Hey, the pumpkin craze is real, and it’s not over yet. Consumers either decorate their doorsteps or tables with them or they buy it in a can, in a spice jar, in a latte or within a dizzying variety of other products.
So, how do you make the case for buying (or repurposing) whole, fresh pumpkins for culinary uses? What do you do with your porch pumpkins when you’re swapping décor for the next holiday?
This episode of the Tip of the Iceberg podcast addresses these questions and more, featuring Holly Lucille, a practicing naturopathic doctor and senior medical advisor at Fullscript, which started as a dietary supplement dispensary and has since become a tool for integrative practitioners and patients. It’s a resource for those needing advice on following doctor’s dietary orders, gaining wellness insights and how-to tips.
Learn: Pumpkins, the commodity
Lucille has the knowledge of what fresh, whole pumpkins can do for the consumer as far as functional health and how to prepare what seems like an unwieldy vegetable. She also provides actionable takeaways for companies and supermarket produce buyers, managers and executives to increase sales.
“So, have a great decoration, clean ’em up and get that flesh out of there,” she says.
Related: Have you heard of our free professional development courses at ProduceEDU.com? You take the course on your own time and get a certificate of completion. Hey, it couldn’t hurt when you ask for a raise or new role.
- There’s a Produce Buying Fundamentals course about navigating surprises and stress on the produce desk.
- And there’s a course on merchandising, which focuses on the sales strategy, food safety and artistry behind in-store produce displays.
Also: PMG’s next merchandising display contest deadline is coming up Dec. 8, for the Fall 2022 Produce Artist Award Series. Send us six to 10 large photos of your apples, hard squash, pears, pumpkins and sweet potatoes at [email protected]. Include your name, company, location and job title.
And don't forget, listen to the whole pumpkiny interview on our Tip of the Iceberg podcast.