Perfect Pumpkin Picking Centers on Season, Size, Shape

Date:  Oct. 14, 1997
Editor: D'Lyn Ford  (505) 646-6528, dlford@nmsu.edu

LAS CRUCES -- Picking the perfect pumpkin from the garden or a farm field in the crisp fall weather is a matter of timing and taste.

"Pumpkins will withstand light frosts that can kill vines, but the fruit itself needs to be harvested before heavy frosts occur," said George Dickerson, horticulture specialist with New Mexico State University's Cooperative Extension Service. "Pumpkins should be harvested when fully grown and well colored. The rind should be hard enough to resist denting with your thumbnail."

Because traditional vining pumpkins take up so much garden space, most pumpkins are commercially grown.

"Pumpkins are generally cured in the field a week before transport," Dickerson said. "The fruit often are placed in long windrows, forming long ribbons of orange across country fields. Many growers allow consumers to roam fields to select perfect would-be jack-o'-lanterns for Halloween.

Before shipping, pumpkins are removed from vines with loppers, leaving 1 to 2 inches of stem attached. Longer stems can break during transport, leaving an entry point for bacterial soft rot disease.

"When selecting a pumpkin for a jack-o'-lantern, it's important to consider size," Dickerson said. "Obviously, a 25-pound fruit wouldn't be appropriate for the windowsill. The fruit should be of uniform color and shape with a relatively smooth surface for carving."

Pumpkins come in a range of shapes and sizes. "Howden" and "Ghostrider" varieties are favorites for jack-o'-lanterns. "New England Pie" is best for baking, while 3- to 4-ounce "Jack-Be-Little" makes a tiny table decoration.