There is not a fruit more synonymous with October than the pumpkin. That’s right; pumpkins are a fruit, like squash.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has a whole website dedicated to everything pumpkins, most likely because Illinois grows over 90 percent of the processed pumpkins in the United States. In fact, Illinois produced nearly 500 million pounds of pumpkins in 2005.

There are dozens of pumpkin varieties, from miniature to jumbo. The most common and easy to grow type is the Autumn Gold. Pumpkins were unknown to European settlers when they came to the New World in the 1400s, but they have been growing here for 5,000 years.

Pumpkins can be used to make pies, breads, cakes, etc., however a common October use of the pumpkin is for carving. The jack-o-lantern dates back to Celtic times, when Halloween was revered as the most magical night of the year.

The Celtic people would put out jack-o-lanterns carved from turnips or gourds, not pumpkins, to welcome the dead and to protect against evil spirits.

While it may seem difficult to find a pumpkin in the city, there are plenty of Milwaukee-area pumpkin farms and patches. Or, if you don’t feel like a drive, your local grocery store should have some. The advantage of visiting the pumpkin patch is the same advantage of picking your apples at an orchard: freshness and variety.

Since you are going right to the source, the pumpkins don’t have to travel in a truck, risking damage and spoilage. At the patch, you get your pick of freshly picked pumpkins.

Pumpkin selection
When picking a pumpkin planned for carving, there are a couple of things to keep in mind.

First is size. Think about your design; if it is intricate and has a lot of detail, you would want to choose a larger pumpkin that will give you room to work. If your design is simple, you can get away with choosing a smaller pumpkin.

Another is shape. What is the shape of your design? If it is tall and fairly narrow, you would want to choose a pumpkin with a shape that reflects that. Likewise, a design that is wide and short would work best on a pumpkin that is short and wide.

Carving the pumpkin
After you have selected your pumpkin, it is time to take it home and begin your handiwork.

1. Wash off all the dirt and dry the pumpkin before you begin the carving process. This will help you draw your design on the pumpkin, and make it easier to work with overall.
2. Prepare your workspace for carving. Clear off a large flat area, like a dining room table. Cover it with newspaper (just pick up a copy of a free newspaper on campus).

3. Gather your tools. You probably already own everything you need, or can buy it for a relatively low cost.
   Supplies: a sharp, long-bladed knife, preferably serrated; a utility knife; a grease pencil or Sharpie; a large spoon or ice cream scoop. 4.With the grease pencil or Sharpie, draw your design on the pumpkin. The advantage of the grease pencil is that it will rub off when you are done tracing, eliminating any unnecessary lines.
   TIP: If you find a design that you want online and don’t think you can recreate it, paste it on the pumpkin with rubber cement. Carve the pumpkin and pull of the design. The rubber cement won’t stick, and can be easily rubbed off.

4. Cut around the stem at the top of the pumpkin, leaving a good amount of room. You want to be able to get the spoon and your hands inside. With your hands, scoop out all the insides, set them aside. Do not discard them. Once you have removed all the “guts” scrape the flesh clean of any pulp or seeds.

5. With the knife, carve out any large sections of the pumpkin. Push them through to the inside. Use the utility knife to carve out any smaller, more detailed sections. Be careful not to cut yourself. When cutting shapes, it is better to start small and increase the size. You can always subtract but you can’t add. Now it’s time to light it up, whether you prefer the traditional candle (just remember to blow it out), or a glow stick or electric candle (you don’t have to worry about blowing it out, or it catching your house on fire).

Leftover pumpkin seeds
If you followed the instructions above, you will have a pile of pulp and seeds sitting on your newspaper. Before you consider dumping this in the nearest garbage can, know that there lies potential for a tasty treat in front of you: roasted pumpkin seeds. Pumpkin seeds are quite easy to roast and even easier to eat.

You will need: one sheet or half-sheet pan, colander, medium-sized bowl, aluminum foil, 2 Tbs. softened butter (or soy margarine), salt, assorted spices.

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Separate the seeds from the pulp. Rinse them thoroughly and pat dry.
3. In a small bowl, combine softened butter and seeds. Toss to coat. Add salt your favorite spices, in any combination. Toss again.
4. Spread the seeds evenly on the aluminum foil covered sheet pan.
5. Roast the seeds for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown.

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