Take the Pumpkin Challenge!

Much to my chagrin, pumpkin products are only available a few months of the year: the beginning of fall through New Year’s. Imagine Prometheus giving the gift of fire to all mankind, but adding the stipulation, “Sorry, you can only use it on the weekends.”

The pumpkin is a delicacy. Last fall, knowing pumpkin season only lasts a few sweet months, I challenged myself to eat as many varieties of pumpkins as I could. Between the period of mid-September and Halloween, I ate 20 different varieties of pumpkin. This year, I am presenting this challenge to anyone; those who are really determined should try and beat last year’s record.

Here are the rules: The item consumed must be a food. (Inhaling a pumpkin candle scent does not count.) The only beverage allowed is the milkshake. Food items cannot be doubled. (Two slices of pumpkin cheesecake count as one item. The only way it could count for two different items is if the second item has a distinct enough difference of flavor that it warrants a slightly altered name AND the item comes from a different source than the first item.)

At the beginning of November I will post the pumpkin items I consume this year on my quest to beat last year’s record, along with last year’s list. I invite anyone else to take the Pumpkin Challenge.

“This year I invested in pumpkins. They’ve been going up the whole month of October and I got a feeling they’re going peak right around January.” – Homer Simpson

UPDATE: Ben and Jerry’s is offering a “Limited Edition” flavor in its scoop shops: Pumpkin Cheesecake. But don’t let that keep you from indulging in locally-made Pumpkin ice cream!