Gourd Guide: Tips for Picking the Perfect Pumpkin

Pass any farm stand or grocery store this time of year and you'll see dozens, if not hundreds of pumpkins on display and ready for purchase. But how do you pick the perfect pumpkin from the variety available this fall?

Patch asked Joe Kutchey Jr., owner of the , to share his "field" expertise on what customers should look for in a future jack-o'-lantern, be it on a farm stand shelf or in a u-pick field.

"I look at the shape, color and stem. That is it exactly," Kutchey said.

Shape

• Look at the pumpkin from all sides, especially around the stem and near the bottom, to ensure that there are no bruises, soft spots, scars or signs of mold.
• A solid, slightly misshapen pumpkin will last longer than a perfect pumpkin with scattered soft spots.

Color

• The perfect pumpkin appears bright orange in color, but Kutchey said this year's delayed growing season is bringing more pumpkins with a greenish hue to market.
• While a half-green pumpkin may not be a buyer's first choice, Kutchey said the green color makes no difference to the health of the pumpkin itself. Use the color to your advantage–carve Frankenstein.

Stem

• Though you should never judge a book by its cover, you can judge a pumpkin by its stem.
• A pumpkin that is healthy should have a dry and somewhat brittle stem, but buyers should carefully check for signs of mold or disease, as the stem is the easiest way for an infection to enter the pumpkin.

Storage

While it's too early to carve a pumpkin for Halloween, Kutchey said pumpkins bought now should last through the holiday if stored in a cool place.

"Once you carve them they fall apart after three or four days, but you can display them around your flowerbeds or trees if you buy now and when you are ready to carve you will have it," Kutchey said.

Post-Halloween

Like most seasonal decorations which end up in the trash the day after the festivities have ended, the pumpkin usually ends up on the curb post-Halloween. However, Kutchey said the ideal place for that decaying pumpkin is the garden, not the garbage can.

"That pumpkin has nutrients in it, so there is a fertilizer value to it," he said. "It's all natural, organic, and will add nutrients back into the soil. I would definitely throw it in the garden."