As the end of the season draws near, many growers are looking back with satisfaction.
“Every season there is always little, tiny details in certain crops, but when I look at the big picture, over all it has been a very good year,” said Mitch Deschatelets, manager of Leisure Farms in Sturgeon Falls.
That includes his pumpkin crop.
“We have the biggest selection in northern Ontario for pumpkins, so we’re definitely a popular spot for pumpkins. Our pumpkins are doing amazing. There are lots of pumpkins out there. I don’t see any lack of pumpkins right now,” laughed Deschatelets.
“There is no such thing as a perfect pumpkin. Everybody is out there looking for a different shape because they have an idea in mind, looking for a different size.”
As it turns out, the standard orange-coloured pumpkin has some competition.
“For a few years, we’ve been growing different varieties. We have some that are greyish/blueish pumpkins. They’re very good to eat also. We have some of those ghost pumpkins they called them. They’re white pie pumpkins, and again they’re also edible. They just help with decorating. People use them on their front porch just to add different colours,” noted Deschatelets
“They always seem to be a little more popular at the beginning of the season. And as we get further into the fall, the regular jack-o-lanterns are definitely the ones people are going for.”
People may be surprised to see pumpkins with bumps on them.
“It is a variety that tends to be a rough variety that looks like warts. For us, we have only had them for the last couple of years. They weren’t very popular at first, but now the popularity of them is growing. They’re more for decoration.”
With Thanksgiving right around the corner, people are starting to think of the traditional pumpkin pies to add to the dessert table.
”You can make pies with any pumpkin, it is just the pie pumpkins are preferred for pies because they tend to hold a bit less water. So, they make better pies, and also they tend to be a little bit sweeter flesh. Here at our farm bakery, we only use pie pumpkins to make pies,” explained Deschatelets who offered tips on what to look for when selecting any pumpkin.
“You don’t want to bruise your pumpkin; you try to be gentle with it. But just looking at a pumpkin you check to make sure there are no rotten spots on them, that the stems are still good, that they’re not rotten. The stems will be greenish, but dry because we try to dry the stems off, it hardens them. Look for any cracks or holes in the pumpkin. In general, we already do the selection out in the field.”
And don’t throw out the seeds.
“There are different ways to roast seeds, but the way I really like is spreading them on a cookie sheet in the oven with salt and pepper and drizzle them with a little bit of olive oil. That is a very quick and easy way that I have always done.”
But there are other ways to turn the seeds into tasty snacks.
“Such as boiling them with salt, so the salt actually penetrates inside the seed. Then they dry them out in the oven. Some people prefer that method.”
Leisure Farms is known for its pumpkin festivities which will be starting up within the next few weeks.
“During the week we will have schools every day, and on weekends it is open to the general public.”
Families drive from near and far making memories.
“You can expect lots of colour, tractors going back and forth bringing people to the bush area. That is where we do marshmallow roasting, live music, hot dogs on the fire, and then people shoot the pumpkin canon right there,’” grinned the farm manager.
“Also, on their way back there is the corn maze, the haunted barn, the jumping pillow. I think I’m missing a few, but there are activities for everybody.”
