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20 Amazing Facts About Pumpkins

The pumpkin plant is very important for agriculture. It is used for food, some of its varieties are grown as animal feed, and representatives of certain nations make a variety of things from pumpkins, sometimes very unusual. These fruits are very diverse, and they readily take root in a wide variety of conditions, demonstrating powerful abilities for survival.

  1. The world’s largest pumpkin is gigantic. The record weight specimen was grown in Belgium, and its weight was more than a ton – 1190 kg.
  2. In South America, the Indians cultivated pumpkins long before the arrival of the Europeans.
  3. These plants are both annual and perennial. There are only about 100 species of annuals.
  4. From the point of view of botany, pumpkin, like watermelon, belongs to berries.
  5. Soups, pastries, and many other dishes are made from pumpkin in different countries.
  6. In total, there are now about 800 varieties of this plant in the world, but only a quarter of them can be eaten.
  7. Modern pumpkins appeared on Earth very recently, about 7000 years ago. Most likely, they were bred by the first breeders from among the ancient people.
  8. The homeland of the pumpkin is Mexico. Since then, this plant has spread throughout the world.
  9. Due to the high content of vitamins A and E, regular consumption of pumpkin in food slows down the aging process.
  10. Vitamin T in pumpkins helps the body absorb heavy foods more easily.
  11. The iron content of pumpkin pulp is higher than that of any other vegetable.
  12. On average, pumpkin is 90% water. The exact value depends on the plant variety.
  13. In Germany, in the city of Ludwigsburg, a pumpkin festival is held every autumn.
  14. Zucchini, cucumbers, and watermelons are botanically related to pumpkin plants.
  15. Since ancient times, the Irish have carved lanterns for the Samhain holiday, which became the prototype of Halloween, from rutabagas. In the United States, their descendants decided that pumpkin was easier to carve because of its softness.
  16. French explorer Jacques Cartier, the first among Europeans to discover pumpkins, mistook them for giant watermelons.
  17. The flowers of some types of pumpkins are quite edible.
  18. In ancient times, many healers believed that pumpkin helped with snake bites. In fact, this is not the case.
  19. Fresh pumpkin juice is a natural sleep aid.
  20. Pumpkin seeds are very useful, and the seeds of a fully ripe pumpkin are an order of magnitude more useful than seeds of a young one.
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Food

The Differences When Buying Pumpkins

It’s finally pumpkin time again! In bright colors, it really spices up the dreary autumn – and on the kitchen table. The vegetables can also be used in many ways and taste good as a soup, baked from the oven, or as a delicious side dish. But do you prefer organic or conventional goods?

The pumpkin cultivation

Before you can buy the pumpkin, it must of course be grown. It is considered to be one of the less susceptible field vegetables, and yet organic cultivation differs from conventional cultivation in some cultural details, such as the manual collection of pests and a mulch layer on the field. In addition, the organic farmer must meet other legal requirements such as certification. The Hokkaido pumpkins “Uchiki Kuri”, “Red Kuri”, the butternut pumpkins “Early Butternut”, “Butternut Waltham” and the nutmeg pumpkin “Muscat de Provence'” as well as the Halloween pumpkins “Jack O’Lantern'”, “Musquee de Provence” and “Jack Be Little”.

The knock test

Before you buy the pumpkin, you should do a tapping test: simply tap the pumpkin lightly with your knuckles. If it makes a hollow sound, it has reached the optimal stage of ripeness. The skin of the pumpkin should also look plump and flawless. It is also important for longer storage that the handle base is still intact.

Organic vs. conventional

The Hokkaido pumpkin in particular is often prepared and eaten with the skin on. It is, therefore, best to wash it thoroughly under warm water and rub off the skin properly. However, if you want to be absolutely sure that no pesticides are contained, you should buy organic pumpkins. The nutrients are the same in both the organic and conventional versions.

That’s why pumpkin is healthy!

It is thanks to the beta-carotene that some types of pumpkin glow so beautifully orange. This is converted to vitamin A in the body and is important for vision and beautiful skin and hair. Folic acid, magnesium, and iron are also contained in the pumpkin.

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Cooking Tips

Prepare Pumpkins Properly

Autumn time is pumpkin time. The leaves are falling, the wind is blowing through the streets and slowly but surely summer is coming to an end. Pumpkins are finally back on the menu. Hot soups, delicious cakes, and wonderful pumpkin bread not only herald the new season, but they also taste fantastic. But the preparation often fails because of the ability to crack the pumpkin in the truest sense of the word. A hard shell and the question of what is edible on it is a real mystery for many cooks.

Hard to crack

The very large specimens in particular, such as the nutmeg pumpkin, are very difficult to cut up with a kitchen knife. Unfortunately, only the somewhat rough-sounding method can help – falling from a height of one meter. But don’t worry, no tiles will be damaged, nor will the pumpkin be broken down into all its individual parts. As a result of the impact, it only gets a crack and can now be taken apart without any problems.

Also a treat with the shell

Some varieties, such as the popular Hokkaido pumpkin, can be eaten with the skin on. This becomes soft during cooking, cooking, or baking and does not have to be laboriously peeled first. However, the core housing inside should still be removed. These varieties are particularly good for pumpkin soups.

Remove shells safely

With some varieties, removing the tough shell proves to be particularly tricky and can quickly lead to serious injuries if careless. Butternut squash, a particularly savory variety with a slightly nutty flavor, would be an example. Easily recognizable by its pear shape, this squash doesn’t need to be removed from the menu. Before you start peeling, it is enough to put the whole pumpkin in the oven for 30-40 minutes.

At around 100°C, the skin and flesh become beautifully soft and supple. When the time is up, it should cool down for a while before further processing. The peel can then be easily and above all safely removed with a vegetable peeler.

Pumpkins come in many colors and almost every imaginable shape, they are an all-around talent in the kitchen and taste both sweet and savory. Even the seeds can easily be dried and used, for example, for pumpkin rolls or to spice up pumpkin cream soup. In particular, the American Halloween festival in October is driving the awareness of various recipes and possible uses in this country. With the right tips, delicious dishes, crispy pastries, and smart jams can be prepared very easily.

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