Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 61

WHERE TO FIND
LATE-SEASON
PUMPKINS
ecause they are heavy feeders
pumpkins are usually not grown
in the same field in successive years.
Keep an eye out for large pumpkin
fields in late summer and early autumn,
meet the growers if possible,
and return after the seasonal harvest
for the leftovers.
B
Virginia ranks sixth in U.S. pumpkin
production, growing almost 5 percent
of the domestic harvest, some 82 million
pounds.
-NKC
There's only one way to extract
pumpkin seeds, and that's by hand. I
brought a wheelbarrow up to our picnic
table and cut each pumpkin in half, then
set about scraping the pulpy innards into
big bowls. Do you have any idea how
cold the inside of a pumpkin is that has
sat in freezing weather all season?
Once I removed the seeds and
thawed out my hands it was time to rinse
the seeds clean of their stringy fibers.
That was calming, actually, and eventually
I figured I had three pounds of raw
seeds. They needed to soak for an hour
in salted water, then dry on cookie sheets
overnight.
The last step was to bake them in a
hot oven, say at 405 degrees (adjusted for
altitude), for 20 minutes or so, first sprinkling
them with a bit of soy sauce and
a dusting of more salt, and turning and
monitoring them closely so they got crisp
but not burnt. Three pounds shrank
quite a bit in the heat.
Packed into mason jars the seeds were
a big hit at Thanksgiving, and they all
JACLYN CHASE
got eaten during the first round of appetizers.
My then-9-year-old grandson,
William, late to the table, asked dolefully,
" Nana, are there any more pumpkin
seeds? "
" Sorry, dear, they're all gone. "
Okay, so I lied. I'd hidden a little jar
for myself in the back of the pantry at
home. Don't tell anyone.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023 61

Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023

Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - Cover1
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - Cover2
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 3
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 4
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 5
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 6
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 7
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 8
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 9
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 10
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 11
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 12
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 13
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 14
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 15
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 16
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 17
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 18
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 19
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 20
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 21
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 22
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 23
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 24
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 25
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 26
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 27
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 28
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 29
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 30
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 31
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 32
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 33
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 34
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 35
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 36
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 37
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 38
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 39
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 40
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 41
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 42
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 43
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 44
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 45
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 46
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 47
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 48
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 49
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 50
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 51
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 52
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 53
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 54
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 55
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 56
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 57
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 58
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 59
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 60
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 61
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 62
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 63
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 64
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 65
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - 66
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - Cover3
Blue Ridge Country November/December 2023 - Cover4
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