Can You Eat your Jack-O-Lantern Pumpkin?
It's fall and thoughts turn to pumpkins! Can that large pumpkin sitting on your front porch still be used for eating? Sure — as long as it is in good condition and hasn't' yet been carved. Pumpkins typically used for jack-o'-lanterns usually are larger, with stringier pulp and more watery flesh. However, you can still eat the jack-o-lantern variety with fairly good results.
If you're buying a pumpkin specifically for eating, the smaller ones are usually the best. These sugar or pie pumpkins generally are sweeter, less stringy and have a deeper, richer color. Pumpkin seeds from any pumpkin can also be dried and roasted.
How do you prepare fresh pumpkin for making a pumpkin pie or pumpkin bread?
Many people are interested in how to roast pumpkin seeds during the fall months. Here are some tips from the National Center for Home Food Preservation:
Drying seeds and roasting seeds are two different steps.
Source: Home Preserving Pumpkin and Drying Pumpkin Seeds, National Center for Home Food Preservation
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Upcoming Events
October 19 & 26 – Fall Walking Group, 9am, Big Walnut Sports Park, register at 765-301-7641
October 19 – Pork: The No Hogwash Protein webinar, 12 pm register at https://tinyurl.com/WIAWebinars21
October 25 – ServSafe 1-Day Class and Online Exam, 9am-4pm, register at https://purdue.edu/servsafe/workshops
October 27 – November 3, 10, 17 – Grass to Garden Program, virtual, 6 – 9 pm, $50, register at 765-653-8411
November 7 – Putnam 4-H Awards Program, 2 pm, Fairgrounds.
November 11 – Extension Office closed for Veteran’s Day