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The Garden Plot for October 26, 2007
3:55 PM - 4:00 PM
[Program Website]
Today's Highlight: “Pumpkin Time”
It’s pumpkin time. Time to carve at least one pumpkin for Halloween. Which are the best pumpkins for carving? Which are the best pumpkins for making pie after Halloween? In some cases the best variety may actually be called a squash.
First, what’s the difference between pumpkins and squash? Not much, really. Their genetic history is so intertwined that it’s difficult to tell them apart. Pumpkins and squash all belong to the same family Cucurbitace. Within Cucurbita, there are several subgroups: C. pepo, C. maxima, and C. moschata. The pepo species is usually recognized as the true pumpkin, with orange skin, as well as hard, woody, furrowed stems, and a somewhat strong flavor. But the species also includes gourds and summer squash, like zucchini. There are pumpkin-like fruits in the maixima species also, such as ‘Atlantic Giant’. But, most C. maxima are winter squash (like hubbard squash), with a finer texture and milder flavor. Finally, the C. moschata species are usually long and oblong, instead of round, with a tan, rather than an orange, skin. Butternut squash is the most well-known.
Varieties within the same species subgroup can cross-pollinate. Varieties from different species do not cross with one another. For example, zucchini can cross with Howden's Field pumpkin, acorn or spaghetti squash, small decorative gourds, or Jack-Be-Little miniature pumpkins because they are all members of the same species subgroup (C. Pepo).
However, cross-pollination will not affect the taste, shape or color of this season's fruit. The effects of cross-pollination only show up if seeds from cross-pollinated fruits are saved and grown the following year. So, if you want to save seed from the pumpkins and squash you grew this year, make sure you did not plant different varieties from the same species subgroup together. For example if you planted Butternut squash, Small Sugar pumpkin, and Big Max pumpkin this year, it’s safe to save the seed from all these varieties for next year.
The best varieties for carving Halloween pumpkins are the true pumpkins with orange, more easily carved skin. Some of the small, pumpkin look-a-like, orange skinned squashes – such as golden Kabocha – have such hard skins, to carve them would take a knife so sharp you could lose fingers during the process. On the other hand, the harder-skinned varieties don’t as quickly get that “after Halloween slump”.
Which are the best varieties for making pie? ‘Dickenson’, or selections from this cultivar, with tan-colored, slightly elongate fruit, is inside most of the processed pumpkin cans sold in the U.S. Halloween Jack o’ lantern types tend to be less sweet, with a light flesh color, and a stringy texture. The smaller, sugary “pie pumpkins”, such as ‘Small Sugar’, have thick, sweet flesh. Another pumpkin-like squash with sweet, thick flesh is Cinderella. The sweetest, dry-fleshed squash is Kobocha (Hokkaido is a Kobocha cultivar that grows well in Montana). It makes a rich pie - somewhat like sweet potato pie.
Carved pumpkins don’t last very long. But if you have un-carved squash and pumpkins to store, they will last longer if you “cure” them first. “Curing” helps to heal slight skin injuries that may have occurred during harvest. Curing means holding squash and pumpkins in a dry, well-ventilated, dark area for several weeks. Pumpkins and winter squash should be cured at warmer temperatures of 75-85 F. I cure my pumpkins and squash under covers in my greenhouse. Store squash and pumpkins at 50-55 F in a dry area.
Helen Atthowe's new short program of gardening tips
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