It's October and that means pumpkin time.
Whether with nasty faces outside on the veranda or pureed in the oven at home – Pumpkins are simply part of October . But what we take for granted today required meticulous scheduling, laborious manual work and, above all, a whole lot of coincidences over many generations.
But why is the pumpkin so synonymous with autumn in general and October in particular? Why do people bother scary faces into his thick skin? And why is there a World record in pumpkin boat rowing ?
Come with us on an exciting journey in the footsteps of the probably the world's largest berry , from its endangered roots to its current triumph around (almost) the whole world. And at the end there is a little refreshment
The pumpkin = the berry in the zucchini fur?
Pumpkins were first scientifically described in 1584 by French explorer Jaques Cartier on an expedition through America. Although the Frenchman had no idea what kind of fruit it was, he surprisingly managed to give the pumpkin a very fitting name: “Gros Melons”.
Because pumpkins actually belong to the family of Cucurbitaceae , which has its German name "cucurbit family" actually also owes to the relatively late discovered member, together with cucumbers, zucchini and also Melons . The latter have been known in Europe for a long time, as they were already cultivated in ancient times in North Africa and Southern Europe, such as Greece.
In many ways, we owe our current name to the modern Greeks, as they translated Cartier's "big melons" literally into the Greek "pepon". From there, the fruit first entered the English language as "pompion".
The modern English word “pumpkin” was actually first mentioned in the 17th century in a version of a source now known worldwide through Disney and the Brothers Grimm: Cinderella , even though this story today has little to do with its centuries-old Greek roots, in which there was no trace of stepmothers, good fairies or pumpkins.
In fact, pumpkins are not only related to melons & co. but, as the attentive reader may have already noticed, not a vegetable but a fruit . Botanically speaking, pumpkins are not just fruits but very specifically a form of berry . This may sound strange, but as with berries, only one fruit grows from each pumpkin blossom. Of course, this definition does not only apply to pumpkins, other supposed vegetables are also, strictly speaking, berries, e.g. tomatoes , eggplants and of course melons & Co.
By the way, this also means that our sweet darlings strawberries and raspberries are technically not berries.
Pumpkin varieties - from the bees and flowers
Even though the pumpkin has been known in Europe for several hundred years, its history stretches far back into the past. The plant has its origins in Central America , where there is evidence of active cultivation of pumpkins dating back to 7,000 BC back.
In fact, without this active cultivation by humans, the fruit would probably became extinct thousands of years ago because it has a number of characteristics that make it extremely unsuitable for independent survival in the environmental conditions that prevail in its area of origin today and would probably never have allowed the pumpkin to begin its current worldwide triumph.
Like many other plants, pumpkins are no self-pollinators and need other species, such as insects or birds, to carry pollen from one plant to another and to reproduce. In their area of origin, there was a specially adapted type of bee, the so-called Squash Bees . Honey bees can now also take on this role, but these species (as readers of our apple blogs They are not native to America (as you may already know) and only came to the New World with the European settlers. In North America, until the arrival of honey bees, the only alternative to squash bees were the few native bumblebee species. bumblebees However, even though they love the nectar of pumpkin flowers, they are known to actively avoid their pollen. There have even been documented cases of bumblebees that came into contact with pumpkin pollen actively rubbing it off leaves before flying on. There are good reasons for this. Pumpkin pollen is comparatively large and heavy, often too heavy for smaller bumblebee species, and can cause damage to the bumblebees' digestive tract. So bumblebees and pumpkins don’t go well together. Even today, in places without their own populations, instead of the industrious bees, the equally industrious humans have to pollinate each pumpkin blossom individually by hand.
In addition to pollen, pumpkins also have another size problem. Even though original pumpkins are nowhere near the monsters cultivated today (more on that later), pumpkins are relatively large fruits and have a very stable shell . The reason for this is that in Central America it is found together with the local megafauna They were a delicacy for really big mammals like Mammoths . The pachyderms ate the fruits, digested them on their long foraging journeys and deposited the remains, together with the up to 500 undigested seeds per pumpkin, elsewhere, just as birds do for most, but much smaller berries here. With the extinction of megafauna At the end of the last ice age, the fruits were simply too big or too hard to be attractive to the now smaller herbivores and so the pumpkin only had one real chance of survival: the industrious man who fortunately made it across the land bridge of the Bering Strait to America during the Ice Age.
Today, fortunately, the pumpkin no longer needs to worry. Man has gradually brought it with him into almost all corners of the earth and today the fruit is grown on all continents, with the exception of Antarctica . Over the centuries, different consumer preferences and different climatic conditions have resulted in 5 basic species more than 70 different variations , each with its own size, shape and color.
Some of these forms are world famous, such as the blue “Kabocha” or Hokkaido pumpkin from Japan, the appropriately named “ White Ghost ” (be careful, spooky) or the “ Cinderella ”, named after the pumpkin from the world-famous Disney film of the same name because of its slightly squat shape. As is often the case, however, not everything here contains pumpkin just because it says so. The well-known snake gourd for example, is actually not a pumpkin at all and rightly has the much more appropriate, if less attractive, second name of club zucchini.
Other variations, however, are more bizarre and unique, such as the “ Pumpkinstein ”, a pumpkin in the iconic shape of the head of Frankenstein's monster , as known from the classic film adaptation from 1931 with Boris Karloff in the role of a reanimated monster. To grow this work of art, it was necessary to methodically crossbreed a total of 27 different pumpkin varieties in countless attempts over a period of 4 years. The costs for the undertaking are said to be over $400,000 .
The pumpkin – a survivor
Now we have so often the thickness of the pumpkin shell It will probably come as no surprise to most people that pumpkins surprisingly durable Fruits are. An uncut pumpkin can, depending on storage, preferably in dark and cool conditions, up to 3 months can be stored without any problems. However, if the natural protection of the thick shell is broken, pumpkins are just as susceptible to environmental influences as any other fruit and should be eaten within a week to a maximum of 10 days before the inner flesh begins to go bad.
A historical example of the impressive longevity of pumpkins is a well-documented prank from 1997 . One night, unknown people placed a pumpkin on the top of the McGraw Tower at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York – at a height of 52.7m without scaffolding or similar protective measures. The pumpkin was soon discovered and largely ignored, as it was assumed that the problem would quickly disappear on its own. To everyone's surprise, this was not the case. The campus residents were soon so amazed by the longevity of the object So impressed that there were even rumors that it was something completely different. It was only students from the faculty who finally provided evidence when they misused weather balloon took samples and analyzed them. The result was clear:
It was actually a pumpkin.
Of course, aided by the cool New York climate, the lonely pumpkin on the top of the tower managed to survive for several months throughout the winter and became a cult object. Even your own webcam was temporarily set up so that fans could take a look at the condition of the fruit at any time of the day or night.
In the end, however, the pumpkin had to be removed for health reasons, even though the event turned out completely differently than those responsible had hoped. In the spring of 1998, when the President of the University was just getting ready to be hoisted onto the roof of the tower to remove the sensation himself, a gust of wind the basket of the crane, which was thankfully still empty at the time. This crashed into the tower, which was fortunately undamaged, but the vibrations were enough to dislodge the pumpkin, which fell a good distance into the depths and landed on the attached scaffolding – still intact enough to be collected without making a big mess.
The pumpkin - a real treat, not a trick
Pumpkins are not only easy to store for a long time, they are also extremely versatile and healthy. Although the sweet pulp is undoubtedly the most consumed part of the plant, theoretically every part of the plant is completely edible – even the stems. The bright yellow ones are particularly tasty. Flowers . There are various ways of preparing them, but most of the time the flowers are washed after picking, breaded and then fried or baked in oil. Gourmets like to fill the flowers with with goat cheese or similar dairy products and transform the delicious side dish into a meal in its own right.
In addition, pumpkins also have a whole range of health-promoting substances and properties , so much so that they are even used in medicine and science to produce new substances for the treatment of inflammation, cancer, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Pumpkins are also a helpful health boost for our everyday lives. Eating pumpkin seeds for example, is associated with a lower risk of prostate problems. Not surprisingly, the well-known orange peel of the pumpkin contains Beta-carotene , the same substance found in carrots etc. Although the popular belief that eating carrots etc. helps us see in the dark has now been disproved, beta-carotene has other important functions. Our body uses it, for example, to Production of vitamin A , an important substance for our skin and our eyes (although, as already mentioned, it doesn't magically give us night vision) and a helpful supporter of the immune system.
Pumpkins also contain lots of potassium . Potassium supports hearing and it is even suspected that the natural drop in potassium levels as we age is a major reason for our hearing to become increasingly impaired. And contrary to popular belief, pumpkin even beats the often praised potassium content of pumpkins. Banana . A cup of pumpkin pulp covers 14% of your daily potassium requirement. A whole banana, on the other hand, only provides 12%.
Also for diets Pumpkins are very suitable. Since they consist of 90% water, their flesh is very low in calories and still filling.
At the time of the Native Americans and later the first settlers, pumpkin was even considered an effective Remedy for snake bites . However, this property probably belongs to the realm of placebo effects, based on the anti-inflammatory properties of the plant.
Pumpkin Pie – Pumpkin from the Oven
It is often said that Apple Pie is the undisputed Soul food of the Americans . However, this podium position is not entirely without competition. Although a full 19% of Americans still say that they prefer to fill their pie with apples, it is only a small distance behind second place with 13% The pumpkin pie is a popular dish. Of course, we are talking about the modern version of the pumpkin pie with delicious pumpkin puree in the typical American pie crust. However, Americans did not always enjoy their pumpkin pie like this. oldest traditional recipes from the time of colonization, however, seem very bizarre in view of our current understanding of pie. The pumpkin pie was actually more pumpkin than pie in the beginning, namely a hollowed-out pumpkin that was filled with milk, honey and a mixture of spices and then baked. The modern version of the pumpkin pie actually appears in American cookbooks only in the 19th century i.e. only after the country's independence from British colonial rule.
Unlike the rather symbolic patriotic apple pie, however, the pumpkin pie is actually an original American recipe and not a variation of centuries-old European cooking, as is the case with apple pie.
If you want to try the alternative to the classic Apple Pie, we have everything you need right here in our webshop :
- Pumpkin Pie Filling - Pumpkin Pie from Farmers Market
- Pumpkin puree - Pumpkin in a can from Farmers Market
- Pumpkin Pie Spice Seasoning from American Heritage
- Gluten-free baking mix for pie crust from Cup4Cup
- Deep glass pie dish from Anchor Hocking
For the gourmet or the hobby baker, it is important to note that pumpkins themselves have a relatively mild and weak taste For the typical pumpkin pie taste, its natural flavors must be addition of spices as the first settlers did in their milk-honey mixture before putting the pumpkin in the oven. The traditional spice mixture usually consists of nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves and is sometimes refined with notes of ginger and allspice.
At our pie filling from Farmer's Market By the way, you don't have to worry about it: All the essential spices are already mixed in. And for those who prefer to puree themselves, we have the spice mixture practically as a prepared Pumpkin Pie Spice in a glass for direct mixing without much weighing.
The American history The pumpkin's history goes back even further than the first settlers. When exactly it made it from its Central American origins to the north of the continent is not fully documented, but the natives knew the fruit and cultivated it on a small scale as one of their staple foods along with beans and corn. According to legend, pumpkin was also one of the dishes on the first Thanksgiving and the settlers probably learned the necessary practices for growing and harvesting the labor-intensive fruit from the natives. But the natives' use of pumpkin went far beyond the dinner table. They used the hollowed-out shells as improvised containers Mats and similar textiles were woven from dried pumpkin peel cut into strips to store other foods.
Today the USA is undisputedly the pumpkin country par excellence, even though the pumpkin has now made it into kitchens around the world. The capital of pumpkins is clearly in Morton, Illinois , the headquarters of Libby's Pumpkin Industries. Morton produces 95% of the 750,000 tons of pumpkins grown in the USA each year and processes them into whole 80% of canned pumpkin produced globally .
And behind these already astronomical quantities lies a whole lot of work and precise scheduling. From the fertilization of the flower to the final harvest, pumpkins need, depending on the type and size, 90 to 120 days. As a full 80% of the fruits ripen and have to be harvested in October, the season for pumpkin farmers usually begins in spring. Today, fortunately, honeybees take over pollination, but often the work is still done by hand to ensure the largest possible harvest. And in fact, there is even more urgency here, because the female flowers of the pumpkins are only fertile for a single day a year and even then only for a narrow time window of just 4 hours !
Who would have thought that plants that would hardly survive without our help could be so picky?
By the way, the world's largest pumpkin comes from… Germany , or at least that is what we would like to say. Unfortunately, the previous record value of 2,600 pounds was only reached in 2016 beaten by Belgian Mathias Willemjins with a magnificent specimen of only slightly heavier 2,624.60 pounds or 1,190.50 kg .
The largest pumpkin pie ever produced weighed 3,699 pounds (1,678 kg) and had a total diameter of 6 meters. The colossus ultimately contained a whopping 550 kg of pureed pumpkin.
Pumpkin & Co. - Surprisingly Sporty Squashes
But pumpkins are good for so much more than being pureed and sealed in cans or being displayed on the veranda with nasty faces. In fact, the rather sluggish-looking fruit apparently has a great affinity for sports .
In Delaware, the so-called "Pumpkin Chunkin" – a competition in Pumpkin throwing , although the term “long throw” must be used very liberally here. In fact, the pumpkins were not by hand into the air but with Slingshots, catapults or even compressed air cannons . However, the organizers also seem to have realized that it is not necessarily safe to blast a pumpkin, which often weighs several kilos, through the area like a projectile at top speeds, and so the event was Officially abandoned in 2017 .
Canadians have their own equally bizarre pumpkin sport, although it does not seem nearly as threatening as that of their southern neighbours. In Nova Scotia, every year the Windsor Pumpkin Regatta held – a race in which the participants paddle giant hollowed-out pumpkins converted into boats over a distance of 800 meters, of course without constantly turning in circles. The competition has been held every year since 1999 and has now even attracted international participants. The world record for the fastest short-distance sprint in the pumpkin boat paddling Since 2013, it has been a full 2 minutes and 0.3 seconds over a distance of 100 meters.
But perhaps the strangest sporting event in North America is the annual Naked Pumpkin Run , which is held in various US states such as Colorado, Washington, Oregon and California. The participants run, as the name suggests, almost completely naked , only clothed with her shoes and a mask from a hollowed-out pumpkin over a pre-set parkour, often peppered with obstacles for the further amusement of the spectators. The strange spectacle probably goes back to a failed world record attempt at Boulder's University in Colorado in 1974.
Less curious but more historically significant, it should be mentioned that pumpkins even played a major role in the Olympic package. At the end of the 19th century, the Olympic swimming , unlike today in secured pools and halls, in the open ocean The participants were taken out by boats to a certain distance and then swam back to the beach in a race. Although it is not known whether costs played a role here, hollowed-out pumpkins knitted together with ropes were used for the 1896 Olympic Games in Athens. as line markings used for the swimming lanes.
Halloween Pumpkin - Why the scary Face?
Now we have already met so many times Halloween and the well-known pumpkin lanterns called, it is about time to ask: What is the point of all this?
Even though Halloween is now considered a typical American tradition As is known, the roots of the festival go back far into the past. Unfortunately, it is not entirely clear which festival is the inspiration for today's night of horror, but there are some good candidates.
The most likely root of modern Halloween lies in Christian tradition and the celebration Allhallowtide , a festival to remember the dead – especially the saints and martyrs. Another alternative, and the most frequently cited, is the Celtic festival “ Samhain ”, an old variant of the festival marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of the darker and colder half of the year, practiced mainly in ancient Britain .
However, hollowed-out pumpkins are not found in these traditions – not surprising, since in Europe at that time There were no pumpkins yet . The tradition of scary faces existed even then, in the hope to ward off evil spirits that were entering the human world as the darkness grew longer. Instead of pumpkins, however, the faces were carved into the alternatives available at the time, such as potatoes or beets . However, since these are much harder to work with than pumpkins, which are at least very soft on the inside, this tradition was abandoned after the transition to the USA. almost completely replaced by the modern variant . The fact that food is used to make lanterns is popularly based on the Faustian legend of “ Stingy Jack ”. The story goes as follows:
Several hundred years ago, there lived in Ireland a scoundrel and drunkard named “Stingy Jack”, who was known far and wide as a swindler and fraudster. One night, the call of Jack the devil who became jealous that Jack was being treated as the master conman instead of him. The devil then came to Jack to claim his evil soul. Jack only asked the devil to let him drink some more alcohol before taking him to hell, a request to which the devil agreed and Jack to the nearest tavern .
After drinking as much as he could, Jack turned to the devil and asked him to pay the bill , he had agreed to Jack's request. The devil was taken by surprise, because of course he had no money. But Jack had a saving idea. He suggested that the devil should simply turn into a silver coin and after paying, simply return to his normal form. The devil was impressed by Jack's deception and promptly transformed into the coin. But instead of paying, Jack put the coin in his jacket pocket, where he also a crucifix that prevented the devil from changing his form. Now fully in control, Jack offered the devil his freedom if he would promise never to take his soul to hell. The devil reluctantly agreed.
With his life as a drunkard, it did not last long until Jack passed away , but when he found himself at the gates of heaven, Peter refused him entry due to his sinful lifestyle. Jack then asked for entry to hell, but the devil kept his word and also denied Jack access. Jack was thus condemned to eternal as a restless spirit to roam the world. As if to mock him, the devil gave him a single spark, captured to protect him from wind and weather in a hollowed-out turnip , with which he could light his way – the origin of the fruit lantern tradition.
The legend and tradition of the carving eventually came with the Irish immigrants into the new world and so the modern pumpkin lantern soon established itself under the name "Jack-o-Lantern" . Since then, carving has almost become a sport in its own right with numerous world records, such as the most pumpkins carved in one hour (109) and the fastest pumpkin carving (16.47 seconds).
Try it yourself. And if you urgently need to wash your hands after work, we recommend the brand new hand soap with a delicious pumpkin scent from Stonewall Kitchen:
By the way: Theoretically, you can eat your Halloween pumpkin after one night of display, as every part of the plant is edible. However, carved pumpkins are often different variants than the Sugar pumpkins used for cooking , which are usually smaller and much sweeter in taste than their large, bland cousins.
Have a Drink – Pumpkin Pie Latte
What could be better than a delicious refreshment at the end, such as a delicious Pumpkin Pie Latte with the delicious syrup from Sonoma Syrups?
And who invented it?
Actually Starbucks . The drink quickly became so popular that the company even had to pay some legal problems Unlike Sonoma Syrup, the latte did not initially contain any pumpkin, despite the name, but only the completely pumpkin-free spice mixture that is used in cakes and other foods to enhance the flavor. After complaints about this false marketing were made, Starbucks had to change the recipe. Since then, the Pumpkin Spice Latte contains actually pumpkin puree .
So raise your glasses and enjoy October. Halloween is definitely coming.
