This week, as my children carved their second set of
pumpkins (the first bunch succumbed to black mold, in part because of the
warm weather), they had plenty of questions: How do pumpkins grow? How big
can they get? What can you do with pumpkins besides carve them? Here are some pumpkin facts to share with your
children, friends, and trick-or-treaters. The word “pumpkin” originated from the
Greek word pepon,
“large melon.” Though native to Central America, pumpkins have
been grown in North America for around 5,000 years. The world’s
largest fruits are giant pumpkins, some of which weigh in at more than
1,000 pounds. Pumpkins are members of the cucurbit (gourd) family.
Other members of this family are squash, cucumbers, melons, and gherkins. Illinois farmers produce 90 percent of the pumpkins
grown in the United States — in 2001, the state produced 319 million
pounds. Most of these pumpkins are processed into canned pumpkin and canned
pie filling. Pumpkins grow in all shapes and sizes: big, small,
round, tall, smooth, bumpy. They come in a variety of colors: orange,
white, blue (the Australian Blue variety), red, tan (used for pumpkin pie),
yellow (ripening), and green (unripe). Pumpkins are a healthy good source of vitamins A and
B, potassium, protein, and iron. They’re also low in calories, fat,
and sodium and high in fiber. Small pie pumpkins are the best for cooking.
Pumpkin may be used in soups, pies, breads, casseroles, soufflés, or
butters, and it’s delicious when steamed. Much of the pumpkin —
pulp, seeds, and blossoms — is edible. Native Americans — who showed the Pilgrims how
to plant pumpkins — dried strips of pumpkin and wove them into mats.
They also ate strips of pumpkin that had been roasted on an open fire. The pumpkin pie has its origins in a dish enjoyed by
the colonists, who sliced off the top of the pumpkin, removed the seeds,
and filled the inside with milk, spices, and honey, then baked the pumpkin
in hot ashes.
The largest pumpkin pie ever baked was more than 5
feet in diameter and weighed more than 350 pounds. It required 80 pounds of
pumpkin, 36 pounds of sugar, and 12 dozen eggs.
This week, take time to read your kids a story about
pumpkins, then enjoy a pumpkin-based treat. Three of my favorite
children’s stories about pumpkins describe the process of growing a
pumpkin: It’s Pumpkin Time!, I’m a Seed, and Pumpkin, Pumpkin. Here are some other stories and books involving pumpkins:
the nursery rhyme “Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater”; the classic
fairy tale “Cinderella”; The Great
Pumpkin Strikes Again!, a Peanuts book; The Berenstain Bears and the Prize Pumpkin; Pooh’s Pumpkin; The Biggest Pumpkin Ever; and The Legend of Sleepy
Hollow. Here’s a recipe for a snack that both children
and adults will enjoy:
Peanut Butter Pumpkin Dip
1 cup canned pumpkin 3/4 to 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup peanut butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Place ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Enjoy this
dip with apples or pear slices or on saltine crackers.
For more interesting facts about pumpkins, pumpkin
fun, and pumpkin recipes, visit the University of Illinois Extension Web
page “Pumpkins and More,”
www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/pumpkins/index.html.
Train to be a
master gardener
Want to learn more about gardening and then share
your knowledge with others? The University of Illinois Extension Master
Gardener volunteer program may be for you.
To become a master gardener, all you need is an
interest in gardening, a willingness to learn about horticulture, a desire
to share your knowledge with others, and time to volunteer.
Master-gardener trainees receive 60 hours of in-depth
unbiased, research-based classroom-style training from University of
Illinois Extension educators and specialists.
After their training is finished, interns have many
opportunities to complete the 60 hours required for them to gain
certification. The volunteer program enables participants to serve their
communities thorough horticulture education and promotes personal growth.
University of Illinois Extension Sangamon-Menard Unit
is accepting applications until Nov. 11 for the winter training program. If
you would like an application or more information, call 217-782-4617. For a
more detailed description of the program or contact information for other
extension-unit offices, visit the extension’s master-gardener Web
site, www.extension.uiuc.edu/mg/.
This article appears in Oct 27 – Nov 2, 2005.
