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==Pumpkin trivia== ==Pumpkin trivia==
⚫ ], probably due to a European cousin: ]
] for ].]]
* The pumpkin is related to the ].
* Pumpkin growers often compete to see whose pumpkins are the most massive. Festivals dedicated to the pumpkin and these competitions are relatively widespread and some form tourist attractions in their own right, for example in ].
* The largest pumpkin ever grown weighed 1,469 lb (666 kg). Raised by Larry Checkon from ] in 2005, it is technically a "]," ''Cucurbita maxima'', and was of the public variety "]," which is ''the'' "giant" variety - culminated from the simple hubbard squash by enthusiast farmers through intermittent effort since the mid 1800's.
* Pumpkins are orange because they contain massive amounts of ], alpha- and beta-]. These nutrients turn to ] in the body.
* Using pumpkins as lanterns at ] is based on an ancient Celtic custom brought to America by Irish immigrants. All Hallows Eve on ] marked the end of the old Celtic calendar year, and on that night hollowed-out ]s, ]s and ]s with a candle inside were placed on windowsills and porches to welcome home spirits of deceased ancestors and ward off evil spirits and a restless soul called "Stingy Jack," hence the name "Jack-o'-lantern".
* The city of ] currently holds the world record for the most lit pumpkins in one location: 28,952
* ] produces more pumpkins than any other state in the ]; ] is a distant second.
⚫ * Pumpkins were among the first foods from the "New World" adopted in ], probably due to a European cousin: ]
* "Pumpkin" is sometimes used as an affectionate term, often referring to one's significant other. For example: "I love you, Pumpkin." * "Pumpkin" is sometimes used as an affectionate term, often referring to one's significant other. For example: "I love you, Pumpkin."
* The pumpkin is the ] of ]. * The pumpkin is the ] of ].

Revision as of 17:30, 29 September 2006

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For the film, see Pumpkin (film).
Pumpkins
Pumpkin attached to a stalk


A pumpkin is a squash fruit, most commonly orange in colour when ripe. Pumpkins grow as a gourd from a trailing vine of the genus Cucurbita Cucurbitaceae. Cultivated in North America, continental Europe, and some other countries, as well as in English cottage gardens, Cucurbita varieties include Curcurbita pepo, Cucurbita maxima, Cucurbita mixta, or Cucurbita moschata — all plants native to the Western hemisphere. The pumpkin varies greatly in form, being sometimes nearly globular, but more generally oblong or ovoid in shape. The rind is smooth and variable in colour. The larger kinds acquire a weight of 40 to 80 lb (18 to 36 kg) but smaller varieties are in vogue for garden culture. Pumpkins are a popular food, with their innards commonly eaten cooked and served in dishes such as pumpkin pie. Pumpkins are traditionally used to carve Jack-o'-lanterns for use as part of Halloween celebrations.

Botanically it is a fruit, referring to a certain plant part which grows from a flower. However it is widely regarded as a vegetable in culinary terms, referring to how it is eaten.

Butternut squash is called "butternut pumpkin" in Australia, and "neck pumpkin" in parts of Pennsylvania where it is commonly regarded as a pumpkin and used in similar ways to other pumpkin.

Cultivation

Pumpkins have historically been pollinated by the native squash bee Peponapis pruinosa, but this bee has declined, probably due to pesticide sensitivity, and most commercial plantings are pollinated by honeybees today. One hive per acre (4,000 m² per hive) is recommended by the US Department of Agriculture. Gardeners

Chunking

Pumpkin chunking is a competitive activity in which teams build various mechanical devices designed to throw a pumpkin as far as possible. Catapults, trebuchets, ballistas and air cannons are the most

Pumpkin seeds

The hulless or semi-hulless seeds of pumpkins can be roasted and eaten as a snack, similar to the sunflower seed. They are a good source of essential fatty acids, potassium, and magnesium. In Latin America these are often greenish in color and known as pepitas. One of the typical pumpkin products of Austria is pumpkin seed oil.

Photo of pumpkin seed of different kinds: http://www.pamsee.com/engl/photo-sample.htm

Cooking

When ripe, the pumpkin can be boiled, baked and roasted, or made into various kinds of pie, alone or mixed with other fruit; while small and green it may be eaten in the same way as the vegetable marrow.

Pumpkin trivia

[[* Pumpkins were among the first foods from the "New World" adopted in Europe, probably due to a European cousin: Lagenaria

  • "Pumpkin" is sometimes used as an affectionate term, often referring to one's significant other. For example: "I love you, Pumpkin."
  • The pumpkin is the state fruit of New Hampshire.

See also

References

External links

Festivals and Shows:

Pumpkin Carving:

Information on pumpkin varieties

Categories: