Pumpkin FAQs
We know you have pumpkin questions! Here are answers from the pumpkin farmers!
1. Can you eat any pumpkin?
All pumpkins are technically edible. But that does not mean all pumpkins are ideal for eating. You can eat a carving or decorative pumpkin, but for the best favor and texture we recommend you select pumpkins grown for eating if that is your goal. Pie Pumpkins, Jarrahdale (our pale green pumpkins) and Fairytale (our flat tan/green pumpkins). And I believe all three of these make great decorative pumpkins AND eating pumpkins.
Bonus tip: Many pumpkins and winter squash benefit from a curing period, this can be a few weeks to months. During this time their flavor is actually enhanced. This is a great reason to use them for decorating and then eat them! Just be sure to protect them from frost and damage if you plan to eat them later on.
2. How long will pumpkins last?
A whole, uncarved pumpkin can last for months with proper care.
Once a pumpkin is carved, its life span decreases rapidly and can start to rot after a few days.
If you would like to enjoy your pumpkin as long as possible, consider leaving them whole, decorating them with paint or markers.
3. Can you carve any pumpkin? and when should we carve our pumpkins?
Yes! You can carve any pumpkin, just know that some types will be harder to carve than others. Small pumpkins and 'warty' or heavily ribbed pumpkins can be more difficult to carve (but if you pull it off, you can get some amazing results!) Traditional jack-o-lantern style are the softest and easiest to carve.
If you would like to have your pumpkin carved and on display for Halloween we recommend carving it just a day or two before Oct. 31st.
4. Can you eat pumpkin seeds from any pumpkin?
Yes, just like the pumpkin flesh, you can eat any pumpkin seed. However, some pumpkin seeds are better for eating than others. Large pumpkins often have large, tough seeds that can be less than enjoyable to eat. Some pumpkins are grown for their seeds and have 'hulless' or 'naked' seeds. These are great for snacking. Kakai is a great pumpkin for edible seeds. (Unfortunately, we are already sold out of Kakai for this year)
5. Can you save and grow seeds from any pumpkin?
This is a tricky question to answer, so I will only share information specific to our pumpkins:
All seeds from our decorative pumpkins and winter squash can be saved and grown next year, however, we did not take any steps to protect them from cross pollination and there are a few hybrid types. This means, you can grow them but you just might get some funky pumpkins that look different than the pumpkin they came from. This is actually really fun as long as you are prepared for some craziness LOL.
All of our heirloom pie pumpkins are protected from cross pollination. This means their seeds can be saved and grown next year with the expectation that you will get a pure heirloom pie pumpkin.
6. How to you repair a broken jack-o-lantern?
Use a pumpkin patch! hehe
So what are you waiting for? Go visit our family farm to get your pumpkins!
Our farm market is open for self serve shopping. Stop by any day during daylight hours.
Our market is located at 7447 S. Eagle Valley Road, Port Matilda, PA 16870.
We accept cash, check, Venmo and credit cards.
Have a question we did not answer? Please feel free to reply directly to this email.
Come get your fall pumpkins!!
Thank you and God bless,
Abbie, Steve, and Family
