Brianna Hernandez | Opinion Editor
September 28, 2023
As leaves turn brown and orange, foggy clouds appear, and the smell of cinnamon spreads across town, you know it’s time for autumn. You might walk around your local grocery store, notice all the seasonal foods on display, and get excited about the fall season. Halloween is right around the corner and everyone is looking forward to having memorable experiences with friends and family during these times. One of the most popular items sold is pumpkins, which only arrive between September to November, going out of season quickly. So don’t hesitate and get your hands on one! Here’s a list of the many ways you can take advantage of the highly anticipated pumpkin season.
Pumpkins sell out quickly, one of the many reasons being that they are often used to make jack-o-lanterns. Carving pumpkins is a well-known activity when it comes to having Halloween traditions. Traditionally, jack-o-lanterns are made to ward off evil spirits during the spooky season. Many friends and families spend time carving pumpkins for fun and creating memories with others.
Whether it’s an outline of the all-time famous character Ghost Face or the classic jack-o-lantern look, carving pumpkins can be both competitive and creative. “Although it is nice to create a winning pumpkin, I think I tend to focus on the creative aspects because it’s nice to create a pumpkin I find cute or funny!” said senior Roxana Hernandez. The outcome when carving a pumpkin will not disappoint you at all; it always consists of laughter and fun. So get a carving set and a pumpkin, and show off your skills!
If you are concerned about the potential risks of pumpkin carving, especially for children, there are still other fun ways to use pumpkins. Not only can they be carved, but decorated as well. Instead of carving silly faces on pumpkins, you can paint them on. Many children decorate their pumpkins with glitter, paint, and stickers, oftentimes at school. It’s a safer way to have fun and get in the Halloween spirit. These will also look great on your front porch along with your jack-o-lanterns and are just as fun to decorate with your family and friends.
Some believe that carving or decorating pumpkins is a waste of use of the pumpkin since they usually go bad after they are used. In that case, many prefer to cook with them.“I love making yummy foods out of them because the taste of pumpkins and a little bit of spice gives me a warm fall feeling,” said senior Paola Vargas. A great way to use pumpkins as a savory treat is to roast the seeds after carving. You can cook your seeds in the oven or pan until they are nice and roasted, topping them off with your favorite seasoning—whether it’s salt, cinnamon, or even brown sugar.
There are additional ways to cook with pumpkins, such as making pumpkin spice muffins, pumpkin pureé, or pumpkin pie! All you need is the key ingredient (pumpkins) to create flavorful treats that you can share with others. There are multiple guides online that go into detail on how to cook these delicious and seasonal foods. So, make use of the pumpkins you see at the grocery store and have fun cooking seasonal fall foods.
Now, there are multiple other activities you can do with pumpkins, but the ones mentioned are some of the most well-known in pumpkin history. So, don’t wait! Pick a pumpkin from your local pumpkin patch, have fun, and let your creativity flourish. Pumpkin season will be over before you know it!
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