Pumpkin varieties for Halloween

October 29, 7:18 AMLexington Gardening ExaminerBobbi Rightmyer

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Pumpkin varieties
Bobbi Dawn Rightmyer (Farmer's Market)

It's not too late to pick out that perfect pumpkin for Halloween.  Trick-or-Treat night is coming up Saturday, so why not buy several pumpkins to carve?  Here is a list of some of the favorite varieties of pumpkins you will find at your local Farmer's Market or pumpkin farm:

• Cinderella Pumpkins are a unique French heirloom whose correct name is "Rouge vif D'Etampes."  The source of their nickname it that they resemble the pumpkin that Cinderella's fairy godmother transformed into a carriage.   Cinderellas make a delightful decorative accent for the fall season, but additionally their flavor is good for any pie or winter squash recipe.
• Big Max is the largest variety of pumpkins we grow.  They have a bright orange shell and can grow up to about 135 pounds.
• Baby Bear is a favorite pumpkins for many people because of its size - long handles and just the right size for little hands. This pumpkin is excellent to use for an individual "pumpkin bowl" to serve soups, stews and chili. The seeds are semi-hull-less and are excellent roasted.
• Jack-be-Little are the perfect toddler's pumpkin. Older folks like them too. They are tiny and fit in the palm of your hand. When kept out of the direct sun they will last for months. They are perfect displayed on a desk or in a shaded windowsill. They are edible and have a nice flavor.
• Baby Boo are a tiny little pumpkin similar in shape and size to Jack-be-little, only they are white in color. If not protected from the sun after they have been harvested they turn a soft yellow in color. They don't store as well as a Jack-be-little. These are a farm favorite for little ones.
• Lumina Pumpkins are a ghostly white on the exterior, but have an orange interior flesh, which makes for a fun spooky effect when they are carved and a candle is placed inside. They have a delicious flavor and are excellent baked into a pie. When you bring one home display them out of the full sun so they will last longer and keep their white color.
• Baby Sugar Pies are the modern baking pumpkin. If you want to bake pies, and want a pumpkin instead of squash, this is the pumpkin for you! The skin is very thin, the flesh is sweeter and substantially finer grained than a jack-o-lantern type pumpkin.  It is also quite dry which makes for a more stable pie. 
• Australian Blue Pumpkin is a unique pumpkin with a physical appearance resembling a Turban squash. Medium sweet in flavor with thick orange flesh, the contrast of its dusky blue rind and deep orange flesh is striking. Smaller and flatter than common pumpkins, its somewhat ghoulish bluish gray color is especially fitting for Halloween displays