseline and Hunt Club Rd.)

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