Local pumpkins from Gallmeyer Farms are in stores now!

It’s time to get into the fall mindset, and we’ve got gorgeous pumpkins and gourds to help you spruce up your autumn décor. Our pumpkins come from Gallmeyer Farms, a local farm that’s located in the East End. The land that the farm is on has been in the Gallmeyer family since the early 1900’s.

Steve Gallmeyer and his father Bill take pride in raising the best pumpkins and developing personal relationships with the people they sell their pumpkins to. Along with basic Aladdin pumpkins, they grow Cinderella pumpkins that are round and deep orange like Cinderella’s carriage, Nucklehead pumpkins that have bumpy edges and are perfectly spooky for Halloween, Full Moon pumpkins that are round and white, and even tiny white “Baby Boo” pumpkins. The Gallmeyers also grow a host of gourds that come in a variety of shapes and colors. You can find all these items right now in our stores.

For those of you who crave pumpkins to cook with, Ukrop’s also sells pie pumpkins from Gallmeyer farms. If you’ve never tried it before, try making your own pumpkin puree for a pumpkin pie this year!  It’ll give your traditional dessert fresh flavor that your guests will rave about.

All you have to do is pick up a 3-4 pound pie pumpkin at our store. When you get home, preheat your oven to 375 degrees. While the oven is heating, rinse your pumpkin and make sure it’s clean. Then, dry it with paper towels. Split the pumpkin in half and scrape the insides with a metal spoon to remove the seeds and stringy fibers. Set the seeds aside if you want to roast them and throw away the stringy fibers. Rub the cut parts of the pumpkin with melted butter or canola oil, and then set the halves cut-side-down in a roasting pan that’s been filled with about ½ inch of water. Bake them in the oven for about 1 ½ hours or until the flesh is tender. Remove the halves from the oven and allow to cool. Once cool, scoop the baked flesh out of each pumpkin half and puree in a food processor until smooth. Place in a sieve lined with a paper towels or cheesecloth and allow to drain for 1 to 2 hours or until the puree is as dense as canned pumpkin puree. This should yield 3 to 4 cups of puree. Use anywhere you would canned pumpkin puree or stir into oatmeal for a vitamin-packed breakfast.

You can find Gallmeyer pumpkins and gourds in our stores all season long, and starting on October 1 you can also go visit the Gallmeyer pumpkin patch where you’ll find free hayrides, a haunted barn and a straw bale maze. The pumpkin patch is open from 8 a.m. until dark.