Those big pumpkins you see at the pumpkin patch for carving into jack-o'-lanterns look appealing, but they're the worst for cooking and baking. While yes, they are edible and you can cook with them, they're very stringy, bland, and watery.

The best pumpkins for baking and cooking with are sweet, flavorful, and have smooth-textured flesh. In fact, pumpkin purée manufacturer Libby's breeds their own Select Dickinson pumpkins for their extremely smooth texture.

Which pumpkins do I choose?

When shopping for pumpkins, look for the ones usually generically labeled "sugar pumpkins" or "pie pumpkins." Some specific names are Baby Pam, Autumn Gold, Ghost Rider, New England Pie Pumpkin, Lumina (which are white), Cinderella, and Fairy Tale. Cinderella and Fairy Tale pumpkins have hard, thick skins but still have delicious flesh inside.

Choose pumpkins between four to eight pounds, and don't worry if the outside looks a little dull — as long as you don't see any big bruises or soft spots, it's fine. Pumpkins have a long shelf life and can keep for months at cool room temperature.

And if only the big carving pumpkins are available, choose a winter squash like butternut squash instead for the best results.

Source: www.thekitchn.com/the-best-pumpkins-for-baking-ingredient-intelligence-211333