THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 22, 1995 TAG: 9510200200
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 12 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SUSAN W. SMITH, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 79 lines
'Tis the season for pumpkins, pumpkins, pumpkins.
Fall leaves, frosty nights and grinning jack-o'-lanterns herald October, and pumpkin pies laced with sugar and spice complete November.
Pumpkins have an interesting life story.
The fruit - or vegetable, depending on who you talk to - grows on a long trailing vine and is a member of the gourd family. It's closely related to the squash. Seeds have been discovered in the Americas that date back to 7,000 B.C.
The large, prickly leaves of pumpkin vines have male and female yellow, bell-shaped flowers. In the spring, bees transport pollen from the male flower to the female. There's only one chance to make a connection. Female flowers only open once per season for pollination, and only pollinated female flowers become pumpkins.
The coarse, stringy pulp is rich in vitamin A and potassium. Native Americans used dried pumpkin seeds as part of their diet. Now they're a popular snack food. Early American settlers developed bread, pudding, pies and even soup, which have become traditional foods for this time of year.
Florida, New York, North Carolina and South Carolina are the leading producers of pumpkins.
Although Rudy Delfenphal and Mac McCary, Chesapeake produce stand owners, said that this year's local crop of pumpkins is not the best ever, they've got plenty on hand. They brought in the truckloads of orange gourds from Ohio and Pennsylvania to meet the picky local demand. Prices range from 99 cents for the smallest ones to $8.50 for the largest.
Delfenphal has displayed pumpkins at Bi-Rite Produce, on Battlefield Boulevard near the locks, for six years. He has about 4,000 pumpkins that range from fist size to about 15 pounds. He shipped most of his crop in from Ohio this year.
At Mac's Produce Stand, owned by McCary, about 500 of the orange harvest decorate the corner of the Kempsville Road site. McCary said that if he had not ordered his supply last year, he probably would not have many this year.
``Much of the Virginia crop suffered from lack of rain this summer,'' said Connie Meadows, who works at Bi-Rite. ``Many pumpkins grown locally are discolored or show signs of rot.''
She pointed to a rusty, orange one grown in Chesapeake, which had some of the signs of rot and mildew - white streaks, soft spots and crusty scales. Then she pointed to a more healthy dark orange Ohio fruit with sharp, fine lines in the rind.
This week, C.B. Briggs from Gates County, N.C., loaded his pick-up truck and brought some of his crop to Great Bridge to market.
Briggs said that he planted about four acres of seeds in mid-June and began pulling the first ones in early October.
``I heard everyone here wanted pumpkins,'' Briggs said.
``All ages come in to pick them out,'' Meadows said. ``One father even videotaped his family's search for just the right ones.''
She said they are used not only for Halloween but also for decoration in harvest scenes along with Indian corn, corn stalks and bales of hay.
Meadows said people spend as much time making their choice as they do selecting a Christmas tree.
On Tuesday, she said, one little boy went up and down the rows quietly looking, and then suddenly dissolved into tears. His mother rushed over to discover that he was upset because he wanted one with a face. The mother explained that pumpkins weren't grown that way, and they would make their own face when they got home.
Ronnie Bennett, a produce browser, said everyone had to have at least one experience of carving a jack-o'-lantern. He said it takes him about 25 minutes to cut the top off, scoop out the insides and create a face with eyes, mouth and a nose.
Meadows said the smaller pie, or sugar, pumpkins make the best pies. The pumpkins weigh about two pounds, and cost from $1.75 to about $3. Each one will yield several pies. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MORT FRYMAN
Rebekah Crot clutches a pumpkin about the right size for a
3-year-old.
by CNB