Pumpkins are a lot more interesting than you might think. While these large, orange orbs are ubiquitous this time of the year as decorations, they have a very important place in the history of the Americas.
Indigenous to the Americas, pumpkins were a significant part of the Native American diet for centuries. Nowadays, aside from pumpkin pie, we tend to use pumpkins primarily as decoration, but when European settlers arrived they too found these fruits to be an important source of nutrition, especially during the winter months. Pumpkin flesh is high in fiber, vitamin A and potassium, rich in beta-carotene and low in sodium.
It is often said that the history of this country may have turned out quite differently were it not for this critical winter food source. Pumpkins could be harvested in the fall and stored for many months.
Eventually, pumpkin seeds were transported back to Europe and bred for particular characteristics and tastes. Today we have hundreds of different pumpkin varieties to choose from with new hybrids in development all the time. Yes, many pumpkins are big and orange and make the perfect jack-o’-lantern, but there are many unique-looking pumpkin varieties, too.
Pumpkins are members of the Cucurbita family, along with squash, cucumbers, and melons. The official line between pumpkins and squash is a fine one, and there is a lot of crossover and regionality in the usage of these common terms. Most experts consider pumpkins to fit into the winter squash category right along with hubbards, acorns and butternuts. They all have hard skins and store well.
Pumpkins and other squash types fit into four primary species.
Cucurbita moschata – This group includes crookneck varieties like butternut and cushaw. Also included are cooking pumpkins and many of the varieties used for canning. Members of this species are generally more resistant to pests and diseases, including squash bugs and vine borers.
Cucurbita pepo – Most jack-‘o-lantern-type and mini pumpkins are this species, as well as soft-skinned summer squashes like patty pan and zucchini. Gourds also share this species.
Cucurbita maxima – C. maxima is a group that includes some of the largest species of pumpkins and squash, including the hubbard, turban and buttercup.
Cucurbita mixta – Not nearly as sweet and flavorful as the other group, members of this species are most often used as a source of edible seeds. They have good resistance to vine borers and drought.
As you visit your local garden center this month seeking pumpkins, squash, and gourds for decorating your porch or patio, keep an eye out for some of the more unusual varieties. While in years past, big, orange pumpkins were the only ones to be found on the market, nowadays there’s a plethora of fun and funky pumpkins you can buy (and eat!). Here are a few of my favorites.
Rouge Vif d’Etampes – Translated as “red life of the times,” this French heirloom is sometimes called the Cinderella pumpkin. Large fruits ripen to a deep orange/red color. They are flattened, deeply lobed fruits that are reported to have been the variety served by the pilgrims at the second Thanksgiving.
Long Island Cheese – The smooth, tan skin and flat shape of this pumpkin make it look much like a wheel of cheese. Weighing in at up to 20 pounds, each Long Island Cheese is an excellent roasting and baking pumpkin with deep orange, sweet flesh.
Red Warty Thing – The name pretty much says it all. Round pumpkins are a bright red at maturity. Weighing 10 pounds or more, they have hard, bumpy skin.
La Estrella – Its grey, green and peach-colored skin looks like it was painted onto the fruit. This is a newer variety that is the result of hybridization efforts at The University of Florida. Fruits weigh up to 10 pounds each and have deep orange flesh.
Lumina – A pure white, classic shaped pumpkin measuring 8 to 10 inches across, the flesh is great for cooking.
Baby Boo – A super cute mini-pumpkin with stark white skin, this variety is exclusively for decoration and is a real hit with kids.
American Tonda – A beautiful, ribbed pumpkin, the skin is deep orange with green stripes between the ribs. Fruits weigh between 4 and 6 pounds.
Horticulturist Jessica Walliser co-hosts “The Organic Gardeners” at 7 a.m. Sundays on KDKA Radio with Doug Oster. She is the author of several gardening books, including “Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden,” “Good Bug, Bad Bug,” and her newest title, “Container Gardening Complete.” Her website is jessicawalliser.com. Send your gardening or landscaping questions to tribliving@tribweb.com or The Good Earth, 622 Cabin Hill Drive, Greensburg, PA 15601.
