With Halloween just around the corner, it’s time to buy that perfect pumpkin. For the best jack-o-lantern, however, there are things to consider.

You need to first of all find one that you are assured is mature so that the outer skin or rind is hard enough that water will not escape from it. Otherwise it will shrivel. Push your fingernail on the outer skin to check the resistance of the rind.

Pumpkin stems should also be examined. The stem should be dry to the point that it is not leaking sap. Leaking is an indication it is probably not dried down enough. Most of the stems retain a green color.

Choosing a pumpkin is mostly based on personal preference. More than anything, it’s what the person desires, and you always want to look for a nice orange color and nice stem. Some people want the ugliest one. It depends on what you want.

Pumpkins this year can be found in many shades of orange and a variety of textures. Some of them are very bright orange, some are dark orange, and some are smoother than others. There is a tendency to select varieties that are fairly smooth because people tend to paint on them rather than carve them.

If carving a pumpkin, there are ways to keep it looking nice longer. First keep the pumpkin in a cool place as long as possible. Next, there are sprays designed to preserve pumpkins, but hair spray works just as well. The hair spray has a lacquer type surface and spraying it on the cut surface will help retard drying out.

(This resource was added October 22, 2006 and appeared in the Lincoln Journal Star Newspaper Sunday edition. For information on reproducing this article or using any photographs or graphics, read the Terms of Use statement)

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