When I was younger, I didn’t really think much about finding a pumpkin. The grocery stores sold them so I would just pick up one or two as I was grocery shopping. No problem and really no thought went into my pumpkin hunt. Unfortunately, the pumpkins that I purchased were often flat, misshapen or they had already begun to decay.

What I learned from all of this is that pumpkin hunting is much more enjoyable when you go to a pumpkin patch. Maybe you won’t be like Charlie Brown looking for the “Great Pumpkin” but you will definitely have more fun, especially if you have children helping you.

Buying from a local farm not only provides you with a day trip to build memories with your children, since many farmers who sell pumpkins offer wagon rides and corn mazes, but it also provides you with an opportunity to support local farmers, something that is strongly encouraged and often appreciated.

Once you find a pumpkin patch, take some time strolling through each pumpkin field to find the pumpkin that you are looking for. And what is it that you are looking for in a pumpkin? Well, generally, when you are looking for a pumpkin, you will want to consider four things; the size, the color, the shape, and the condition, so let’s look at these individually.

The Size:

Although everyone would love to have a giant pumpkin as large as their car, chances are you are going to be looking for a smaller pumpkin to carve into a Jack-o-lantern. Generally, medium sized pumpkins are the ideal size for carving but anything from medium to large can also be used.

The main point of size is to find one that has enough room for the design you have in mind. If you are going for a simple face, than just about anything will work but if you are looking at carving a more elaborate Jack-o-Lantern, then you will want more surface to work with.

Another point about size is to look at the actual size of the top. A pumpkin with a small area on the top may make it difficult when you are trying to clean out the pumpkin. If your hand won’t fit inside the pumpkin, chances are it may be a little too small.

Lastly, if you are purchasing a pumpkin for pies or other little Halloween desserts, you should look for smaller pumpkins. Generally, the pumpkins that you use will be smaller, around 8 to 10 inches in diameter and will be specifically grown for cooking. Of course, small pumpkins can be painted up to make some pretty cute Jack-o-Lanterns.

The Color:

Well, a pumpkin should be orange, right? Right. If we look at just the simple color of a pumpkin, there really isn’t much to look at but there are a few things that you should be aware of.

Pumpkins, like all fruit, are not ripe for a period of time. This means, that a pumpkin can be sold while it still has green spots on it. This may or may not be a problem, depending on what you are looking for, but generally, pumpkins will not ripen enough to produce a fully orange pumpkin once it has been picked. If you bring home a green pumpkin a few days before Halloween, chances are you will be putting out a green Jack-o-Lantern.

Another factor that you should take into the color of the pumpkin are any brown spots. This could mean mold and decay on your pumpkin, which could leave those pumpkin seeds inedible. Once mold has started in your pumpkin, it will spread quickly and you may end up with a rotten pumpkin on Halloween night.

After that, it is simply a matter of preference over which shade of orange you would like to have.

The Shape:

Shape is another preference matter and you can find pumpkins in almost any shape. There are squat round ones and tall and almost flat. Many pumpkins will have one flat side from lying on the ground but you can easily turn it or use the flat surface in your design when you get ready to carve.

With shape, as with size, the type of pumpkin you choose will depend on your use. Round pumpkins are better to use when you create a classic pumpkin face, flatter ones will allow you to make more elaborate designs but again, you can do this on any shape.

The Condition:

This is the biggest point to make about pumpkin hunting. The overall condition of a pumpkin is very important and you should make sure that your pumpkin does not have any soft spots on it. Soft spots often mean rot, which is the Jack-o-Lantern’s worst enemy. Pumpkins should be hard and the skin should not easily dent or scratch.

Also, pumpkins should be free of any cracks, holes or splits. Many insects and rot thrive in those holes and cracks and it is often an indicator that the pumpkin has one or both of these problems.

Lastly, try to make sure that your pumpkin has a stem. This is more for aesthetics but it does help with the overall appearance of the finished pumpkin.

And there are a few guidelines on helping you find an excellent pumpkin. The only other tips that I would recommend is to wear an old pair of boots, bring a wagon to the pumpkin patch and simply enjoy the memories you will be creating.

Despite all the new Halloween decorations that are available at stores across the country, I have found that the most important item you can have on your doorstep isn’t some screaming witch or twitching robot zombie but actually a well-carved Jack-o-Lantern. I have seen it over and over, the carefully decorated yard, the scary figures swaying on the patio and the first thing the children say is, “Look at the pumpkin.”

It is a little refreshing to hear that after years spent with high tech equipment, something as simple as a carved pumpkin is still enjoyed by the masses. But with that comforting thought, many Halloween decorators find themselves in the whole new area; how to have the perfect Jack-o-Lantern.

Thankfully, having a perfect Jack-o-Lantern really isn’t that difficult and it all comes down to a few things that you should remember; shape, size, color and carving. In this article, I will take you through the process of carving and if you are looking for more information on finding an excellent pumpkin; read our article “The Great Pumpkin Hunt.”

So you think you’re an expert carver? Yep, I’ve been there; my Jack-o-Lanterns have featured many different shapes for eyes, mouths and noses. I have even added the occasional ear. As nice as those pumpkins were, and I still carve traditional Jack-o-Lanterns now and then, I definitely wasn’t an expert carver.

And what does it take to become an expert carver? Well, actually, it isn’t a very hard thing to become. Basically, it all comes down to having the right tools and possibly the right patterns.

If you go to any store, you will probably see a handful of pumpkin carving kits. They are filled with scoops, cheap knives with orange handles and a few other instruments that you usually just toss away. These are not the tools that I was talking about. Sure, some of them come in really handy but for the most part, they either break or bend or they are simply not used.

Now, if you are serious about becoming an expert carver, by-pass all those useful pumpkin carving sets and drive over to a local craft store. There you will pick up a few of the following items and it will probably run you the same amount as the pre-made kits.

• Exacto knife and blade: If you can find a scalpel blade, all the better, but if you can’t don’t worry. A sharp exacto is fine but try to find one with a good grip since things get slippery during pumpkin carving.
• Clay Loop Tools: These are tools found in art and craft stores in the sculpting department. Basically, they are a looped blade on a wooden handle. You can buy complete sets but I have found that I only use the large loop and the small loop.
• Serrated Pumpkin Saw: Okay, this is actually not a must and I prefer to use a serrated kitchen knife but it is a matter of preference.
• Drill Bits: This is used to simply poke holes and lift out pieces of pumpkin.
There are a number of other tools that you can purchase but I have never really needed them.

After you have the tools, you will need to have a pattern to go from, or you will need to draw one onto the pumpkin if you happen to be more artistic than I am. Pumpkin patterns can be purchased at many stores or you can download them from sites such as Zombie Pumpkins or The Pumpkin Wizard.

Once you have a pumpkin pattern, it’s time to get started. Many carvers will recommend that the pattern be pricked into the pumpkin but I find it much easier to follow a pattern if I trace it onto the skin of the pumpkin with a marker – or have my husband sketch it on for me. If you choose the former, take a large needle and poke through the pattern, tracing it with pin pricks.

Remove the pattern and start cutting. Well…sort of.

It is actually a little more advanced than that, especially when you are trying to carve SpongeBob Squarepants into a pumpkin. Like all pumpkin carving, you want to start by opening up the top and scooping out the guts of the pumpkin.

Once it is cleaned, you can start carving. Most patterns are done with black and gray patterns and these designs show you where to cut through the pumpkin and where to simply carve away the pumpkin skin and part of the flesh.

The first step that you will do, following your pattern, is cut out the spaces where you are carving straight through the pumpkin. One tip that most carvers will give is to leave the pieces in the pumpkin until after everything has been cut. Once all the holes have been carved into the pumpkin, simply pop the pieces out.

After that, you will need to carve the other areas. This is done with the exacto blade, cutting down halfway through the pumpkin. Lift out pieces as you go along with the various tools at your disposal.

Lastly, using the clay tools, clean up the spots you have carved. At this point, you will want to work in a dark area with the pumpkin lit from inside. This will give you the opportunity to see where you need to thin out the pumpkin and will also show you how the image is coming out.

After that, your pumpkin will be the awe of the neighborhood and you will be able to enjoy that sentence that everyone loves, “Look at the wonderful pumpkin!”