Pumpkin!

The little pumpkin I wrote about a few weeks ago was ready to be picked yesterday. There are a few tests a pumpkin should pass before it’s harvested. It should, of course, be the right color. If you rap it with your knuckle it should sound a bit hollow. And if you poke it lightly with your fingernail, the skin should be firm enough to offer some resistance. When all that criteria is met, cut the stem with a very sharp knife close to where it attaches to the vine. The stem acts as a scab of sorts, sealing off that end of the pumpkin so it will keep until you’re ready to make the pie you’ve been planning since you planted seeds in June, the pie the critters attempted to thwart, in short, the greatest pie you’ve ever eaten.