16 Little Known Pumpkin Facts

1. The word ‘pumpkin’ comes from the Greek word, pepon, which means a “large melon.”
2. Pumpkins originated in Central America.
3. Pumpkins are actually a fruit. Many people think it should be our national fruit.
4. Pumpkin is also a squash; a member of Curcurbita family.
5. The yellow-orange flowers that bloom on the pumpkin vine are edible.
6. Pumpkin seeds taste great roasted and contain medicinal properties.
7. Native Americans grew and ate pumpkins and their seeds long before the Pilgrims reached this continent. Pilgrims learned how to grow and prepare pumpkins from the Native Americans.
8. Pumpkin was most likely served at the first Thanksgiving feast celebrated by the Pilgrims and the Native Americans in 1621.
9. The earliest pumpkin pie made in America was quite different than the pumpkin pie we enjoy today. Pilgrims and early settlers made pumpkin pie by hollowing out a pumpkin, filling the shell with milk, honey and spices and baking it.
10. Early settlers dried pumpkins shells, cut it into strips and wove it into mats.
11. Pumpkin has been prepared in a variety of ways from soups to stews to desserts since the immigration of the first European settlers.
12. The ‘Pumpkin Capital of the World’ is Morton, Illinois. Home of Libby’s pumpkin industry.
13. The state of Illinois grows the most pumpkins. It harvests about 12,300 acres of pumpkins annually.
14. The latest U.S. record (2019) for the largest pumpkin ever grown weighed in at 2,517.5 pounds by Karl Haist of Clarence Center, New York.
15. Pumpkins were once considered a remedy for freckles and snakebites.
16. Natural medicine practitioners have proven that consuming pumpkin seeds reduces the risk of prostate disorders in men.

Pick it!

• Look for a heavy pumpkin with 1 to 2 inches of stem still attached.
• Avoid pumpkins with bruises or soft spots.
• Should be uniformly orange with a nice, hard rind.
• Lopsided pumpkins are just as good as the round ones.
• Store in a cool, dark place for two months.

Try it

Pumpkin is the most popularly used in pies. Also used to make bars and bread and pumpkin soup. Pumpkin seeds can be roasted in the oven for a snack. Rinse, cut in half and roast pumpkins on a baking sheet, or steam on the stove or microwave. After cooling, remove from the skin, and puree with a food processor or potato masher.

Types of Pumpkins

• Small sugar: smaller, sweeter pie pumpkins grown to be eaten, in the winter squash family, used like an acorn squash.
• Carving: Standard orange in small, medium, or large sizes, usually used for holiday decor but may be eaten.

Did you know ...?

Sodium and potassium create a balance in the body to make muscles contract, transmit nerve impulses, and regulate blood pressure and heartbeat.

Nutritional Facts

• Pumpkins are a nutrient-dense and naturally low-calorie food. One cup of cooked pumpkin is only 49 calories, but contains 49 percent of your daily needs for vitamin K, along with vitamin C, potassium, vitamin E, iron, folate, and niacin.
• Pumpkins contain plenty of the antioxidant beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A in the body and is shown in studies to help fight off infections, prevent some age-related vision problems, and may help protect the skin from harmful UV rays.