Pumpkin Patch

Since this was our second year doing it I'm now going to call visiting the pumpkin patch a tradition. 

Last year when I made pumpkin pie it was with a pumpkin that I bought at the store and we got our carving pumpkins from the patch. This year I got both in one stop. 

Prairie Gardens is a great local place with tons of U-pick pumpkins in different varieties and sizes and for really reasonable prices. 

When you arrive there is a huge field to park in and that is right next to where the u-pick is, otherwise you would get on a school bus which takes you just down the road to the rest of the farm. Ryan and I haven't gone over but I've been before and it's really great if you have little ones. There are things to buy, great food and plenty of games and entertainment. 

If you go just to buy pumpkins there is no admission, you just pay for what you take. I knew I wanted to get a few pie pumpkins but I hadn't thought about what I wanted to carve this year. We bought 3 different varieties last year that worked out great. 

We walked up and down the rows looking for desirable looking pumpkins. Ryan really likes the perfect round ones and I like to have a great stem. We each found a few that we liked. Some white, some big and some really tiny. 

Since half the fun is looking for them we took our time. Eventually we got a bit cold and on his shortcut to the car for mittens Ryan got a little zap from an electric fence. Fortunately it was more shocking than painful. 

With warm hands we continued our hunt. I found some perfect little ones for my pies and we each settled on small pie pumpkins for carving as well. Since we live in an apartment this year we don't have much space to display big jack-o-lanterns anymore. 

With arms full we headed over to pay. They have a neat system to measure the pumpkins and you are charged based on size. For a whopping $18 dollars we got 7 pumpkins. 4 to make into pie, 2 to carve and 1 decorative white one that may or may not get carved. 

I've taken the time to look at prices in the stores since then and we got a great deal! The tiny ornamental pumpkins that are no bigger than a fist are $2 each where I looked! 

I'm really looking forward to turning these little beauties into delicious pie!!