We had our first frost out here at the lake Saturday night which took out most of the remaining garden plants along with the annuals. Those on the porch dodged the freeze so all is not lost quite yet, especially given temperatures are expected to remain moderate this week. My patch selected pumpkins are on the porch and gifts of squash are arriving daily so I might as well learn a little bit more about them and share what I learn.
Pumpkins, squash and gourds are all part of the genus Curcurbita which includes five species and many varieties. The different species easily cross-pollinate making for all kinds of interesting sizes, shapes and color combinations. Native to North America, the word pumpkin originated from the Greek word pepon which means “large melon.” Pumpkins are a hardy warm weather crop not usually planted until July requiring consistent temperatures and well-drained soil. They produce both male and female flowers and must be pollinated by bees. As such, pumpkin farmers often maintain bee hives which produce excellent honey made from the pumpkin flower pollen/nectar.
In 2017 over 1.5 billion pounds of pumpkins were grown in the US with the top five pumpkin producing states Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and California. Most pumpkins grown in the US are dark yellow or orange but white pumpkins have become increasingly popular. It is one of our oldest domesticated plants and mostly grown for its fall aesthetic and for processing use in baking, specifically pumpkin pie. In SE Asia, India, China and Japan pumpkin is used in soups, stews and many savory vegetable and meat dishes.
I have always been a fan of fall requiring the requisite pumpkin or two on display. I have given up pumpkin carving and am more apt to paint them if the urge to decorate them hits. There are lots of ideas on decorating pumpkins on Pinterest but my favorite is simple black and white dots about the size of a quarter. As stated above, most pumpkins are used for decorations or processed for home cooking/baking. While all pumpkin varieties are edible, not all are good for baking. Baking pumpkins are usually labeled “sugar pumpkins” or “pie pumpkins” with specific names including: Baby Pam, Autumn Gold, Ghost Rider, New England Pie Pumpkin, Lumina, Cinderella and Fairy Tale. Don’t forget pumpkin seeds, also known as pepitas, can be roasted and make awesome snacks. Pumpkin is nutritious and is especially good for digestive ailments. It is also used medicinally by Native American groups and others to treat bladder and urinary problems as well as parasitic diseases.
Other than pumpkins in the Curcurbita family, there two types of what we call squash: summer and winter. Summer varieties are large and bushy and don’t spread like vine types do; the most common are straight-neck, crooked-neck, scallop and zucchini. Summer squash should be harvested while immature (small and thin skinned). They are most often used raw in salads or steamed/stir-fried and used in other savory dishes. We use summer squash for our curry pickles. Winter varieties are vine plants that come in all shapes and sizes and include: acorn, butternut, spaghetti and hubbard. Squash requires full sun, fertile soil with lots of organic material and sufficient moisture. Winter squash is best to grow on hills starting with 4-5 seeds/plants thinned down to 2-3 to maximize production and late fall is the time to harvest.
As far as eating, the sky’s the limit with squash. I love baked squash with a little butter, syrup, salt and pepper. Yum! Sunday I baked a few squash and, on the advice of a friend, used it instead of pumpkin to make squash bread. It’s delicious and would be even better if I had some cream cheese. I also freeze it after baking so it’s ready for future meals. If you haven’t hit a pumpkin patch yet now is the time to go and I bet you can even score a few eating squash if you ask around. Happy Fall!