17 Tips For those who love Pumpkin
Everything is A Pumpkin…Maybe
I came across a great article this week about how what we traditionally call pumpkin may be the next super food.
Here is the article
There is an interesting linguistic thing going on here with the word “pumpkin”. In the United States, a pumpkin is an orange-fleshed and orange-skinned winter squash which is vaguely globe-shaped. But in Australia, a pumpkin is any winter squash, including ones which, in the United States, are known as butternut squash, acorn squash, and others. I don’t know about other countries, though.
On the whole, there doesn’t seem to be a clear line between melons, squashes, and gourds. They’re all things that grow on vines. I think, on the whole, the sweeter ones, we call melons, the starchier ones, we call squashes, and the ones we use for decoration are called gourds.
In New England, a pumpkin is always round-ish and orange-ish. There they have three different categories of pumpkins:
1. eating pumpkins,
2. decorative pumpkins,
3. and competition-grade giant pumpkins.
Eating pumpkins, also called pie pumpkins or sugar pumpkins, are bred for flavor and tasty orange flesh.
Decorative pumpkins, also called Jack-o-lantern pumpkins, are bred for color and shape, and tougher, stronger flesh that can hold up to being hollowed out, carved into shapes, and left outside for weeks. They’re technically edible, but are essentially tasteless/
And giant pumpkins are bred and grown for sheer size, for the yearly harvest contests for biggest pumpkin. These are usually barely even slightly orange, and are not round. They’re just too big to hold onto a round shape, and end up like pale Jabba-the-Hutt like blobs.
The world record weight for a giant pumpkin is more than a ton.
There are all sorts of different pumpkins! The most common type is probably the jack-o-lantern pumpkin, which is the classic orange pumpkin that you see at Halloween. But there are also white pumpkins, green pumpkins, and even dark purple pumpkins.
Here are 17 Fun Facts About Pumpkins
1. They are berries. Pumpkins are the largest berries. Why? They are “…a fleshy fruit produced from a single ovary.”
2. Watermelons are also technically berries, but class-for-class pumpkins are larger.
3. It’s not well known, but pumpkins and blueberries are the same class of food.
4. Gourds, is the collective name for squashs, pumpkins and butternut squashs. To name just a couple, they tend to have a tough skin for protection , the inside is the flesh with a hollow which contains the seeds, scrape the seeds out and cut the clean flesh into chunks, normally roasted till flesh is soft.
5. A pumpkin is a type of squash. In North America we usually only call the bigger orange winter squash a pumpkin but in other places they will call almost all their squashes pumpkins even if they are summer squash and not orange colored at all.
6. They are all one genus.
7. My friend grew some Cinderella‘s Carriage pumpkins this year. Same species as the orang taslesst pumpkins, zucchini, and acorn squash: Cucurbita pepo. Cinderella‘s Carriage pumpkins have flavor and some sweetness. For a borderline diabetic you can get starch without spiking your blood sugar.
8. Kabocha squash is really good as tempura.
9. Butternut squashes aren’t called pumpkins in the U.S., but again, same genus, C. moschata. Cross pollinates with the “normal” pumpkins.
10. What kind of pumpkin is used for pumpkin seeds? Well it depends on what pumpkin seed you mean. Normal winter squash seeds and pretty much any winter squash or pumpkin will do. But yes you can roast any winter squash seed and they are all edible, at least from the common commercial varieties. For the most part, the number of seeds a plant produces is related evolutionarily to the plant’s ability to reproduce without human intervention. This could be because the seeds have a naturally low germination rate, a very hard shell, don’t easily escape from the pod, are very temperature sensitive, etc. For a pumpkin, and many other fruits & vegetables, it’s a combination of several factors. For pumpkins to reproduce, they need to be pollinated successfully, the fruits need to grow to maturity, the pumpkin needs to be opened (by an animal or some natural way if not by a human) while the seeds are most viable, and then the seeds must successfully dry and find their way back into the soil at the right time of year without rotting or being made unviable by mold or disease, or eaten by other creatures. The slime they are covered with also acts as a bit of a prophylactic if it’s too thick. Because of all these hurdles, only a few seeds will successfully grow into a new pumpkin plant the following season. Without producing a large quantity of seeds, there would be little chance of the pumpkins reproducing naturally in the wild. Pumpkin seeds have a high germination rate if harvested, washed, dried and replanted by humans.
11. How do they grow pumpkins over two thousand pounds? They plant several individual plants in a large open and well fertilized area. Then, when the plants start to first bud out, the grower will go to each plant and nip off all of the individual buds except a couple. Then, all of the effort of growing will be concentrated on just those couple of blossoms. Then, a short time later the grower goes through again and tries to determine which of the newly developing fruits looks to have the most promise. Once that is identified on each plant, then the other buds are clipped off. This leaves all of the growing power of each individual plant to be funneled into one developing fruit. The growers spend a lot of time protecting and nurturing each of those fruits as they grow. Many times there pedestals built so the fruit is not lying on the soil. Sometimes, there is shade provided if the heat of the sun becomes a problem. These ‘pumpkins’ are very carefully coddled by the growers in order to reach those gargantuan sizes.
12. The best Pumpkins to cook: The large pumpkins used for jack o’lanterns have very little flavor. If you want to cook pumpkins, look for the smaller, sweeter pie pumpkins. If you’re making pumpkin pie, it’s useful to know that most pumpkin pies you buy in stores and bakeries are actually made with several varieties of squash more closely resembling butternut squash than the classic Halliween pumpkin. Pumpkins have a very delicate flavor, and don’t really stand up to the spices and sweetness of a pie. They do however, make a very nice creamy soup, and a delicious puree that can be served as a side dish. Roast the pumpkins, scoop out the flesh, and puree it with butter, cream, salt, and a hint of nutmeg and cayenne pepper. It’s yummy.
13. There are black pumpkins: There are a couple of known varieties of squash that are black, the Kabocha Japanese pumpkin and the Futsu. Similar to kabocha and acorn squash these fruits have a rich butter-nutty flavor.
14. There are white black pumpkins: A White pumpkin is a low-calorie fruit high in water, fiber, and other nutrients. It strengthens the immune system and improves vision. It aids digestion and aids in the detoxification of the body. It is well-known for its ability to aid in weight loss and to boost energy levels. This vegetable, which is low in calories, high in fiber, and high in water content, may aid digestion and promote a healthy body weight. For example, research suggests that low calorie, water-dense foods like white pumpkin may aid in weight loss. It is also a good source of soluble fiber. Because it contains soluble fiber, which slows digestion, it makes you feel fuller for a longer period of time. White pumpkin juice is high in vitamins A, C, and E, as well as zinc, all of which contribute to healthy, glowing skin and help to prevent signs of ageing. A cup of pumpkin seeds per day hydrates and nourishes your skin, preventing the appearance of wrinkles.
15. Some folks use the term “hard pumpkin”: A hard squash is the category of squashes that includes pumpkin. Many languages don’t have separate words for squash and pumpkin, so this is probably a common translation mix-up. The opposite of hard squash is summer squash, because they ripen throughout summer rather than fall. Summer squash are not hollow in the middle and the seeds become tender if cooked, unlike most hard squash. In some locations only zucchini and yellow squash are in the summer squash category. If you have never eaten these, they are quite similar to eggplant, though not related. Hard squash includes all other food squash that I know of: pumpkin, spaghetti squash, butternut squash, Hubbard squash, and all kinds of gourds.
16. Here is some history: Squash, gourds and pumpkins originated in the Americas. According to Wikipedia, pumpkin fragments dating from 7,000 to 5,000 BC have been found in Mexico. Pumpkins may owe their existence to the fact that humans think they taste good. According to members of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, pumpkins and other descendants of the Cucurbita fruit may have gone extinct along with large animals like giant sloths and mammoths they depended on to crush the fruit and distribute the seeds. But alas, when humans like a particular food plant, they breed the attributes they like and over the course of thousands of years, the fruit bears little resemblance to its ancestor. I could find no references to any wild pumpkins in today’s world. So if you mean a genetically “pure pumpkin” untouched by human breeding, you are probably out of luck.
The Libby company produces a canned product they call pure pumpkin, which appears to be nothing but pureed pumpkin, perhaps that would do.
17. sugar pumpkins: Sugar pumpkins and, also known as pie pumpkins or sugar pie pumpkins, are small pumpkins that are sweeter and less stringy than the large pumpkins sold for Jack O’Lantetns and other autumnal decorations. If you want to bake pies, the small (six — eight inches) sugar pumpkins have better pumpkin flavor, especially if you roast them instead of boiling or steaming, to concentrate the sugars in the fruit.
18…..The character played by Robert De Niro in the King of Comedy is named Rupert Pupkin, not Pumpkin!
Here is a Medium story on this subject @daretobeaverage
Here is one from the archives @LewisCoaches
Learn more about my philosophy and extensive teachings here
To learn more about studying directly with me, just email me at LewisCoaches@gmail.com. I will respond personally.
Author: Lewis Harrison is a Manifestation Coach, and a blog and copywriter for hire.
He is the creator of the Ask Lewis Mentoring Method as well as HAGT — Harrison’s Applied Game Theory. He is the Executive Director of the International Association of Healing Professionals an educational organization that offers programs around the world in Intentional Living. He is also Independent Scholar, with a passion for knowledge, personal development, self-improvement, creativity, innovation, and problem-solving. You can read all of his Medium stories at Lewis.coaches@medium.com.
For a decade, Lewis was the host of a humor-based Q & A talk show on NPR (National Public Radio) affiliated WIOX FM in NY.
To learn more about studying with me, email me at LewisCoaches@gmail.com
Lewis Administers, many free communities (Groups) on Facebook. Please join us.
- The Self Improvement Lifestyle,
- Eastern Mystic Wisdom,
- Futurist Community (An exploration of applied game theory)
- Wisdom Path Community.
If you have any ideas you would like me to write about, just email me at LewisCoaches@gmail.com or check out all of my books, blogs, and videos through my portal www.asklewis.com
Join and subscribe to our free Self-improvement Community and get a free Ebook of self-improvement strategies. Here you will receive a daily tip filled newsletter, advanced courses, educational videos, and inspiring personal development stories…
Just Click Below to subscribe for free…
I want to acknowledge Karl Troutman, Jacqui Morley, Dan Hunter, Beth Goldowitz, Chris Larsen David Schwartz, Gurpreet Kaur, Shane Ryoo Mare, Timothy Sly, Krupa Niddhi, Michael Keigan whose informative posts on various online forums got me motivated to explore this subject in greater depth.
