Pumpkin Picking in Yorkshire: Your Guide for Tackling the Pumpkin Patch
28th Sep 2023
Halloween is a time for trick-or-treating, dressing up and pumpkin picking. It’s filled with ghoulishly good activities for families to celebrate all things spooky!
Taking your family to a pumpkin patch is always a memorable experience, but sometimes, finding the right Jack O’Lantern can seem like ‘witchful’ thinking. Thankfully, you’re in the right place. We cover all the best tips for selecting a pumpkin perfect for your Jack O’Lantern.
Where to Go Pumpkin Picking in Leeds and Yorkshire
Looking for a pumpkin patch near you? Stockeld Park holds a fantastic pumpkin patch between the 21st to the 22nd of October and then from the 28th of October till Sunday the 5th of November, 2023.
We invite all ghouls and ghosts to hunt for their dream Jack O’Lantern during our annual Halloween Adventure. Bring your children and wonder through a patch of pumpkins, big and small, and take one home to decorate for the spooky season. Will you go for a wickedly scary design? Or will you turn your Jack O’Lantern into a gourd-geous ghoul?
Whatever you do, go to Stockeld Park for pumpkin picking in Yorkshire and beyond. Until the 31st of October, all paying children will receive a FREE pumpkin.
5 Tips for Fang-Tastic Pumpkin Picking
1. Design First, Pick Later
Before you arrive at Stockeld Park, plan what design you’ll go for when carving your pumpkin. If you’re going for a typical Jack O’Lantern style, opt for a larger pumpkin, so you have plenty of space to engrave.
If you choose to do a spooky character, such as a ghoul or goblin, a wonky-shaped pumpkin will do the trick. This added characteristic gives you the tools to be more creative.
2. Check the Stem
A healthy Jack O’Lantern will have a strong stem at least two inches wide. Select an unripe pumpkin with a green stem, as these will stay fresh on your doorstep much longer.
You’ll always know if a pumpkin is ripe by simply tapping it. If you hear a hollow sound, your pumpkin is too ripe! Plus, it’ll have a brown stem, meaning you might have a mushy fruit lying around sooner than you think.
Don’t forget – a pumpkin stem is not a handle! Carry it carefully until it’s time for carving fun.
3. Keep an Eye Out for Spots and Bumps
Avoid any pumpkins with soft spots, bruises or cuts. These are early signs of rot. It would be a shame to carve open your pumpkin and see its mouldy guts! At our patch, any pumpkin is free for the taking. Feel around for these signs before you head home.
If you discover a gruesome Jack O’Lantern, tell our friendly team, who’ll be happy to cart it away.
4. Check the Colour
Pumpkins come in many colours, shapes and sizes. A Jack O’Lantern will start green, and when ripe, it’ll turn orange. A giant pumpkin will change from bright yellow to pale yellow and finally orange. Whatever you pick, avoid pumpkins with green patches and spots. This indicates it’s either too ripe or unripe.
You need a perfect balance of both so carving can be fun and not disastrous.
5. Select a Flat Base
Every pumpkin is unique. So this means you’ll find the odd gourd with a bumpy, uneven surface. Choose a Jack O’Lantern with a flat base so that it’ll stand up and not topple over.
Will you follow these tips? Put them to the test at Stockeld Park’s pumpkin patch!
Book The Halloween Adventure at Stockeld Park
The spooktacular Halloween Adventure is back! From October 21st, we’ll have lots of exciting, family-fun adventures. Meet the Woodland Witches in the Enchanted Forest, tour the Mummy Maze and sit down for Stockeld Park’s ‘Halloween Street’.
Book your tickets today so you don’t miss out.