[Market-farming] pie pumpkins

Tradingpost tradingpost at gilanet.com
Thu Sep 23 11:04:26 EDT 2004


Varieties including sweetmeat http://www.thepumpkinpatch.com/wintersquash.htm
I see a picture of sweetmeat at http://www.humeseeds.com/sqshsm.htm

At NC state U they list a LOT of squash varieties, and they mention our personal favorite for baking, Lakota heirloom - "stunning winter squash that was once prized by the Sioux; flesh is sweet and nutty; fine baking quality"

paul at largocreekfarms.com

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********

On 9/23/2004 at 10:34 AM Pat Meadows wrote:

>On Thu, 23 Sep 2004 10:16:57 EDT, you wrote:
>
>>this is so fun to read about.
>>one year i asked farmers at my local farmers' market why the pumpkin one
>buys 
>>in a can is so dark and flavorful and compact but the pumpkin that one
>takes 
>>home is pale and less flavorful.  no one had a good answer except to say
>that 
>>the pumpkin in the can has had much of the water evaporated out of it to 
>>concentrate it.  so i began experimenting and purchased different deep
>dark orange 
>>varieties and found that if I baked, pureed, and slowly cooked it on top
>of 
>>the stove so the water would evaporate out, the end result was compact
>and dark, 
>>sweet and flavorful.
>>
>>any more info on this would be welcome!
>>
> 
>I have always understood that the 'pumpkin' one buys in cans
>is really winter squash of one type or another.
>
>I also read - just last night in fact - that our 'pumpkins'
>are bred to be large and impressive so that people will buy
>them for Halloween and decorations, etc.  Going along with
>this is coarse and watery flesh.  ('Breed Your Own Vegetable
>Varieties', Carol Deppe, Chelsea Green Publishing, White
>River, Vermont, 2000, pg. 276)  Deppe further states 'None
>of the big _C. pepo_ Halloween pumpkins have good flesh
>quality.  This is no surprise, since they are sold by the
>pound, and it is cheaper to produce a pound of water than
>dry weight.' 
>
>I would suggest trying one of the large winter squashes
>(Hubbard, etc.) instead (if you can find one) and seeing if
>you prefer it to the pumpkins.  In other words, just regard
>the pumpkins as decoration, but eat the winter squash.
>
>Next year: somehow, someway, I'll find room to grow winter
>squash.  We did grow spaghetti squash this year, and it's
>been a great success.  It's very good and MUCH better than
>supermarket spaghetti squash (not really a surprise).
>
>Pat
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