- Fresh, Sweet, Pumpkin -- the next great superfood?
- Pumpkins aren’t just for Halloween anymore. Those scary jack-o'-lanterns actually pack a powerful nutritional punch and provide a unique fatty acid profile that may put this food in a class of its own.
- Pumpkins are the superstar of the Cucurbita family (also includes squash and cucumbers).
- Pumpkins date back many centuries and the name originated from the Greek word for large melon (which is “pepon”) ... More
Pumpkins -- History and Fun Facts
Fall is the best season of the year. It’s when the leaves are changing, apples are perfect for picking and the weather is just right for a nice hike.
Pumpkins are part of the Cucurbita family (also including squash and cucumbers) is a beautiful family of foods that are harvested during the fall and provides us with an abundant amount of seasonal nourishment.
As the tale of thanksgiving was told, pumpkins were a staple in the Native American diet before the pilgrims landed. This precious food has a very short harvest period but a very long growing season to produce the perfect mature pumpkin.
While there are many varieties (42 to be exact), on average it takes about 90-120 days to produce the perfect pumpkin (regardless of size). Because they thrive in warm soil, you want to make sure there is no more frost and the soil temp is at least 70 degrees.
Did you know…………
- The largest pumpkin ever grown weighed 1140 pounds
- Pumpkin flowers are edible
- Pumpkins are 90% water
- The largest pumpkin pie on record was over 5 feet in diameter and 350 pounds- It used 80 pounds of pumpkin, 36 pounds of sugar, 12 dozen eggs and 6 hours to bake.
Pumpkins are rich in omega 6 and omega 9 fatty acids
Fatty acid profile:
WARNING: 