Five Exceptional Heirloom Pumpkins
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| Photo Credit: Jessie Keith |
| Heirloom pumpkins are not always your typical orange. |
Pumpkins – the ultimate symbol of fall. Their pleasing shapes and warm colors remind us of the smoky sweet glow of jack-o’-lanterns at Halloween and the taste of pumpkin pie by Thanksgiving. But when it comes to culinary charisma or decorative charm, not all pumpkins are created equal. Many heirloom varieties break the “round, orange” mold by offering different shapes, textures and unlikely colors like salmon, blue-gray and green. Such nontraditional pumpkins add uniqueness to fall decorating and bring amazing flavor to favorite pumpkin recipes.
Cool squash have cool names, and five heirlooms with uncommon names, attributes and flavors to whet the palate include ‘Brodé Galeux d’Eysines’, ‘Jarrahdale’, ‘Long Island Cheese’, ‘Rouge Vif d’ Etampes’ and ‘Triamble’. | Add Photo to Journal |  | | Photo Credit: Jessie Keith | | You won’t find a pumpkin as unique as ‘Brodé Galeux d’Eysines’. |
The French love pumpkins and have cultivated many treasures. One of their most fine, ‘Brodé Galeux d’Eysines’ (Cucurbita maxima) – meaning “Embroidered with warts from Eysines” (a small city in the southwest of France) – is a visual masterpiece. It has pale salmon-orange skin covered with amazing veins of protruding warts and yields plenty of smooth, rich pumpkin for pie.
The blue-gray color, deep ribs and perfect pumpkin shape of ‘Jarrahdale’ (C. maxima) make it a decorative winner as well. Its smooth, deep orange flesh has a complex flavor that makes for superb pumpkin soups and muffins.
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| Warnings |
- Frozen pumpkins turn to mush, so if you have them outside as decoration, bring them in when you’re expecting an untimely cold night or two.
- Many heirlooms are less hollow and tougher to carve relative to your standard carving pumpkin, so wear Kevlar® and use tough, serrated tools.
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| Tips |
- When it comes to cookery, it pays to know your pumpkin species. The three key pumpkin/winter squash species available are Cucurbita maxima, C. moschata and C. pepo. Cucurbita moschata and C. maxima have fruit with smooth, dense, flavorful flesh, while C. pepo members have stringy fruit that contains more water.
- Mix pumpkins and winter squash of different colors for great autumn displays.
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| Facts |
- Pumpkins last the longest when stored in cool, dry locations.
- Pumpkin is a rich source of beta-carotene, so eat your pie!
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Pumpkin Pleasures
Pumpkin brings out the best in seasonal cooking. Learn how to make an easy pumpkin puree (just in time for the holidays), as well as the names of a few great pumpkins recommended for cooking.
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