It’s the punkin time of the year

By BECKY NELSON
Bramblings
It’s time for spooks and ghosts and goblins and witches and candy and parties and costumes and fun. Halloween stirs up lots of feelings in people, both good and bad. I have read in a National Retail Federation annual survey that they expect 1.7 million people to celebrate Halloween with spending anticipated at $8.4 billion, BILLION. Taken from their website: “total spending for Halloween is expected to reach $9 billion this year. Celebrants are planning to spend an average of $86.79, up from last year’s $86.13, with more than 175 million Americans planning to partake in Halloween festivities.” Think of what that money could do if donated and spent on hurricane relief, education funding or relief for those who don’t know where their next meal is coming from.

Don’t get me wrong. Halloween and harvest season are extremely important to us at the farm. Pumpkins, cider, apples and cornstalks are big sellers, and our annual income depends quite heavily on fall sales of these crops that we spend months growing and preparing. Jack o’lanterns and Halloween parties demand pumpkins for carving and decoration, and we are happy to oblige by growing bins full each year. It amazes me how much folks spend on Halloween with lawn decorations and elaborate costumes for their kids and candy by the bucket-load to hand out on chilly evenings.

All in the name of scaring ourselves. I have never been a fan of horror movies or haunted houses, haunted hayrides, haunted anything. I can easily do without gruesome, bloody-looking costumes, thoughts of walking dead or folks jumping out from behind buildings or trees to make me fear for my life. There is much to be fearful of in the world, and creating a scenario to send my adrenaline into overdrive and my heart pounding out of my chest just for the sake of scaring myself is not on my list of fun things to do. The fun of carving pumpkins and roasting pumpkin seeds is, however, high on my list, and I miss the days of spreading out newspaper, handing each kid a marker and a knife and creating fun pumpkin decorations to adorn the steps or the porch.

Pumpkins are a good crop. We plant them, weed them a couple of times and the rest the plants do on their own with a bit of help from bees and pollinating insects. Enough rain, enough room to grow unhindered, enough sun, enough time, and we are usually rewarded with a good crop. We struggled with mold and mildew and deer and squirrels this year, as most years, but we still raised plenty, and there is nothing quite like the sight of a pumpkin in the window or on the deck to help you fully appreciate the beauty and fun of autumn.

Living in the country, we were never much for the trick-or-treating aspect of the holiday, though we often did join friends or family as they trudged door-to-door looking for treats. I am glad that the “tricks” of “Cabbage Night” with pranksters running around looping toilet paper in trees, throwing eggs at cars and creating mayhem no longer seem to be an issue, at least not in our neighborhood. I am a bit discouraged that we Americans spend so much money on Halloween events, however. A bit of holiday cheer and a pumpkin on the porch, and I am okay.

When you carve that pumpkin, don’t throw the seeds into the trash. Roast them and snack on them while you enjoy a glass of cider or plan for the next holiday. Simple, inexpensive, yummy.

 

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Contents of the inside of a pumpkin

3-4 Tablespoons melted butter or cooking oil

Salt

 

Remove as much pulp as you can from the seeds. Place in a colander and rinse under cold water. Pat dry with a towel or let drain completely. Place in a large bowl and add butter or oil and salt and toss so all seeds are coated. Spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Preheat oven to 250 degrees then place the sheet in the oven and roast for about 45 minutes, Stir and toss the seeds on the pan 2 or 3 times during cooking and remove when a golden brown. Cool and enjoy!