Pumpkin

OVER 90% OF THE PUMPKINS GROWN IN THE US are used to make jack o-lanterns—we do that, too, of course, but last year’s bumper crop made us get a little creative in the kitchen:  delicious pumpkin pies, pumpkin soup and an amazing pumpkin butter that is incredible when spread on homemade bread.

Pumpkins are rich in carotenoid phytonutrients which give them their beautiful orange color and many of their health benefits.

Canned pumpkin has pretty much the same nutritional value as that which you pluck out of the garden, but there’s one thing the can won’t have—the seeds.

Pumpkin seeds are a great source of zinc which is important for a healthy immune system.  They also contain a phytonutrient called cucurbitacins which may prevent prostate enlargement.

And if all of this work out in the garden had made your joints ache a bit, adding pumpkin seeds into the diet may be just as effective at reducing joint inflammation as some over the counter pain medications.

IS THERE ANYTHING EASIER TO GROW THAN PUMPKINS? Last season, we planted ours and promptly forgot about them. It wasn’t until about three months after we planted them that we started poking around in the patch to see if any had set fruit. We lifted up one large leaf and actually startled ourselves. There lay a gigantic King of Mammouth pumpkin…already about twenty pounds or so. By the time fall came, it looked like the ground had been bombarded by a meteor shower of pumpkins.  We don’t remember much about last October…it was one long haze of canning pumpkin butter, which we gave out as Christmas gifts.

Pumpkins are, of course, one of the oldest garden plants grown in America. Like many of our modern garden favorites, we have the Native Americans to thank for them. Below are the varieties we’re growing this year, though we encourage you to check out the many more unique varieties that Landreth offers.  There are just so many crazy kinds. It may make you totally rethink Halloween.

Tell us your favorites in the comment section below the photos.

SMALL SUGAR PUMPKIN – Also known as New England Pie, this pumpkin was introduced before 1860.

CHEESE PUMPKIN – Very pale orange/cream pumpkin, great for baking.

KING OF MAMMOTH PUMPKIN – Also known as Mammoth Chile, this is a rare, old heirloom pumpkin which was introduced before 1824. It is a huge pumpkin which has been known to grow to 250 lb., but routinely grows 40-100 lb.