Garden to Table - Pumpkins
INTRO
It’s October so I’d be a fool to talk about anything other than the Pumpkin! This member of the squash family developed in North America first and was spread across the world after colonization. It’s one of the oldest plants cultivated by humans with evidence in the Americas going back to 7,000 BCE.
The word “pumpkin” has no agreed scientific or botanical application - we use it colloquially to refer to any round, ribbed and orange variety of Winter Squash. When it comes to cooking, look for a variety that’s designed for that use - your standard Jack-O-Lantern types are not very tasty!
On the topic of pumpkin carving - this tradition is actually a cultural mash up! During the end of the harvest season, the Irish would carve turnips and put candles inside them. When they arrived in the Americas they used pumpkins for this purpose instead - they’re a lot easier to carve than a turnip!
GROWING
Pumpkins can be grown fairly easily in Southern Ontario but have a long maturation period for their fruits and are susceptible to the cold so some forethought is needed.
Due to the long time it takes for the fruit to develop they need to be started early in the season but their sensitivity to the cold means they can’t be started TOO early.
In Southern Ontario we traditionally put our plants out into the garden on the May long weekend and that timing works well for Pumpkins. They can also be started indoors about 3 - 4 weeks before the last frost to give them a head start. They’re warm season squashes and grow best during hot weather.
Here are the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture’s guidelines on the ideal temperatures:
“SEEDS WILL GERMINATE AT 15°C (60°F), BUT GERMINATE BEST AT 29-32°C (85°F-90°F). PUMPKINS...GROW BEST AT TEMPERATURES OF 23-29°C (75°F-85°F) DAY AND 15°C-21°C (60°-70°F) NIGHT. GROWTH VIRTUALLY STOPS AT TEMPERATURES BELOW 10°C (50°F) AND THE PLANTS MAY BE SEVERELY INJURED AND MATURITY DELAYED BY TEMPERATURES BELOW 5°C. (40°F) FOR SEVERAL DAYS.”
Garden stores don’t usually sell pumpkin seedlings so you’ll likely need to grow them from seed in the Spring. They’re a popular plant so most stores that sell seeds should have a few varieties available - I’ve seen tons of types at Walmart!
Most squash species, including pumpkins, are “monoecious” which means they have both male and female flowers on one plant - so don’t be alarmed if only half of your pumpkin flowers produce fruit. In the picture below, the one on the right will give you a pumpkin while the one on the left is male and doesn’t make “babies” (just like humans!)
For spacing in the garden, pumpkin plants grow very large so make sure you have lots of space. They’re a low lying vine that can also be trained over trellises or supports - I’d recommend that method for varieties that are on the smaller side. Imagine a full sized carving pumpkin hanging from a trellis! That would be way too heavy for the plant to support.
EATING
When I mention pumpkin flavours does your mind immediately jump to “Pumpkin Spice”? That’s a great place to start! Those spices are warm and earthy - just like pumpkins
Now I do have to say this - there is no pumpkin flavour in pumpkin spice (I may have had to explain that to someone close to me recently lol). It simply refers to the common spices used when making a pumpkin pie. It normally includes:
CINNAMON
GINGER
ALL SPICE
CLOVES
NUTMEG
Pumpkin pairs well in cooking with other earthy flavors like sweet potato or butternut squash or sweet combos like molasses and brown sugar. It can be cooked in a variety of ways but remember you don’t eat the skin! This is the major difference between “winter squashes” and “summer squashes” - winter squashes have harder, non edible skins or rinds.
To prepare a pumpkin, cut it in half and clean out the seeds and guts (like when you carve a Jack-O-Lantern). The stuff between the skin and the guts is what you cook with - it’s called the “meat” of the fruit.
Hollow it out, chop it up and put it in boiling water until tender OR place the whole pumpkin, cut in half, with the inside up on a baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes. Both ways will give you pumpkin that’s soft enough to mash with a fork into a pumpkin puree.
You can use this puree to make pumpkin pie filling, add it to soups or make the sweet pumpkin preserve recipe I’ve included below
RECIPE
PUMPKIN PRESERVES
INGREDIENTS
2 pie pumpkins
3 cups of white sugar
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon of dried Ginger (or 2 tablespoons if fresh)
STEPS
1. Roast the pumpkin until tender (approx. 30 mins)
2. Scoop out meat and mash thoroughly
3. Add the lemon rind and juice
4. Add ginger
5. Bring to the boil
6. Add sugar and stir until dissolved
7. Boil for 20 minutes or until thick