Gnarly Gourds And Strange Squash Available In Tulsa

By Rick Wells, The News On 6

TULSA, Oklahoma -- Thinking about a fall display for your front porch this year, but maybe a bunch of orange pumpkins is just too boring? There's a display of gnarly gourds and strange squash and pumpkins that are anything but boring at a Tulsa grocery store.

If your l'il punkin' likes l'il punkins, wait 'til she sees what's at Whole Foods Market. There are hordes of gourds – regular carving pumpkins, funny shapes and funny names.

There's even one called the Lunch Lady.

"Probably just started running out of names," said Jeremy Vick.

Vick, the produce manager at Whole Foods, says having all these varieties is just more fun.

"These are Cinderella pumpkins," he said. "One of the great things about these pumpkins is they last a long time."

Rick Wells: "Have you ever seen one turn into a coach?"

Jeremy Vick: "Not really, but there's a rumor that that has happened."

They have 11 varieties now with half a dozen more coming in the next couple of days. Most all of them come from a farm down in Texas that grows all these varieties for Whole Foods.

If you are curious, there's information about each kind. It tells you whether it's edible or not and other info about each variety.

Find a gourd you like, let it dry out properly, and it'll keep for ever.

Carving pumpkins make the best Jack O' Lanterns. The problem is making them last through Halloween.

"What you can do to prolong the life of that pumpkin is rub the inside with Vaseline or petroleum jelly," produce manager Jeremy Vick said.

"If you put the petroleum jelly on the inside before you carve it or after - in the areas that you've carved - you'll get at least three more days out of it," he said.

There's a usable pumpkin carving tip. Who said my stories don't have good information in them?