How to Grow, Carve and Cook Pumpkins

Cultivating pumpkins goes back as far as ancient Greece, where they were called "Pepon", which means "large melon". The French and English later grew them and the gourd made its way into fairy tales like "Cinderella". Native Americans had many used pumpkins for both food and medicine. They roasted, dried and baked this vegetable. They even ground dried pumpkin and used it as flour. Later, American colonists cut off the top of pumpkins, pulled out the pulp and added milk and spices before baking the whole thing.

Carved pumpkins trace their origins to an Irish folk tale about "Stingy Jack". After playing a series of tricks on the Devil, Jack was not allowed into either Heaven or Hell. The Devil sent Jack to roam the earth with only a burning coal to light his way. He put the coal into a hallowed out turnip. Irish people believed this would scare away evil spirits on All Hallows' Eve. When the Irish came to American they continued this tradition by using pumpkins instead of turnips.

Pumpkins are easy to cultivate, but they need a long growing season. They are best started outdoors in mid-spring or early summer after all danger of frost has passed. Pumpkin seedlings can also be started indoors. Plant the pumpkin seeds about an inch deep, but place them vertically and not horizontally as this will help discourage rot. If you start pumpkin seedlings indoors, make sure they have 2 or 3 pairs of "true" leaves (which does not include the first set to emerge) before planting outdoors.

Pumpkins do best in a warm sunny spot. Be prepared to handle the vines. Some train the long vines to grow in a circle to keep them neat. Small sized pumpkins can be trained to grow up a trellis. Pumpkins need lots of fertilizer so feed them regularly and also keep the soil moist. Pumpkin plants usually need 2 to 3 gallons of water per week. Pumpkins can be eaten when small but when they get to their full size they will form a hard shell and store easily.

(Pumpkin seedling photo by Juliancolton of Wikimedia Commons.)

* Covering part of the pumpkin vine with soil stimulates root growth.

* You can hand pollinate pumpkins with a paint brush. Look at the flowers to find the male and female. Females have swelling at the base of the flower while males don't. (See the photo of the female flower at right.) Gently pull away the petals of a male flower and brush away some pollen with a small paint brush. Brush it inside the female flower and tie it closed with twine, to prevent cross pollination.

* To grow big pumpkin pull off all but one pumpkin and it will grow large.

* To store pumpkins for winter, let pumpkins grow as long as the season permits. They are ready to cut off the vine when the skins are hard and the vines crack. Leave a long piece of stem on the pumpkin and let it sit outdoors for about 10 days. The outside will harden and the inside will be preserved so they can be stored and eaten all winter.

(female pumpkin flower photo by Juliancolton of Wikimedia Commons)

Carving a pumpkin can be very simple or very elaborate, depending on your skill level. If you are not used to carving or otherwise feel you have limited skill, pick a simple design. Get the right sized pumpkin for your needs. If you are using a template print it out and bring it with you when you go to the pumpkin patch.

To begin, draw a design on the pumpkin. Draw the design carefully. If using a printed pattern, lay it on the pumpkin and prick around the lines with something sharp. The prick marks will be your carving guide. Next, cut around the top of the pumpkin to make a lid that you can pull off. (It helps if you use a marker to draw where you want to cut first.) Scoop out the goop inside but save the seeds for roasting if you like. Finally, carve out your drawing or design. You can use a sharp sturdy knife but some believe a keyhole saw is safer.

(Spooky pumpkin photo by djean911 of stock.xchng)

You can use the pumpkins you grow in pies, quick breads, stews, and other tasty dishes. Use the smaller ones for cooking as the big pumpkins are often too starchy. You can either roast or steam it, but don't bother trying to peel them or cut them into small pieces - they are simply too hard. For either roasting or steaming, wash any dirt off of the pumpkin, cut it in half and scoop out the seeds.

To roast it lay the pumpkin halves in a roasting pan and add about a cup of water to the pan. Bake it at 400 degrees until the flesh is soft, which can take up to an hour and a half. Scoop it out and mash it with a potato masher or food processor. You can get faster results by throwing the pumpkin into a large pot, adding about an inch of water, putting on a lid and steaming it. This can take as little as a half an hour. To remove excess water from the flesh scoop it out of the pumpkin and place it in a colander to drain. You can even stick the colander on a large plate and place the whole thing in the refrigerator, getting back to it later.

Use fresh pumpkin puree in recipes instead of canned pumpkins. Usually, 1 and ½ cups of pumpkin is equal to one can of pumpkin.

(pumpkin pie photo by Mike Johnson)