Fall Fun: Finding the Perfect Pumpkin

There is nothing more fall-tastic than picking apples and pumpkins at one of the many outdoor farms around Kansas City. The locations listed at the bottom of this post offer a ton of different activities in addition to their pumpkin patches, but we think the most exciting part of going to one of these special places is watching the little ones wade around hay bales and hunt for their perfect pumpkin. Here is a  guide to finding the perfect pumpkin complete with a downloadable checklist!

A Guide to Finding the Perfect Pumpkin

Finding a great pumpkin is important, let’s see what goes into picking the perfect pumpkin! Click here to download your Perfect Pumpkin Checklist.

1. Is the pumpkin the right color?

A perfect pumpkin is almost the same color all the way around, don’t pick a pumpkin that has any green-it isn’t ripe and will be hard to carve. Orange pumpkins are the best for making scary cool jack-o-lanterns.

2. Is it the right size?

Try not to pick the biggest pumpkin in the patch. If you are picking a pumpkin to carve, medium pumpkins are the best.

3. Does the pumpkin have a nice shape?

If you want to carve your pumpkin, pick a round one with a flat bottom-a perfectly round pumpkin will just roll around the table when you try to carve it.

4. Is the stem healthy?

Make sure your pumpkin has a nice stem, it should be firm and green. Having a good stem means that pumpkin carving will be easy as pie-or pumpkin pie!

Remember, don’t pick your pumpkin up by the stem. It might snap off and then your pumpkin search will have to start all over again!

5. Does the pumpkin sound hollow?

Tap your pumpkin and see if it makes a hollow sound. If you hear a hollow noise, that means that you have found a great pumpkin!

Our Favorite Pumpkin Picking Locations

Make sure to contact the pumpkin patch to see if pumpkins are ready for picking.