Pumpkins in the Garden

The pumpkin, whose correct name is Cucurbita pepo, is an annual climbing plant from the cucurbit family "Cucurbitaceae". It was brought to Europe in the 15th century during Christopher Columbus's conquest of America. It is valued for its berry-like fruits of various shapes, sizes and colours.

For North American Indians, it was among the sacred plants. They first began collecting its oily seeds and later discovered that it also had sweet flesh. They called it "askutasquash", which can be translated as "eat straight without cooking".

Types of pumpkins:

We distinguish many types of pumpkins. They are divided into summer and winter varieties. Summer varieties include courgettes and patty pans, winter varieties include butternut squash, Uchiki Kuri pumpkin, Goliath squash and others.

Courgette (Cucurbita pepo)

The courgette was created through breeding in Italy. It has a bushy growth habit and blooms with large dark yellow flowers. The fruits are usually green, sometimes yellow-green and yellow with a smooth surface and a shape resembling a large cucumber. The tastiest are young fruits up to 25cm. Skilled cooks prepare them in many ways, they are always heat-treated and are excellent, for example, as a potato pancake alternative. They have a high content of potassium, minerals and especially carotene.

Butternut squash (also called muscat pumpkin)

It is one of the smaller pumpkins with a pear shape, it has few seeds and plenty of flesh. Its skin is delicate, so it doesn't need to be peeled during heat treatment. It can also be used raw, as it has an excellent delicate nutty taste even then.

Uchiki Kuri pumpkin (red Hokkaido)

It is perhaps the most popular pumpkin. Its taste perhaps surpasses even the butternut squash and it is a rich source of vitamins. The Japanese grew it on the island of Hokkaido, hence its name, but we can also encounter the name chestnut pumpkin. It has a low sodium content and high potassium content. In addition to its beneficial substances, it can bind toxins and flush them out of the body. This pumpkin is very suitable for roasting. It is also suitable as a potato substitute.

Tip: Hokkaido pumpkin is suitable to consume during a weight loss diet!

Growing Pumpkins

Quality pumpkins grow best in medium-heavy soils that are well-supplied with nutrients. They tolerate direct organic fertilization. Pumpkins will also grow on compost, which they can shade and cover. Seedlings can be easily pre-grown at home in the living room, or in mid-May, when there's no longer a risk of frost, we can sow seeds directly into the ground at a depth of 3-5cm. The distance between plants should be at least 1 meter. If the seedlings are in a sunny location and we water them abundantly, we'll be rewarded with vigorous growth. Pumpkins are capable of climbing, which we can take advantage of by providing support. This is beneficial where we have less space - pumpkins will grow vertically along the support. Growing is therefore easy; we mainly need to watch out until young plants strengthen and protect them from slugs, which would love to feast on them. When we also regularly weed the growth, we're guaranteed to see beautifully colored fruits.

Storing Pumpkins:

If a pumpkin doesn't have damaged skin and has a well-dried stem, it will last us a really long time. It's easy to preserve if we first let it cure for about 14 days at room temperature in a dry place, and only then move it to a cooler space where it's around 15 degrees, again in a dry place. It will last us until spring; hokkaido pumpkins last up to six months, spaghetti squash up to one year. Pumpkins that we let ripen in warmth are also sweeter because part of the starches convert to sugars. We regularly check stored pumpkins.

Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds serve us for both beauty and health. When eating them, there's no need to limit ourselves - they contain many beneficial substances, especially essential fatty acids Omega 3 and 6, zinc, magnesium, iron, phosphorus and potassium, vitamin E. With regular consumption, they positively influence our immune system. They have a beneficial effect on hair and nail quality, help with thyroid and prostate diseases, and even stimulate the release of the hormone serotonin, thus contributing to our good mood. Interestingly, pumpkin seeds also contain a component that kills tapeworms and roundworms, as well as other internal parasites. Pumpkin seeds will certainly do our digestion good.

Seeds from oil pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo, varieta oleifera) we soak for one day in salted water, then drain and let drip and dry - prepared this way, they can be eaten immediately. Seeds from other pumpkins we roast in the oven for 4-5 hours until their hard shell becomes brittle. We can salt them and then just enjoy.

Halloween is Coming:

This holiday, celebrated primarily in English-speaking countries, falls on October 31st, and it's gaining popularity here as well. It's a day full of celebrations and fun, especially for children. They dress up in spooky costumes and go trick-or-treating with the famous saying Trick or treat. Pumpkins are an essential part of Halloween. Carved with cheerful or scary faces and lit with a candle, they create the perfect atmosphere and will surely brighten up the gloomy autumn weather.