No Smashing Pumpkins

If each month had a featured vegetable or fruit there is no question that October would own the pumpkin. Nothing captures the essence of the first full month of autumn better than the bright orange beauty. Whether it is served as a spicy pie for Thanksgiving or adorning our doorstep to chase away (or welcome) the spooks on Hallowe’en, the pumpkin is it.

As we see it, the Thanksgiving long weekend provides an extra day to make a trip to your local pumpkin patch. If you think it’s too early to pick your Jack for the 31st, just keep reading. We have lots of tricks and treats all about the great pumpkin.

Finding a Farm
There are plenty o’ patches around town to choose from and some of our faves are Downey’s Farm Market, Forsythe Family Farms and Puck’s Farm. 

May we suggest that you have the kids wear rain boots and bring a second pair of shoes to wear home (fields can be muddy)? You’ll also want to leave the family dog at home as most farms do not welcome pets.

Picking the Perfect Pumpkin
In order to bring home the perfect pumpkin, you’ll want to look for one thing–your favourite. Find a pumpkin that is the right size and shape for you then give it a quick once-over to make sure it doesn’t have any cuts, bruises or soft spots. It should also feel hard to the touch and still have the stem attached. All of this will ensure that it doesn’t rot too quickly.

Keeping Jack Safe
Now that you have your pumpkin (three weeks early) you might start to feel a bit anxious about keeping it in tact until Hallowe’en. Certainly the triple threats of squirrel nibbling, freezing, and teenager tossing are very real. The easy solution is to put your uncarved pumpkin in a cool, dark, dry place (garage or basement) until you are ready to start sculpting. If you can find a spot with these conditions, your pumpkin will actually last a few months. Some people even say that it makes for easier carving later on as the flesh is more solid and the seeds looser (but we haven’t confirmed this as a scientific fact).

If you do want to carve your pumpkin early, we recommend carving it a day ahead and keeping it inside overnight. If you insist on creating the perfect pumpkin before that, here’s a sure fire way to make sure it doesn’t rot. Wipe off all the dirt with a damp cloth before carving. Once it’s carved, spray it with a mixture of bleach and water (1 tbsp of bleach in 1 quart of water) inside and out and let it dry for 20 minutes. Then rub the entire pumpkin (cut edges too) with petroleum jelly, wiping off any excess. As long as you keep it out of direct sunlight, away from critters and out of the frost, your carved pumpkin should survive one week.

Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater
Pumpkins are great for eating too! Did you know they are rich in vitamin A and potassium and one cup of cooked pumpkin is only 81 calories? But don’t be rushing down to that basement to chop up your pumpkin for dinner yet. The pumpkin you just picked is not the best kind for cooking. It’s the smaller and sweeter version that you’ll need to look for if you’re seriously hankering for a homemade pie. For an easy shortcut, sneak in a can of unsweetened pumpkin puree (we won’t tell on you).

So here’s a little pumpkin-baking activity that will keep you and the kids busy this weekend—ours love the marvelous muffins.

Pumpkin Festival
Now that you’ve put so much effort into picking and preserving your Jack-O-Lantern, it might not be easy to say goodbye once Hallowe’en is over. Instead of letting the big kids have their way with your pumpkin, why not send it off in style by visiting the Second Annual Great Harbord Street Pumpkin Festival. The businesses and residents of Harbord Street (the one near U of T) welcome anyone to bring their carved pumpkin to the street on the 1st of November (which is a Sunday this year). Once collected the pumpkins will all be lit at sundown. Last year 400 pumpkins glowed at twilight and this year they are hoping for twice as many. Once everyone has gone off to bed, the City of Toronto will come to compost all the ‘participants’.

It’s simply smashing!

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