The air is crisp, the leaves are turning, you’re walking home from school and what do you see on every front stoop?
Pumpkins.
They’re the staple of the fall season. From pumpkin picking to pumpkin pies, you can’t spell autumn without pumpkins. Every trip back to Grandma’s house for Thanksgiving, every time you sit down at that table to dig into your turkey, after it’s all said and done, what is the thing that finishes up your night? A good ol’ fashioned piece of pumpkin pie with a dollop of whipped cream on top. From its unique taste to the fact that fall is the only acceptable time a year to eat a pumpkin pie, there is something about a piece of pumpkin pie that just feels like home. Even left over, it is still far superior to some mushy, old apple pie. Also, if you think apple is better just because you can eat it with ice cream, you need to try pumpkin pie with vanilla ice cream because that is top tier.
Another sweet pumpkin treat that is beloved this season is the ever famous “pumpkin spice chai latte” from Starbucks. The first sip of this iconic, pumpkin fall drink really fills you with warmth. It tastes like drinking pumpkin pie. It tastes like walking home from school with leaves crunching under your feet. It tastes like coming home from a football game and just wanting to curl up and fall asleep. It tastes like wanting to lay on the couch all day under a soft blanket and watch “Hocus Pocus.” Case in point, the pumpkin spice chai latte tastes like fall.
Pumpkin has more uses beyond just being amazing in the kitchen. It is the center of the best fall activity to do with friends and family: pumpkin carving! Have you ever tried to carve an apple? Let me tell you, it’s no easy thing. While it
can be messy and make your hands feel like they’re going to fall off from the cold, it’s one of those things that you love that much more because of it. Plus, if you take the seeds out of the pumpkin you carved, you can put some seasoning on
them and you can roast them and now you have pumpkin seeds to
eat. Also, stick a candle in that jack-o-lantern and set it out on your
front porch and you can have a silent judging contest between your
pumpkin carvings and your neighbors.
It’s the highlight of the season.
Another fun activity to do with pumpkins is pumpkin picking. Not only is the actual act of pumpkin picking really fun, you get a workout in too with lifting a bunch of heavy pumpkins. Not only that, pumpkin patches are the absolute best place to take fall Instagram photos — not some summery apple orchard which is only cute in June, not October. Besides, when you go to a pumpkin patch, there is almost always a competition to see who can grow the biggest pumpkin. This is not only an entertaining competition but it’s also really impressive. Those pumpkins can grow to be bigger than you. I remember one of my most fun memories as a kid was going to go see a giant pumpkin with my family.
The best part about all of this, is the memories you make with the people you go with. Not only are pumpkins amazing and far superior to apples, but in doing these activities and eating these foods, you get to spend time with those you love.
-Julia Frantz
When thinking about Autumn, oftentimes, people picture gorgeous trees with yellow, red and orange gradients, a nice cozy sweater, a warm drink and a good book. Another Autumn staple is pumpkins. I personally think pumpkins are overrated. Apple has a special place in my heart that pumpkins can’t quite fill.
One of my favorite fall activities is apple picking. There’s nothing like searching for the perfect apple on a bright, crisp fall morning with some friends. Apple orchards are gorgeous and full of so much color; the beauty is unbelievable. My birthday is in October and every year, I go apple picking with either friends or family. I look forward to this because it’s so much fun getting to just walk around and chit chat with friends. Not to mention, the photo opportunities are amazing. When you’re done picking those apples, you take them home and the possibilities are endless.
First and most importantly, you have to make apple pie. This amazing delicacy is perfect on your family’s Thanksgiving dinner table. Apple, cinnamon, sugar, all topped with some vanilla ice\ cream makes the perfect combination. If you like pumpkin pie over apple pie, then you probably have never had an apple pie still warm from the oven. Nothing can beat the warmth it makes you feel on the inside. It’s almost as if it’s an internal hug. Who doesn’t love a good hug?
Besides apple pie, there are plenty of other fall desserts you can choose from such as, a cinnamon apple crisp, apple croissant, and so many more. Apples can be used to create a variety of drinks as well, one of my favorites being warm apple cider. If you haven’t caught my point yet, apple has so many options to choose from. If you want something sweet, you can make it sweet. If you want something a little more savory, then you can find countless recipes out there. If you’re not a pie fan at all, then with your freshly picked apples you can coat them in caramel and make some caramel apples with any kind of topping you want.
Many who like pumpkin during the fall season will argue that the Starbucks pumpkin drinks are better. While those drinks are very popular, there’s one apple drink that is incredibly underrated. If you haven’t yet, run to your nearest Starbucks and try their “Caramel Apple Spice.” It’s the perfect drink to warm you up on a chill fall day. This drink consists of their cinnamon dolce syrup, steamed apple juice, topped with whipped cream and some caramel drizzle. If you’re not a coffee fan or just not in the mood for an espresso taste, I highly recommend trying this drink.
If you weren’t an apple fan before, I hope I’ve pulled you over to the light because apples are one of the most complex fall fruits with so many possibilities on how to enjoy them. I hope this fall you get to explore with friends and find out whether or not you like pumpkin or apple more. If you’re ever bored, go to Starbucks and taste test their fall drinks, drive to the nearest apple/pumpkin orchard and make it an adventure or bake some of your favorite pies to give to those you care about.
-Carys Eynon
