[Mrs. Tat]

Hi Everyone.

I am looking for advice on where to buy pumpkins.

I saw on another site that, generally speaking, you can get just as good, if not better deals and/or better pumpkins at the supermarket than at a pumpkin patch.

Last year my family had our first annual pumpkinfest, which started by going to a pumpkin patch to get pumpkins. It was not that close to where we live and was therefore, not that convenient. It was a nice patch (I guess, alhtough I have nothing to compare it with since it was my first trip to a pumpkin patch), and I got some really cool dark green and evil looking pumpkins. I suspect I would not find the dark green ones in the supermarket (we have large Super Stop and Shops here in the Boston area), but the trip to the patch did take out a chunk of the day.

If anyone comes from the Boston area, specifically the south shore, and knows of a great pumpkin patch, I would love to hear about it. Otherwise, looking for opinions on pumpkin patch vs supermarket.

Thanks.

[Zombie Pumpkins!]

I'm at least a couple hours away from Boston, so I can't speak about specific pumpkin patches. But as for the patch vs supermarket thing...

I would agree that a lot of times, you can get a perfect carving pumpkin at a grocery store (we have Super Stop and Shops around here too). The price is usually decent, and it's convenient. Stop for milk and bread, grab a pumpkin while you're at it.

That said, I still think the pumpkin patch or farm stand will ultimately be the winner (especially once you find a good one that keeps a good stock of big pumpkins).

If you're on your way to a pumpkin carving party and you only need one jack, then sure... Stop & Shop it. But suppose you're a carving fiend and need a lot of them? You might be limited in what the grocery store has available.

At a pumpkin patch, you usually have a lot more to pick from. You can be choosy and examine every one, to make sure it's perfect for your needs. You can get a wagon and fill it with pumpkins.

If you're buying a lot and the farmer is nice, you'll often get a break on the price. I became such good friends with my pumpkin guy (and was such a loyal customer) I was eventually getting 1/3 of my pumpkins for free.

So I guess it comes down to how many you need and how much time you have. But I think everyone should take the time to visit a pumpkin patch at least once during the Halloween season. Pick up some corn and gourds while you're at it. Make an event of it. Go on a hay ride and drink some cider.

[Nightwatchman]

I usually buy all of my pumpkins from the grocery store, I have several large chain stores near my house. As soon as the stores start selling pumpkins I buy one or two each time that I go to the store, by the time Halloween comes I can easily have 15 to 20 pumpkins. A lot of the time the stores sell the pumpkins for a very low price and use them as a loss leader.

One year I did a carving demonstration at a pumpkin patch that was televised on a local morning news channel, after the show, the owner of the pumpkin patch gave me all of the pumpkins that I wanted that year!!

[Joey]

I find grocery stores to be cheaper, but the best pumpkins I know of come from the local community college. They're a little on the expensive side, but the profits go to the school so I don't mind the price. There was also a nice patch that gave me bulk discounts on the big ones.

But grocery stores are still nice for picking up a few one the spur of the moment.

[Dr. Frybrain]

Obviously, where you live will determine where you can find pumpkins for sale.

However, once you find your source, you should choose your pumpkin with the following in mind:

I would guess that most of us are drawn to the nice, smooth pumpkins, rather than the gnarly, wrinkled ones, mainly because they are easier to transfer our patterns, and create our carvings.

The smooth pumpkins are like that because they contain more water in the flesh. The more water it starts with, the more will evaporate after it is carved, and the more your designs will shrivel (regardless of your preservation techniques).

A wrinkled pumpkin starts out much dryer, therefore won't change its shape as drastically after it is carved.

[Zombie Pumpkins!]

Interesting tidbit there Frybrain. I carved a very large, plump, smooth pumpkin last year... which now that I think about it, must have been pretty high in water content. This was evident when i carved it and it felt almost "soft." This actually helped with the carving process, as my carving saw made smooth cuts really quickly, but I suppose the downside is that it's apt to change shape more as it shrivels.

[Dr. Frybrain]

Exactly. Knowing the science makes you a better artist.

Leonardo DaVinci used dissection of the human body to learn how to recreate it better in drawings, paintings and sculpture.

http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/doing-davin ... ction.html