How to Pick a Pumpkin That Makes It to Halloween

Nothing’s sadder than a jack-o’-lantern that caves in three days before Halloween. Most of the time, you can avoid it in the field.

Farmers who grow pumpkins for a living look at the same few things every time. Here’s what they check, and how to keep your pumpkin looking good once it’s home.

In the patch

Look at the stem first

A good stem is green or tan, firm and still well attached. A shriveled, black or loose stem usually means the pumpkin has been off the vine a while or is starting to rot from the top. And don’t carry it by the stem. If it snaps off, you’ve opened a door for mold.

Press the skin

The rind should be hard. Push on it with your thumb. If it gives, put it back. Pay attention to the bottom, too. Pumpkins sit on wet ground, and soft spots almost always start underneath.

Knock on it

A ripe pumpkin sounds a little hollow when you knock on it. It’s not a perfect test, but it’s a good one, and kids love doing it.

Check the color

For a classic orange pumpkin, you want even color all the way around. Big green patches usually mean it was picked early. This doesn’t apply to white, green, blue or striped varieties, which are supposed to look like that.

Make sure it sits flat

If you’re carving it, set it down and see if it stands up straight. A pumpkin that rolls around on the porch is a pumpkin that ends up on the sidewalk.

Pick the right kind for the job

• Carving: Big, round field pumpkins with thinner walls are easier to cut and clean out.
• Baking: Ask for pie or sugar pumpkins. They’re small, sweet and much less stringy than a jack-o’-lantern.
• Decorating: This is where the warty, white, flat Cinderella-style and heirloom varieties shine. Uncarved, many will last well past Thanksgiving.

Snohomish Valley farms grow dozens of varieties between them, so if you want something specific, ask. The people working the patch usually know exactly where it is. Our farms page has a rundown of each one.

Once you get it home

• Clean it. Wipe off the mud with a damp cloth and let it dry completely.
• Keep it cool and dry. A covered porch or a garage works. Direct sun and hard frost both shorten its life.
• Don’t set it on bare concrete. Moisture collects underneath. A piece of cardboard or a mat helps.
• Carve late. An uncarved pumpkin can last for weeks or even months. A carved one usually lasts a few days to a week. If you want it to look good on Halloween night, carve it a couple of days before.

And if it goes soft anyway?

Compost it. Pumpkins break down quickly and make great garden food. Some farms have even offered to replace a pumpkin that goes bad before Halloween, so ask about it when you buy.