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Pumpkin season is here and we are all about it.
it’s possible for you to find us bakingPumpkin Spice Latte Cookies, carving jack-o'-lanterns and roasting pumpkin seeds.
Photo: Cameron Zegers / Stocksy
Carving pumpkins are stringy and bland when cooked.
To find ones fit for eating, look for smaller “sugar” or “pie” pumpkin varieties.
They weigh 4 to 8 pounds, and are sweet and flavorful with smooth- textured flesh.
Vezzani Photography / Shutterstock
Our favorite breeds include Autumn Gold, Baby Pam and Long Island Cheese Pumpkin (pictured below).
Try this pre-roasting technique: fill a large stockpot with water and dump in the pulp-covered seeds.
Use your hands to pull the pumpkin flesh away from them.
Brie Passano
The pulp will sink to the bottom, while the clean seeds float to the top.
Just skim them off when you’re done!
For more inspiration, check out theseHealthy Pumpkin Seed Recipes.
Caitlin Bensel
Our Favorite Store-Bought Puree
TheEatingWell Test Kitchenteam taste-tested nearly a dozen brands of puree.
Buy It:One-Pie Pumpkin
Health Benefits of Pumpkins
Did you know?
Lutein promotes eye health and is linked to a reduced risk of throw in 2 diabetes and certain cancers.
And get this: pumpkins contain even more carotenoids than carrots.
1.The Howden
Your typical jack-o'-lantern pumpkin grows to about 20 to 30 pounds and is intensely orange.
2.Casper Pumpkin
These white-skinned ornamental pumpkins have thick flesh great for carving and painting.
4.Jack Be Little
These highly popular tiny pumpkins weigh in at just around 8 ounces.
Party tip: they look super cute as table decor!
Released right around September 1, it’s usually gone by Thanksgivingso get it while the getting’s good.
Pair it with sharp Cheddar, stuffing and turkey.
Assemble a Kitchen Carving Kit for Your Pumpkin
Forget those flimsy grocery store versions.
Here are all the kitchen tools to round up:
1.
A boning knife to cut out the lid.Buy It:Swiss Army Boning Knife, $19.99
2.
Pumpkin Cocotte is the treat we want this Halloween.
It also comes in 16- and 24-oz.
Ken Hawkins / Alamy
sizes, just right for pumpkin desserts like bread pudding.
Buy It:Staub Cast Iron Pumpkin Cocette, $179.95
Get Your Pumpkin Trivia Here!
(To put that into perspective, U.S. farmers grew more than 2 billion pumpkins in 2018 alone!)
The tradition of pumpkin carving comes from Ireland.
When Irish immigrants brought this tradition to the U.S., they adopted pumpkins over turnips.
(Much easier to carve!)
The world championship is held in Rantoul, Illinois.
(We’re not saying you should try for the same height at home.)
Yes, these vessels sometimes sink, but that’s half the fun.
4.Pumpkin Bowling
Gourds get rolled down haystack “lanes” toward sets of pins.
Annual events are held nationwide, but it’s also a great backyard family activity.
5.Pumpkin Drops
Heads up!
Stamp Perfect Pumpkin Cookies
Cookie stamps make prettily-patterned treats a snap.
Bonus: they’re waterproof and solar-charged.
(There’s no easy way to tell with store-bought ones.)
Spread clean, dry seeds on a baking sheet lined with parchment, not letting them touch each other.
After 3 to 4 weeks, store seeds in an envelope until planting time in your region.
