Steve Reiners, professor of horticulture and pumpkin expert, advises people to pick their pumpkins early as growers have a large, early crop.
Reiners says:
“Despite a challenging growing season, pumpkins are looking good around New York this fall. That is certainly appropriate as New York is a leading producer of Jack-o’-Lantern pumpkins, a crop with a farm gate value of more than $30 million in 2012. Make sure you get your pumpkin soon as the crop is a little early this year and growers will have a huge selection to choose from.
“If you are young, pumpkin size is all that matters, but if you want one that will last for more than a couple of weeks, I suggest looking for a pumpkin with a sturdy or hard stem. If the handle is soft, it may indicate a diseased pumpkin. In addition, choose a pumpkin with no soft spots.
“Pumpkins will continue to slowly ripen off the vine. It's okay to buy one in early October that has a little green on it because it should be totally orange by Halloween.”
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