Heading to the pumpkin patch or grocery store this weekend?  Here are five tips so you bring home the best one . . .

1.  Check the pumpkins for soft spots and signs of mold.  Don’t forget to check underneath, and press on it with your thumbs.  If it gives a little, the pumpkin isn’t fresh.

2.  Look for one that has its handle or stem intact.  And a dark green stem is a sign it was picked recently, compared to a brown stem.

3.  Tap the outside of the pumpkin.  A hollow sound is means it’s more likely to be easier to carve.

4.  Look for pumpkins with flat walls and no deep ribs.  Those are better for carving.  And skip the tall, oblong pumpkins, which typically have stringier flesh that makes precise cuts difficult.

5.  And when you think you’ve found the one, set it on a flat surface to be sure it sits upright and doesn’t lean to one side.

and when your done put them in the backyard for the birds to peck at for a bite or find a collection site where they will be hauled out to a farm for feed.