Read The Health Benefits of Pumpkin
In the United States, pumpkins take center stage every year during Halloween and Thanksgiving celebrations. They are seen as the grinning Jack-o-lanterns decorating the front porch of almost every American household on All Hallows Eve; and, are eaten as the main component of the pumpkin pie, a dessert often found on everyone’s Thanksgiving dinner menu. However, there is more to the pumpkin than just being a pie ingredient or a holiday décor. It is a well-loved fruit for a variety of reasons, as these interesting facts would show.
- Pumpkins are very hardy plants that can grow almost everywhere. The only continent where pumpkins are not grown is Antarctica.
- The pumpkin plant is native to North America. Pumpkins were already a diet staple for the Native Americans before the first European settlers arrived. The Italian explorer, Christopher Columbus, brought pumpkin seeds with him on his return voyage from America to Europe.
- In the plant kingdom, the pumpkin’s close relatives include squash, zucchini and cucumbers since they all belong to the Cucurbita family.
- The average weight of the pumpkin is 13 pounds. However, the heaviest pumpkin ever recorded was grown by a Swiss gardener, and weighed more than 2,300 pounds.
- Water accounts for most of the pumpkin’s weight, as the fruit is 90% water.
- The approximate number of seeds inside an average-sized pumpkin is 500.
- Although the pumpkins that most people are familiar with are orange in color, there are lesser-known plant varieties that bear white, green, orange or red-colored fruits.
- Pumpkins are very nutritious, containing significant amounts of potassium as well as Vitamins A and B. They are also high in fiber and low in fat and sodium.
- The earliest version of pumpkin pie was made by filling the insides of a pumpkin with a mixture of milk, honey and spices, and cooking it over hot ashes.
- Pumpkin blossoms are edible. They are delicious when added to soups and pasta dishes; stuffed and baked, or coated in batter and deep friend.
- Roasted pumpkin seeds are ideal for snacking. The seeds are a very good source of protein and the essential mineral, zinc, which helps in preventing prostate cancer.
- In the early days, pumpkin was a recommended treatment for snakebites and was believed to clear freckles.
- English, Irish and Scottish immigrants were responsible for introducing the Halloween tradition of pumpkin carving to North America. The Europeans previously did the carvings on turnips, potatoes and beets; but shifted to pumpkins not only because they were larger and easier to carve but they were also more abundant.
Easy To Make Pumpkin and Squash Recipes (Rachel’s Magic Recipes)
