For Halloween, Katie and I got a pumpkin. We didn't end up carving it or really doing much of anything with it other than set it out on the porch for the trick-or-treaters. We only got the pumpkin the day before the grand event and felt it was the least we could do. That and have candy for the kids.
A few days ago, somebody stole the pumpkin off our porch. We don't exactly live in a crime-filled neighborhood but our porch is about three or four steps from the sidewalk and, naturally, the pumpkin makes a tempting target. All in all, the theft is not the big of a deal except for the fact that Katie had plans for it; pumpkin pie if I remember right. Being the kind and loving husband I am and noting that she was particularly grieved that somebody would actually go to the trouble of taking our pumpkin, I decided I would get her another one.
A simple task, I thought. It's the week before Thanksgiving, pumpkin pie is a very traditional dish, there should be loads of fresh pumpkins for sale.
Five stores later, I have realized how sadly naive I can be. There are no fresh pumpkins to be easily found here in Wichita. I tried a farmer's market of sorts, three grocery stores, and the home and garden store Katie got her first pumpkin from. None had any left except small, decorative ones.
The funny thing is that all but one of these stores were all decked out in Thanksgiving regalia. Lots of browns and oranges (for our purposes we'll call this pumpkin-color), cornucopias of squashes, corn, potatoes and, yes, pumpkins, scarecrows, and turkeys. All of these items are available for purchase EXCEPT the pumpkins.
So let me ask you, my friends. Is it normal for pumpkins to disappear shortly after Halloween? If so, how are the pumpkin pies made? How about where you live; can you still buy a fresh pumpkin? Is it asking too much to still be able to buy a pumpkin this far after Halloween? Are they already out of season? Are most pumpkin pies made with canned pumpkin? What would the pilgrims think?
Please, share your thoughts in the comments.
A good substitute for pumpkin, if you want fresh and not canned is a winter squash. Butternut or acorn or that type of squash make great pies. I guess more people eat squash than pumpkin and hence the dissapearance of the pumpkins after their decorative need has passed.
ReplyDeleteIf it's any consolation, the large jack'o lantern type pumpkins don't make very good pie anyway. Their flavor is too mild (though they do make a fairly good soup). For pies, you really need the smaller pie pumpkins.
ReplyDeleteI think the headless horseman picked it up while he was chasing after Ichabod.
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